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Two appellate courts recently examined the scope of a homeowners policy’s requirement that the insured reside at the property at the time of loss. Both cases involve claims of loss involving a house fire, and in both cases, claims were denied on the basis that the homeowner was not residing at the property at the time of loss. Both court decisions agree that where the homeowners policy requires that the homeowner reside at the property, evidence of simultaneous residence in multiple houses does not necessarily defeat the insured’s claim. However, evidence of actual residence is required.
Continue Reading The Definition of “Reside” Under Homeowners’ Policies in Michigan and New York: Two Appellate Courts Provide Further Insight

Recently, in Mallek v. Allstate Indem. Co. No. 17-CV-5949-KAM-SJB, 2018 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 42171 (E.D.N.Y. Mar. 12, 2018), a federal magistrate in New York recommended that the Court deny a plaintiff’s motion to remand and suggested that removal was proper where the plaintiff “fraudulently” joined an insurance agent. Oftentimes, coverage actions involve a plaintiff suing a national insurance company, where neither are citizens of the same state, and therefore, the case may be eligible for removal under 28 U.S.C. § 1332. However, some plaintiffs have included local agents of the insurance company—like a claims professional who handled their claim—as named-defendants, along with the insurer, in an attempt to defeat complete diversity between a local plaintiff and a national insurance carrier.
Continue Reading Eastern District of New York Magistrate Recommends Denial of a Motion to Remand and Recognizes the Application of the Fraudulent Joinder Doctrine, Even in the Face of the “Forum Defendant Rule”

The Connecticut Supreme Court recently handed down an important decision reiterating the high bar to overturning arbitration awards while, at the same time, clarifying a portion of the applicable statute providing for vacating an arbitration award as well as a prior ruling concerning the timing of payment of heldback depreciation.

In Kellogg v. Middlesex Mutual Assurance Company, the plaintiff insured her historic property under the defendant’s restorationist policy. Unlike traditional homeowners policies, the restorationist policy had no policy limit; rather, if repairs were completed, it provided for the full replacement or restoration cost of the property without deduction for depreciation. The insured property was damaged when a large tree fell on the roof and chimney during a storm. When the parties could not agree as to the amount of the loss, the insured submitted the dispute to appraisal. Following seven site visits, the submission of voluminous materials, and hearings with multiple witnesses concerning the correct amount of the claim ($1.6 million v. $476,000), the umpire and the insurer’s appraisal awarded the insured nearly $580,000 on a replacement cost basis. The insured filed an application with the Connecticut Superior Court to vacate the arbitration award under Conn. Gen. Stat. § 52-418. Following an eight day trial that covered the entirety of the claim and appraisal process, the court vacated the award and ordered a new arbitration hearing.
Continue Reading Connecticut Supreme Court Reaffirms Court’s Limited Power To Review Appraisal Awards

The terms and conditions of the Standard Flood Insurance Policy (“SFIP”) are specified by regulations promulgated under the National Flood Insurance Act (“NFIA”). One of the terms in the SFIP provides that the insured cannot sue the flood carrier unless the insured has complied with all requirements of the policy and the insured must “start the suit within one year after the date of the written denial of all or part of the claim, and . . . file the suit in the United States District Court of the district in which the covered property was located at the time of the loss.”

The Fourth Circuit recently determined that an SFIP insured is time barred from filing suit if the date that the suit was filed in federal court is more than the allowable year specified in the SFIP even if the insured filed an action in state court within the one-year period. Woodson v. Allstate Ins. Co., Docket No. 16-1935 (May 3, 2017). In Woodson, the insureds suffered damages to their home as a result of Hurricane Irene, and submitted a claim to Allstate for flood damages pursuant to their SFIP.  Allstate denied the Woodsons’ claim for flood damage on February 28, 2012, and the Woodsons filed suit in in state court on February 27, 2013 alleging breach of contract, and violation of the North Carolina Unfair and Deceptive Trade Practices Act.
Continue Reading Suit Limitation Period In Standard Flood Insurance Policy Is Not Tolled By Filing In State Court: Hurricane Irene Claim Dismissed By Fourth Circuit