Insurance Policyholder Forfeits Indemnification Due to Unauthorized Repairs

A dispute arose concerning the contractual liability of an insurance company following the partial destruction of insured property by fire, where the insurer, after being notified of the loss, delayed the necessary expert evaluation and subsequent indemnification process, leading the policyholder to undertake immediate, unauthorized repairs to mitigate further damage. The court upheld the rejection of the policyholder's appeal, reasoning that the policy's terms required the insured to await the insurer's assessment before undertaking repairs, and by prematurely commencing work without authorization, the insured violated a crucial contractual obligation, thereby forfeiting the right to claim indemnification for the costs associated with those unauthorized repairs.