Property Coverage: Interplay Between Policies and the Law

A. Introduction
B. Outline
1. The Law
a. Statutes
b. Regulations
c. Case Law
2. The Policy
3. Putting It All Together: Claim Scenarios
C. Don’t Look At Just The Insurance Policy
D. The Law
1. Three branches of government
2. Three sources of law
3. Three types of law
E. Legislative Law
1. Federal statutes
2. State statutes
F. Claim Scenario
1. Homeowner’s policy’s replacement cost provision v. State’s Valued Policy statute
2. Statute generally controls when in conflict with policy language
G. Examples of statutes with relevance to insurance claims
H. Legislative Law continued
1. Local codes or ordinances
2. Hypothetical claim
I. Recap of Part 1; Preview of Part 2
J. Review
K. Quiz – Reinforcing Part 1 Materials
1. 5 Multiple-choice questions
2. 4 choices per question
3. Second quiz if score less than 80%

A. Introduction
B. Administrative Law
1. Administrative agencies
a. Federal
b. State
2. Purposes of Administrative Law
a. Create New Law
b. Expand upon statutes
c. Explain existing law
d. Quickly respond to catastrophes
3. Where policy and law conflict, law generally controls
4. Recap Administrative Law
C. Judicial Law
1. Written decisions by judges
2. Identifying Relevant Case Law
a. What kind of court decided the case?
b. What level court decided the case?
c. What Is Court’s Jurisdiction?
D. Recap Part 2, Preview Part 3
E. Review
F. Quiz – Reinforcing Part 2 Materials
1. 5 Multiple-choice questions
2. 4 choices per question
3. Second quiz if score less than 80%

A. Precedent
1. Binding precedent
2. Persuasive precedent
B. How to Read a Case Citation
C. Preview of Part 4
D. Review
E. Quiz – Reinforcing Part 3 Materials
1. 5 Multiple-choice questions
2. 4 choices per question
3. Second quiz if score less than 80%

A. Introduction
B. Role of the Courts
C. Case discussion: Jahier v. Liberty Mutual Group, 883 N.Y.S.2d 283 (App.Div. 2d Dept. 2009)
1. Proximate cause v. anti-concurrent causation preface
2. Anti-concurrent causation preface enforced
D. Case discussion: Howell v. State Farm Fire & Cas. Co., 267 Cal.Rptr 708 (Cal.App. 1990)
1. Statute v. anti-concurrent causation preface
2. Statute controlled; preface not enforced
E. The Policy as Contract
1. The insurance policy is a contract
2. Principles of contract interpretation apply
3. Basic rules of contract interpretation
a. Four corners rule, a/k/a “parol evidence” rule
b. Plain and ordinary meaning
Case discussion: Hudson v. Tower Ins. Co. of New York, 875 N.Y.S.2d 429 (N.Y.Sup. 2008)
Case discussion: Rapp B. Properties, LLC v. RLI Insurance Co., 885 N.Y.S.2d 283 (App.Div. 1st Dept. 2009)
c. Ambiguities construed against the drafter
Case discussion: Pioneer Tower Owners Ass’n v. State Farm Fire & Cas. Co., 880 N.Y.S.2d 885 (N.Y. 2009)
Case discussion: Um v. Cumberland Ins. Group, 2008 WL 65805 (N.J. Super. App. Div. 2008)
d. Specific terms control over general provisions
Case discussion: Marsh v. American Family Mut. Ins. Co., 218 P.3d 573 (Ore.App. 2009)
e. Ejusdem generis
Case discussion: Rankin v. Generali U.S. Branch, 986 S.W.2d 237 (Tenn.App. 1998)
E. Review
F. Quiz – Reinforcing Part 4 Materials
1. 5 Multiple-choice questions
2. 4 choices per question
3. Second quiz if score less than 80%

A. Review
B. Introduction
C. Claim Scenario – Water Damage to Condominium
1. Background
2. Relevant documents to consider
3. What does the Unit-Owner’s policy cover?
4. What does the Association’s policy cover?
5. Why does the Association’s policy cover unit property?
6. What, if anything, does the condominium statute require?
7. What, if anything, does the Master Deed (a/k/a Agreement, Declaration, CC&R, etc.) require?
8. “Other Insurance” provisions
9. Don’t rely on the policy alone.
D. Preview Part 6
E. Review
F. Quiz – Reinforcing Part 5 Materials
1. 5 Multiple-choice questions
2. 4 choices per question
3. Second quiz if score less than 80%

A. Introduction
B. Case discussion: Volquardson v. Hartford Ins. Co.,
642 N.W.2d 599 (Neb. 2002)
1. Policy’s Intentional Loss exclusion v. Statute
2. 1943 New York Standard Fire Insurance Policy
3. Joint v. Several Obligation
4. Statute controls over policy language
C. The Law Is There To Help
D. Take Advantage of Resources
E. Three Things to Take From Course
1. The Law is your friend
2. The Law generally controls over policy language
3. Don’t look at just the policy; look at the Law too.

F. Wrap-up
G. Review
H. Quiz – Reinforcing Part 3 Materials
1. 5 Multiple-choice questions
2. 4 choices per question
3. Second quiz if score less than 80%