A lengthy and very public spat between some Christchurch earthquake victims and Vero Insurance is over.
Last year, Canterbury man Jerry Larason mounted very colourful protests under the banner "Vero Prison" - featuring prison costumes and a trailer made to look like a jail cell. Other Vero Prison supporters have paid for banners bearing the words "Vero Sucks" to be flown over Auckland from behind an aircraft.
Now, Mr Larason has settled with Vero but before signing, he disclosed to Fair Go the documents that outline the measures Vero was originally seeking in return for putting that claim to bed.
It included a confidentiality clause, a short agreed statement that gave very little detail and a clause that bound him from ever again disparaging Vero Insurance, or encouraging or aiding anyone else who wanted to disparage the insurance company.
A Vero statement released before the settlement was completed says the company has signed thousands of confidential settlements, not just for the Canterbury earthquakes.
"In the case of Mr Larason, the uniqueness of this claim means we have sought additional assurances that any settlement agreement will be full and final, and will not lead to future action being taken against Vero. The purpose of this clause is to allow both parties to move on."
The dispute was over an assigned claim - that's where the insurance entitlement to a damaged home is transferred along with a house when it is sold. Mr Larason was involved in buying a rental home left damaged by the February 22 earthquake in 2011. Vero says in essence in that situation the new owner doesn't get the same rights and entitlements as the person who took out the policy and court decisions have backed that up.
Vero has since advised the claim has been settled, along with another featured on Fair Go last year.
That home was the subject of a seven-year dispute, first between EQC and the owners, and then Vero and the owners.
Roger Dennis and Tara Wingfield went public after Vero insisted on multiple re-inspections of the property and offered to pay out the owners less than a third of what they'd been told it would cost to fix.
Roger Dennis told Fair Go in November that the cost of fighting back had hit $77,000.
"For us it's a stretch. But for people who are elderly or vulnerable or just take what the insurance company gives them, they don't have any recourse to this. They will just roll over. And that's what Vero relies on, people just rolling over and saying 'I've given up, I've got no energy, no money, I can't fight you any more'."
However, both Vero and Roger Dennis now say they've reached a mutually agreeable settlement and can't comment further on that matter.
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