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Idaho Supreme Court rejects snow-related insurance claim over barndominium
The court found the policyholders’ submissions lacked supporting receipts, despite State Farm already paying more than $120,000 after the December 2022 collapse.
Two Idaho policyholders sought $272,300 after heavy snow damaged a half-built barndominium at a Sandpoint property in December 2022, according to Insurance Business. They claimed $10,000 for frozen meat and $12,000 for a flatbed trailer, items that appeared on a handwritten list without receipts. The couple had purchased the homeowners policy in May 2022 while living in an RV on the property with their children and farm animals.
Insurance Business reports the RV survived, but it lost water, power, and sewer connections after the partially framed structure gave way on December 26, 2022. State Farm paid $7,500 in January 2023 and then $115,966.47 for dwelling repairs less than two months later, after which the policyholders pursued additional amounts.
After hiring a public adjuster, the couple submitted a new personal property inventory about five months after the loss, Insurance Business said. Twenty-five new items appeared and values rose sharply, but each entry was marked “Total Loss Contents,” and there were still no bills or receipts, with photographs labeled only with item names.
Insurance Business adds that the Idaho Supreme Court unanimously rejected the couple’s bid on October 6, concluding there was no entitlement to the additional requested payment. The article notes the couple’s rebuild estimate did not fare better, including a contractor’s one-page bid that began with a $70.