Chavis v. State Farm Fire & Casualty Co.

BRANCH, Chief Justice.

The sole question presented by plaintiffs’ appeal is whether the trial court erred in granting defendant’s motion for a directed verdict. The trial court’s ruling in defendant’s favor at the close of all the evidence terminated the action on the ground that as a matter of law plaintiffs were precluded from recovering on the fire insurance policy because they had failed to produce their financial records as required by the policy. Consequently, the issue of arson was never submitted to the jury.

The portion of the standard fire insurance policy relevant to a determination…