Appellate Division of the Supreme Court of New York, 1991

Scheer v. Nationwide Mutual Fire Insurance

Scheer v. Nationwide Mutual Fire Insurance
Appellate Division of the Supreme Court of New York · Decided July 12, 1991
175 A.D.2d 640; 572 N.Y.S.2d 572; 1991 N.Y. App. Div. LEXIS 10178
Scheer v. Nationwide Mutual Fire Insurance

Opinion of the Court

— Order unanimously reversed on the law without costs and complaint dismissed. Memorandum: Supreme Court was without power to compel defendant to participate in the appraisal procedure contained in the fire insurance policy it issued to plaintiffs *641(see, Happy Hank Auction Co. v American Eagle Fire Ins. Co., 1 NY2d 534, 538; Matter of Delmar Box Co. [Aetna Ins. Co.], 309 NY 60, 63-67; Syracuse Sav. Bank v Yorkshire Ins. Co., 301 NY 403, 410-411). Plaintiffs’ reliance on Insurance Law § 3404 (g) is misplaced. That statute became effective on March 23, 1990, after the dates of the parties’ contract and plaintiffs’ loss. Because that statute purports to create a substantive right and because its language indicates a prospective application only, Insurance Law § 3404 (g) has no application here (see, Matter of Deutsch v Catherwood, 31 NY2d 487, 489-490; see also, Matter of Thomas v Bethlehem Steel Corp., 63 NY2d 150, 154; Waddey v Waddey, 290 NY 251, 254; McKinney’s Cons Laws of NY, Book 1, Statutes § 52). (Appeal from Order of Supreme Court, Onondaga County, Hayes, J.— Declaratory Judgment.) Present — Dillon, P. J., Callahan, Den-man, Green and Lowery, JJ.

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