AMI apologises for selling quake-crushed Jag

David Ellis says he wasn't notified that his belongings - and his beloved XJ6 - were going up for auction. Photo / Geoff Sloan

Financially plagued insurance giant AMI has backed down in a battle with a father-of-six over his earthquake damaged Jaguar car.

David Ellis had wanted an opportunity to buy his earthquake damaged 1985 XJ6 Jaguar from the company, which had great sentimental value, but it was auctioned without his knowledge.

Tools in his car had also gone "missing". Christchurch's The Star highlighted Mr Ellis' plight last week.

AMI's said yesterday it would re-look at Mr Ellis' situation, and has advised to him make a claim for the missing items.

The turn around comes amid a predicted $1b Government bailout of the Christchurch-based insurance giant, which is at risk of being overwhelmed by quake-related claims.

Mr Ellis said he was "okay" with the resolution, but was "still very, very upset about what's happened with the car."

Mr Ellis said the company had contacted him and apologised but did not really have any explanation for why the goods and car were auctioned.

An AMI spokesman said that a "break in communications from both parties" had contributed to the "unfortunate incident".

He said Mr Ellis had signed a discharge form agreeing to accept $7000 for which the car was insured.

The spokesman said AMI had no record that Mr Ellis should be offered the opportunity to buy the car back.

He said "extraordinary circumstances" were also a factor in the incident, as normally vehicles were assessed at AMI's Ferry Rd yard, but due to the earthquake cars were taken to Turners Auctions yard.

He said they were unaware the car had even been removed from the inner city cordon by authorities.

'The problem was we weren't aware that the vehicle had been shifted and taken to Turners. We're going through their website regularly to see what AMI vehicles are taken to Turners, unfortunately that website is a little bit behind the time."

He said Mr Ellis had noted on his claim that he had belongings in the car - "that was unfortunately an oversight on AMI's part".

Luckily, Turners Auctions did remove a lot of the items from Mr Ellis' car and gave them to him, he said.

A policy had now been put in place to ensure that did not happen again, he said.

- STAR CANTERBURY