Acacia residents count cost

LAST week was an unusually tough week for Acacia residents whose homes were flooded 10 days ago.

Not only have they had to try to come to terms with the psychological trauma of being forced out of their homes – where many had lived for only a short time – they have had to deal with damage to their property. For most, repairing their homes and replacing their household goods depends on whether they are insured.Most banks require that houses they finance must be insured against structural damage caused by fire and water.Some banks have offered clients alternate accommodation during this period, while in a number of cases, insurance companies are preparing to pay out residents for furniture and clothes.But not all have been so lucky.LEFT HIGH AND DRYWhen The Namibian visited Florence Auala at the end of last week, the building contractors were removing damaged carpets from her home.The Acacia house is her first home, and she had lived there for a month.Her home insurance will cover the costs of replacing carpets and cupboards damaged by the flood waters.But when it comes to her newly-acquired furniture, it is another story.The holiday season stalled the process of insuring her belongings.”I went on holiday and thought I’d do it when I got back.When I got back I called the insurance broker and he said I should get back to him in the New Year.Everything was brand new.I paid for it all cash”.Her television and home theatre system are damaged beyond repair; her laptop was washed away.On top of it all, she will now have to start from scratch in researching for her studies.”I have just finished my MBA research.Even if I was insured, there’s no way I’d get the information back,” she notes, wryly looking at her damaged books and sketches lying on her lounge floor.CRUEL BLOWFor teachers Olga and George Karumendu, who were among Acacia’s first residents, it was a cruel blow of fate when they were forced to evacuate their house, their home for just over a year.With no alternate accommodation offered to them, they now have to share a confined space with family members.”That’s why we bought this house.Now we have become so used to our privacy.It’s difficult for us to go (and) live with other people in a small space,” says George.Their damaged furniture has been stored at various places, but only items for which they are still paying, a living and dining room suite, has been insured by the furniture company.With insurance premiums becoming too costly, they decided in November to change the broker for their car and household items.The new company told them it would only consider their application at the end of this month.”I had the forms and everything filled out.I was going to take it there on Monday.Now it has also gone down the river,” says a heartbroken Olga.They are insured for structural damage to their home, but are still awaiting feedback from their bank on the matter.In the meantime they are trying to assess their losses.”We are lucky to have what we have.We can’t estimate how much is gone.One shoe is here, the other one is gone,” says Olga.Even her qualifications obtained abroad have been washed away.The Karumendus are still unsure whether their car, which was parked in the garage at the time of the flooding, can be salvaged.The water reached window height before the garage door was forced open.But despite all the hardships, they want to return to their home.”We will stay here.It’s not a solution to leave.Wherever you are there are problems.We want to settle down and see what the future brings.Who’s going to buy this house now? They all know that it’s near a river,” George told The Namibian.SHAKY GROUNDUp the road from them, the McNallys are fighting a battle of a different kind.They moved into their new house in mid-December.While they obtain quotations to replace their damaged furniture and clothes, repair work on their house cannot begin until they have ironed out matters related to their bond application.It now appears their home might have been financed without home owner’s insurance in place.But even if their home is restored to its former state, they are not sure whether they want to return – the psychological impact has just been too much.”She [his wife] says she will never be at peace in that house knowing what could happen,” says Glenn McNally.For most, repairing their homes and replacing their household goods depends on whether they are insured. Most banks require that houses they finance must be insured against structural damage caused by fire and water. Some banks have offered clients alternate accommodation during this period, while in a number of cases, insurance companies are preparing to pay out residents for furniture and clothes. But not all have been so lucky. LEFT HIGH AND DRY When The Namibian visited Florence Auala at the end of last week, the building contractors were removing damaged carpets from her home. The Acacia house is her first home, and she had lived there for a month. Her home insurance will cover the costs of replacing carpets and cupboards damaged by the flood waters. But when it comes to her newly-acquired furniture, it is another story. The holiday season stalled the process of insuring her belongings. “I went on holiday and thought I’d do it when I got back. When I got back I called the insurance broker and he said I should get back to him in the New Year. Everything was brand new. I paid for it all cash”. Her television and home theatre system are damaged beyond repair; her laptop was washed away. On top of it all, she will now have to start from scratch in researching for her studies. “I have just finished my MBA research. Even if I was insured, there’s no way I’d get the information back,” she notes, wryly looking at her damaged books and sketches lying on her lounge floor. CRUEL BLOW For teachers Olga and George Karumendu, who were among Acacia’s first residents, it was a cruel blow of fate when they were forced to evacuate their house, their home for just over a year. With no alternate accommodation offered to them, they now have to share a confined space with family members. “That’s why we bought this house. Now we have become so used to our privacy. It’s difficult for us to go (and) live with other people in a small space,” says George. Their damaged furniture has been stored at various places, but only items for which they are still paying, a living and dining room suite, has been insured by the furniture company. With insurance premiums becoming too costly, they decided in November to change the broker for their car and household items. The new company told them it would only consider their application at the end of this month. “I had the forms and everything filled out. I was going to take it there on Monday. Now it has also gone down the river,” says a heartbroken Olga. They are insured for structural damage to their home, but are still awaiting feedback from their bank on the matter. In the meantime they are trying to assess their losses. “We are lucky to have what we have. We can’t estimate how much is gone. One shoe is here, the other one is gone,” says Olga. Even her qualifications obtained abroad have been washed away. The Karumendus are still unsure whether their car, which was parked in the garage at the time of the flooding, can be salvaged. The water reached window height before the garage door was forced open. But despite all the hardships, they want to return to their home. “We will stay here. It’s not a solution to leave. Wherever you are there are problems. We want to settle down and see what the future brings. Who’s going to buy this house now? They all know that it’s near a river,” George told The Namibian. SHAKY GROUND Up the road from them, the McNallys are fighting a battle of a different kind. They moved into their new house in mid-December. While they obtain quotations to replace their damaged furniture and clothes, repair work on their house cannot begin until they have ironed out matters related to their bond application. It now appears their home might have been financed without home owner’s insurance in place. But even if thei
r home is restored to its former state, they are not sure whether they want to return – the psychological impact has just been too much. “She [his wife] says she will never be at peace in that house knowing what could happen,” says Glenn McNally.