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Ohio appeals court keeps $100,000 fire-policy judgment against store
The case centered on the policy naming the lessee as the building owner and omitting the real owner as an additional insured, according to court findings.
An Ohio appeals court refused to revive a convenience store's fire-damage lawsuit and reinstated a $100,000 judgment against Layannoor, Inc., after United Ohio Insurance Co. obtained default relief following prolonged nonparticipation, Insurance Business reports. The dispute began in June 2024 after a fire at a leased property. The court found the policy was set up with a key ownership mismatch, naming Layannoor as the building's owner rather than a tenant and leaving the actual owner off as an additional insured, a structure the court said is generally required to obtain the policy at issue. United Ohio had already paid once under the initial understanding of ownership, then counterclaimed for $100,000 to recover that payment. Layannoor's lawyers withdrew, one in December 2024 and another in March 2025, after losing contact with the company, and the case stalled when no new licensed attorney was appointed.
After the trial court entered default judgment on July 2, 2025, it voided the policy based on misidentification of the owner and ordered repayment. Layannoor later argued excusable neglect, but the appeals court reversed on July 30, 2026, concluding the company consciously disregarded the ongoing litigation, and held that undoing the default would disrupt the finality of judgments, leaving United Ohio's voided policy and $100,000 judgment in place.