Starry v. Horace Mann Insurance Co.

OPINION

COMPTON, Justice.

Presented in the guise of a simple problem of insurance coverage, this peculiarly “Alaskan” controversy raises a profound, albeit hairy question: is a “bear hide wall mount” a “fur” within the scope of an insurance exclusionary clause? Differently stated, “When is a fur not a Fur?” 1 .

I. BEAR FACTS

The bear hide wall mount in dispute was displayed on the living room wall in James F. Starry’s home. The hide was prepared as a rug, in a stretched-out fashion with the head and claws attached. 2 A burglar, as it were, left the wall bare, as it wasn’t. Starry filed a claim…