Case Citation
Legal Case Name

Johnson v. Allstate Insurance Co. Case Brief

Court of Civil Appeals of Oklahoma1993Docket #61675270
870 P.2d 792 1993 OK CIV APP 198 65 O.B.A.J. 1042 1993 Okla. Civ. App. LEXIS 188 1993 WL 601972 Property Law Contracts Family Law

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Case Brief Summary & Legal Analysis

General Brief
4 min read

tl;dr: A woman insured a home she no longer owned after a divorce. When it burned down, the court held her insurable interest was limited to her liability on the mortgage. Since the insurer paid the bank, she could not recover any additional funds from the policy.

Legal Significance: This case establishes that under Oklahoma’s “factual expectation” test, an insurable interest in property is not dependent on legal title but is measured by the extent of the insured’s actual, lawful, and substantial economic detriment that would be suffered from the property’s loss.

Johnson v. Allstate Insurance Co. Law School Study Guide

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Case Facts & Court Holding

Key Facts & Case Background

Plaintiff Sherry Johnson and her ex-husband, Jack Murdock, divorced. The divorce decree awarded the marital home to Jack, subject to a mortgage held by a bank, which Jack was ordered to pay. Sherry was ordered to execute a quitclaim deed to Jack, which she did, without reserving any lien or security interest in the property. Subsequently, Jack filed for bankruptcy, and his obligation to hold Sherry harmless for marital debts was deemed dischargeable. Fearing she would remain liable on the mortgage note, Sherry purchased a fire insurance policy on the home from Allstate Insurance Co. The policy named Sherry as the insured and the bank as mortgagee, and it limited Allstate’s liability to Sherry’s insurable interest. After the home was destroyed by fire, Allstate agreed to pay the bank the full outstanding balance on the mortgage but refused to pay any additional proceeds to Sherry. Allstate argued that paying off the mortgage completely satisfied Sherry’s insurable interest. Sherry sued, claiming she was entitled to the full policy value, asserting her insurable interest included other debts Jack failed to pay pursuant to the divorce decree.

Court Holding & Legal Precedent

Issue: Did a former owner of a property, who retained no legal title but remained liable on the mortgage note, have an insurable interest that extended beyond the amount of that mortgage debt?

No. The plaintiff’s insurable interest in the property was limited to the Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex e

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Legal Issue

Did a former owner of a property, who retained no legal title but remained liable on the mortgage note, have an insurable interest that extended beyond the amount of that mortgage debt?

Conclusion

This case provides a clear application of the factual expectation test for Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut al

Legal Rule

Under 36 O.S. 1991 § 3605, an insurance contract on property is Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore

Legal Analysis

The court's analysis centered on defining and measuring Sherry's insurable interest under Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim ve

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  • An insured’s insurable interest is measured by the economic detriment they
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur si

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