ARTICLE 17. FIRE AND MARINE INSURANCE.

§33-17-1. Scope of article.

This article shall apply to fire insurance and marine insurance, except that it shall not apply to reinsurance.

§33-17-2. Standard fire policy.

No policy of fire insurance covering property located in West Virginia shall be made, issued or delivered unless it conforms as to all provisions and the sequence thereof with the basic policy commonly known as the New York standard fire policy, edition of one thousand nine hundred forty-three, which is designated as the West Virginia standard fire policy; except that with regard to multiple line coverages providing casualty insurance combined with fire insurance this section shall not apply if the policy contains, with respect to the fire portion thereof, language at least as favorable to the insured as the applicable portions of the standard fire policy and such multiple line policy has been approved by the commissioner. As of the effective date of this chapter, the commissioner shall file in his office, and thereafter maintain on file in his office, a true copy of such West Virginia standard fire policy, designated as such and bearing the commissioner's authenticating certificate and signature and the date of filing. Provisions to be contained on the first page of the policy may be rewritten, and rearranged to facilitate policy issuance and to include matter which may otherwise properly be added by endorsement. The standard fire insurance policy shall not be required for casualty insurance, marine insurance nor insurance on growing crops.

§33-17-3. Arrangement of policy.

The pages of the standard fire insurance policy may be renumbered and the format rearranged for convenience in the preparation of individual contracts, and to provide space for the listing of rates and premiums for coverages insured thereunder or under endorsements attached or printed thereon, and such other data as may be conveniently included for duplication on daily reports for office records.

§33-17-4. Information as to insurer.

There shall be printed on such standard fire insurance policy the name of the insurer or insurers issuing the policy, the location of the home office or United States office of the insurer or insurers, a statement whether such insurer or insurers be stock corporations, mutual corporations, reciprocal insurers, or otherwise, and there may be added thereto such device or emblem as the insurer or insurers issuing such policy may desire. If the policy is issued by a mutual or reciprocal insurer having special regulations with respect to the payment of assessments by the policyholder or subscriber, such regulations shall be printed on the policy, and any such insurer may print upon the policy such regulations as may be appropriate to or required by its form of organization. Any insurer organized under special charter provisions may so indicate upon its policy, and may add a statement of the plan under which it operates in this state. There may be substituted for the word "company" a more accurate descriptive term for the type of insurer. There may also be added a statement of the group of insurers with which the insurer is financially affiliated. In lieu of the facsimile signatures of the president and secretary of the insurer there may be used the name or names of such officers or managers as are authorized to execute the contract.

§33-17-5. Insertion of provisions required by law or charter.

A domestic insurer may print in the standard fire policy any provisions which it is authorized or required by law to insert therein; a foreign or alien insurer may print in the policy any provision required by its charter or deed of settlement, or by the laws of its own state or country, not contrary to the laws of this state.

§33-17-6. Additional contracts, riders or endorsements.

Appropriate forms of additional contracts, riders or endorsements, insuring against indirect or consequential loss or damage, or against any one or more perils other than those of fire and lightning, or providing coverage which the insurer issuing the policy is authorized by the laws of this state and by its license to assume or issue, may be used in connection with the standard fire policy. Such other perils or coverages may include those excluded in the standard fire insurance policy, and may include any of the perils or coverages permitted to be insured against or issued by fire, marine and casualty insurers. Such forms of contracts, riders and endorsements may contain provisions and stipulations inconsistent with such standard fire insurance policy, if such provisions and stipulations are applicable only to such additional coverage or to the additional peril or perils insured against.

§33-17-6a. Notice of noncoverage of flood damages and the availability of flood insurance.

Every insurer issuing or renewing a policy that provides fire insurance, as that term is defined in subsection (c), section ten, article one of this chapter, but which does not cover damages from flood, shall provide to the policyholder of every policy delivered in this state a notice that provides as follows: THIS POLICY DOES NOT COVER DAMAGE FROM FLOOD. FOR INFORMATION ABOUT FLOOD INSURANCE, CONTACT THE NATIONAL FLOOD INSURANCE PROGRAM OR YOUR INSURANCE AGENT.

§33-17-7. Designation as standard policy; agent's name.

There may be printed upon the standard fire policy the words, "Standard Fire Insurance Policy for West Virginia," and there may be inserted before and after the words "West Virginia" a designation of any state or states in which such form of policy is standard. There may be endorsed on any such policy the name, with the word "agent" or "agents" and place of business, of any insurance agent or agents, either by writing, printing, stamping or otherwise.

§33-17-8. Filing of forms.

(a) No fire or marine policy, rider or endorsement to be attached to any policy covering any risk located or to be performed in West Virginia shall be delivered or issued for delivery in this state unless that form is: (1) Filed with and approved by the Commissioner; (2) conforms to applicable legislative rules of the Commissioner; (3) is identical as to language to a policy, rider or endorsement approved by the Commissioner; or (4) qualifies under subsection (c) of this section. If the use of any form under the provisions of subdivision (2) of this section by any insurer or by the members and subscribers of any rating organization is so extensive that in the opinion of the Commissioner the public interest requires, the Commissioner may require that the form be filed with him or her by the insurer or by the rating organization on behalf of its members and subscribers.

(b) The procedure for filing and approval or disapproval of forms under this section is provided in section eight, article six of this chapter. Grounds for disapproval are those set forth in section nine of said article. Filings may be made on behalf of any insurer by a rating organization licensed under the provisions of article twenty of this chapter. This section does not apply to ocean marine policies, riders or endorsements, or to forms on specially rated inland marine risks.

(c) For commercial lines risks, a fire or marine policy, rider or endorsement is subject to the provisions of section six, article eight of this chapter governing other commercial lines form filings as defined in section eight, article six of this chapter.

§33-17-9. Total or partial fire loss.

All insurers providing fire insurance on real property in West Virginia shall be liable, in case of total loss by fire or otherwise, as stated in the policy, for the whole amount of insurance stated in the policy, upon such real property; and in case of partial loss by fire or otherwise, as aforesaid, of the real property insured, the liability shall be for the total amount of the partial loss, not to exceed the whole amount of insurance upon the real property as stated in the policy. This section does not apply where such insurance has been procured from two or more insurers covering the same interest in such real property.

§33-17-9a.

Repealed.

Acts, 2010 Reg. Sess., Ch. 105.

§33-17-9b. Claims for total loss; debris removal proceeds.

(a) No proceeds shall be paid by an insurance company that has issued a policy which provides coverage for debris removal for cleanup, removal of refuse, debris, remnants, or remains of a dwelling or structure upon a claim of total loss unless and until the insurance company receives certification that the refuse, debris, remnants, or remains of the dwelling or structure have been cleaned up, removed or otherwise disposed of. In the event the insurance company receives, within six months of the date of loss, certification that such cleanup, removal or disposal costs have been incurred by a municipality, county or other governmental entity, rather than the policyholder, such debris removal and cleanup proceeds shall be paid to the municipality, county or other government entity which has incurred such costs: Provided, That any company that has issued a policy that provides coverage for damage to real property as a result of fire or explosion, regardless of whether such policy includes coverage for debris removal, shall comply with the provisions of section one, article ten-e, chapter thirty-eight of this code.

No insurance company subject to this section which complies with this section may be held liable for any claim that may arise out of the cleanup, removal or disposal of debris pursuant to this section.

(b) An insurance company subject to this section that complies with this section and with section one, article ten-e, chapter thirty-eight of this code shall be deemed to have fully satisfied all contractual obligations to the policyholder regarding debris removal; in no event shall an insurance company be required to pay moneys in excess of policy limits.

(c) Compliance with this section and section one, article ten-e, chapter thirty-eight of the code may not be deemed a violation of section nine of this article.

§33-17-10.

Repealed.

Acts, 1993 Reg. Sess., Ch. 80.

§33-17-11. Exclusion of nuclear perils.

Insurers issuing the standard policy pursuant to section two or any permissible variation thereof are authorized to affix thereto or include therein a written statement that the policy does not cover loss or damage caused by nuclear reaction, nuclear radiation or radioactive contamination, or any combination or all of said causes, whether directly or indirectly resulting from an insured peril under said policy: Provided, however, That nothing therein contained shall be construed to prohibit the attachment to any such policy of an endorsement or endorsements specifically assuming coverage for loss or damage caused by nuclear reaction, nuclear radiation or radioactive contamination.

§33-17-12. Payment discharges insurer.

Whenever the proceeds of or payment under a policy of fire insurance covering property located in West Virginia heretofore or hereafter issued becomes payable, and the insurer makes payment thereof to the person or persons designated in the policy or contract or if the proceeds have been assigned and written notice of such assignment given to the insurer, to the person or persons being entitled thereto by virtue of such assignment, such payment shall fully discharge the insurer from all claims under the policy or contract. This section is declared to be applicable to all insurers, including farmers' mutual fire insurance companies.