CHAPTER 81 - INSURANCE DEPARTMENT VALUED POLICIES
AN ACT TO AMEND CHAPTER 20 OF THE REVISED CODE OF DELAWARE, 1935, ENTITLED, "INSURANCE DEPARTMENT", WITH RESPECT TO VALUED POLICIES.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the State of Delaware in General Assembly met:
Section 1. That 511. Sec. 50, Article 4 of Chapter 20 of the Revised Code of Delaware, 1935, be and the same is hereby amended to read as follows:
511. Sec. 50, Valued Policies; Fire; Tornado; Lightning; Liability Under; Entry Thereon; to What Policies Applicable; Judgment Thereon:--(a) Whenever any policy of insurance shall be issued to insure any real property in this State against loss by fire, tornado, or lightning, and the property insured shall be wholly destroyed without criminal fault on the part of the insured, or his assigns, the amount of the insurance stated in such policy (except policies with blanket coverage provided for in Subparagraph (b) hereof) shall be taken conclusively to be the true value of the property insured and the true amount of loss and measure of damages, subject to the proviso herein; and every such policy, whether hereafter issued or renewed, shall have endorsed across the face of it the following: "It is agreed between insurer and insured that the value of the real property insured is the sum of $;" and this estimate shall be binding on both parties as to value; provided, however, that nothing herein contained shall, in case of loss, prevent the company insuring from adjusting the loss by replacing the property destroyed. And in case any owner shall effect any subsequent insurance on the same property, upon any larger value than so agreed, all such insurance, that then existing as well as that subsequently obtained, shall become void.
(b) Nothing in this Act contained shall be construed as prohibiting insurers from issuing policies with blanket coverage on two or more separate buildings or units of real property or policies covering real and personal property; provided, however, that when insurance is written under a blanket item covering real and personal property or covering two or more separate buildings or units of real property, a single total value shall be agreed upon between the insurer and insured as to the real property insured, and such agreed value shall be endorsed across the face of any such policy as provided in Subparagraph (a) of this Section.
(c) This Section shall apply to all policies of insurance made or issued upon real property in this State, and also to the renewal which shall be made of all policies issued in this State, and the contracts made by policies and renewals shall be construed to be contracts made under the laws of this State.
The Court upon rendering judgment against any insurance company upon any such policy of insurance shall allow the plaintiff a reasonable sum as attorney's fee to be taxed as part of the costs.
Approved April 24, 1945.