Posted on 11/17/2017 4:18:37 AM PST by rightwingintelligentsia
A Buffalo Township couple is suing the township police and the Nationwide Insurance Co. after, their lawsuit says, hibiscus plants growing in their backyard were mistaken for marijuana plants.
In a lawsuit, Edward Cramer, 69, and his wife, Audrey Cramer, 66, claim that Buffalo Township police handcuffed them both and made them sit in the back of a police car for hours last month as police ransacked their house looking for marijuana.
But rather than running a pot-growing operation, the Cramers say they grow flowering hibiscus in their backyard.
The Cramers were not charged.
They filed a civil lawsuit Thursday in Butler County Court against Nationwide Mutual Insurance Co., Nationwide agent Jonathan Yeamans, Buffalo Township and three of its police officers.
Among the allegations are use of excessive force, false arrest, false imprisonment, intentional infliction of emotional distress and invasion of privacy.
(Excerpt) Read more at triblive.com ...
The taxpayers might not pay if court award is seized from assets seized by police and stashed in their slush fund.
The couple is lucky that their property and bank accounts haven’t been seized...not to mention all the hibiscus plants being eradicated. Being mistaken for marijuana, Jeff Sessions probably was ginning up a task force to really hammer them.
Buffalo, NY is the Rio Linda of NY.
Natiowide isn’t protected from, nor is the agent immune from lawsuit.
The insurance agent seemingly pushed a false allegation about a marijuana grow operation located on the covered property. It’s alleged his testimony was instrumental in provoking issuance of a search warrant; and, the subsequent police raid on a policy holders property.
The Nationwide agent exhibited poor judgement, which Nationwide Insurance based their subsequent decisions upon. This had the effect of Nationwide Insurance likely not honoring the contract for a sustained damage. This could be based upon an exclusions of coverage exception when a police investigation indicates illegal activity is uncovered at a property.
The lawsuit in part probably seeks enforcement of the contract terms, which have likely been denied under false pretense. This episode reflects badly upon a company which had a rogue representative (agent), who apparently manipulated the legal apparatus to substantiate his denial of a legitimate policy claim.
“On Oct. 26, Nationwide sent the Cramers a policy notification letter claiming to have found marijuana growth on the property.”
Buffalo Township is in PA.
Well, there’s that.
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