The plaintiff's home and its contents were destroyed in a fire.
The plaintiff had a $1,000,000 home insurance policy with the defendants.
The defendants paid out over $834,000, but the plaintiff sought the remainder of the policy limits, claiming additional construction costs, administrative expenses for acting as his own general contractor, additional living expenses, and higher valuations for his destroyed contents, including an art collection.
The plaintiff also sought general damages.
The court found that because the plaintiff chose to build a significantly larger home rather than replacing his original home, he was only entitled to the actual cash value of the original home, entitling the defendants to a set-off for depreciation.
The court dismissed the claims for administrative expenses, additional living expenses, and general damages, finding the plaintiff responsible for construction delays and the insurer's conduct reasonable.
The court awarded the plaintiff an additional $74,936.49 for the contents of the house, resulting in a net judgment of $25,468.64 after applying the defendants' set-off.
