Chow v. Merrimack Mutual Fire Insurance

Sometime during late December, 2006, or early January, 2007, a house owned by the plaintiff and insured under a homeowner’s policy issued by the defendant incurred substantial damage when pipes froze, and then burst, releasing *623large amounts of water into the structure. The defendant denied coverage for the loss, based upon a policy exclusion for damage caused by frozen pipes if (i) the house was unoccupied at the time of the loss, and (ii) the insured failed to use reasonable care to maintain heat in the building. The plaintiff filed this action against the defendant for breach of contract…