Landlord Sets Fire to Get Insurance Money, Kills 7

03/5/2010

Home insurance coverage may be invaluable for consumers who lose their property to a fire, hurricane or hail.

One Illinois landlord tried to cash in on his policy - by asking a maintenance man to set his property on fire. According to a report by the Chicago Sun-Times, the Valentine's Day blaze destroyed the building and killed seven people, including two small children.

Lawrence Myers and building manager Marion Andre Comier were arrested several weeks later and convicted for the crime. Both face seven counts of murder and two counts of arson.

Myers, who had hoped to use insurance money to improve his overall financial situation, offered to pay Comier between $3,000 and $5,000 for setting the fire. He had told the latter to wait for a school day when children would not be home, according to the report.

Home insurers do not have to pay claims for fires that are proven to be related to arson, according to the Insurance Information Institute. The Coalition Against Insurance Fraud is among the organizations involved in protecting consumers by combating arson.

Data from the III show that costs associated with intentionally set fires reached $1 billion in 2008, about 14.5 percent higher than the previous year's losses.

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