Misrepresentation

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While issues of fact can preclude summary judgment in some cases involving failure to cooperate and misrepresentation, a New York federal court recently granted summary judgment to an insurer in this context. In D’Andrea v. Encompass Ins. Co. of Am., No. 15-CV-467-MJR, 2018 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 146446, 2018 WL 4095098 (W.D.N.Y. Aug. 28, 2018), the insured was seeking property insurance coverage for a fire loss that occurred at a two-unit residence purportedly owned by the insured and rented to tenants. In submitting his insurance claim, the insured provided three sworn statements in proof of loss, including one for the loss of the dwelling and one for loss of use of the dwelling. The dwelling proof of loss requested $225,000 in damages and listed the insured as the owner of the premises.…
Continue Reading Failure to Cooperate and Misrepresentation: New York Federal Court Grants Summary Judgment Finding Insured Explanations for False Statements “Dubious”

When an insurer finds that the insured misrepresented a material fact in an application for insurance, the insurer may rescind the policy of insurance, and take the position that no coverage exists for a claimed loss. In a recent case analyzed by New York’s Second Department, Otsego Mutual rescinded its policy of insurance with the insured after a fire loss and after Otsego Mutual determined that the insured stated in the application for insurance that the property at issue was a two-family dwelling, when in fact it was a three-family home. Estate of Gen Yee Chu, et al. v. Otsego Mut. Fire Ins. Co., 2017 N.Y. App. Div. LEXIS 1516 (Mar. 1, 2017). Otsego Mutual established that it would not have issued the policy of insurance if it had known that the property was a three-family home. The insured testified that he believed that the house was a “legal two-family dwelling.”…
Continue Reading Innocent or Unintentional Mistake in Application is Irrelevant: NY’s Second Department Finds Rescission Appropriate and Affirms Summary Judgment Based on Insurer’s Claim of Misrepresentation