the law is an ass!

[Coolhand]

Recently, I read about a North Carolina man who purchased a case of expensive rare cigars and insured them against fire. Within a month, having smoked his entire stockpile, and yet to make a single premium payment on the policy, the man filed a claim against the insurance company complaining that he'd lost the cigars in "a series of small fires." The insurance company refused to pay, citing the obvious reason that the man had consumed the cigars in a normal fashion. However, the man sued and won! The judge in the case ruled that because the company had both warranted that the cigars were insurable, and insured the cigars against fire, they were obligated to compensate the insured for his loss. Rather than endure a lengthy and costly appeal process, the insurance company accepted the judge's ruling and paid the man $15,000 for the rare cigars he lost in "the fires." After the man cashed his check, however, the insurance company had him arrested on 24 counts of arson.