After winning the insurance battle with his contents insurer, Alted Printing owner Ted Rixon says he still cannot return to his shop in Sydney’s south west due to delays caused by his building insurer.
Rixon and his family had been locked in a battle with their insurer CGU since the super storm inundated shops on Argyle Street on June 5 causing hundreds of thousands of dollars’ worth of damage to the business. Weeks later CGU agreed to pay for the damage.
Speaking to Australian Printer, Rixon says while his contents claim with CGU is now being worked through, he claims he is now facing a hold up from building insurer Axis Underwriting, preventing Alted’s from returning to its shop front.
Rixon claims it has taken Axis six weeks to schedule a drying out of the building which was inundated by storm water.
“Six weeks later they decided to start drying the building out, when it should have been done the week after the storm,” he says.
“Axis started drying out the building last Thursday and told me it would take four days. But it has now been five days and there is still 70 per cent saturation in the walls.”
Rixon fears Axis’ delay in drying out the shop will cause a mould infestation which could cause further damage. New equipment has also been delivered to the shop which Rixon cannot open because it may rust.
He says, “It is terrible when you have to harass an insurance company when you have been insured with them for 30 years. It is like backing a horse for 30 years hoping it will lose and then when it wins they decide they do not want to pay you.”
Although Alted’s has recommenced trading in a premises owned by a family friend, he says time will only tell how many customers he has lost by the disruption.
“I have let my big accounts know that I am still trading but I have a lot of smaller clients and I do not know the impact that has had on them yet,” Rixon says. “I am very fortunate I have loyal customers who have been here for many years that are very understanding.”
Rixon was planning to relaunch the business by mid-September, but says this date could be pushed back depending on when Axis finalises repairs on the building.
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