On October 23, 2026, the Indiana Court of Appeals reversed the denial of the Gose couple’s fire insurance claim, restoring the possibility of a payout after a 2022 insurer verdict.
The blaze that sparked the dispute erupted on November 16, 2020, at the couple’s two‑storey barn‑style property in Richmond, Indiana, where investigators recovered gasoline and evidence of deliberate ignition.
The insurer’s denial, issued on January 14, 2022, hinged on suspected arson and the couple’s refusal to sign an authorization permitting the company to obtain records from SmartStop Self‑Storage, a facility where the Goses had rented units.
In reviewing the case, the appeals court distinguished between the commercial policy, which did not obligate the couple to grant storage‑record access, and the contents policy, where the court found the missing authorization could not be deemed a material breach.
Further, the court noted the insurer’s investigator had acknowledged the Goses’ cooperation during sworn examinations, casting doubt on the insurer’s claim of bad faith and leaving that question unsettled.
With the claim reopened, the Goses can now file a new motion to compel the insurer to reassess the loss, while the couple remains without coverage on the damaged barn and has sold half of their remaining acreage to cover the financial fallout.