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It’s clearly a case of he says, he says. Residents of Charlotte are divided as to what really transpired on January 1,1996.
Bruce Smith, the owner of Chris the Printer in Punta Gorda, Florida, lost his business in the blaze. The fire inspector at the scene noted “suspicious origins” in his report. State Farm refused to pay the $2 million claim. Under Florida law, if any portion of a claim is false, the entire claim may be considered void. At issue is a $31,000 computer Smith insists was in the building at the time and was damaged by the fire the insurer says the computer was not in the building and therefore it was not damaged.
Other questions also linger. Smith purchased the business from its founder, Chris Wrightsman, just four years ago for a price of $500,000. The price did not include the actual building that housed the business, which Wrightsman still owned. Smith claimed a $2.7 million loss under his State Farm policy.
Smith has been arrested and charged with two felonies. Sorting through the ashes will now be the duty of the court.
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