Missing liquor was worth $84,000, lawsuit claims

A Vancouver man is suing his insurance company, adjuster and a restoration company, alleging that seven cases of expensive liquor were thrown out after a flood at his home.

Jie Min Wang filed a notice of civil claim this week in B.C. Supreme Court in Vancouver.

According to the claim, Wang’s Kerrisdale home was damaged in a flood on in July 2014. Wang made a claim with his insurer, Beacon Underwriting, which used Cox Insurance Associates to adjust the claim. On Side Restoration was hired to remove contents damaged by flooding and do restoration work.

Work began three days after the flood and lasted for about two weeks. Among the items removed during that time were seven cases (84 bottles) of a Chinese sorghum liquor called Moutai 2009 and one case containing 12 bottles of Erguotou, also a sorghum liquor.

After On Side finished at Wang’s home, the claim alleges that Wang’s wife was told the firm would contact them if any items were disposed of, and she signed a liability waiver.

Last November, On Side returned some items removed from the property, including the Erguotou case. The Moutai was not returned. Wang alleges that his wife was told On Side had disposed of it by mistake. They were not consulted.

Wang’s claim states some of the cases of liquor had been damaged, but the bottles had not. He claims the replacement cost is $84,000, or $1,000 per bottle. He wants the liquor back, and damages for breach of policy and engagement contracts, breach of duty of good faith, negligence, breach of fiduciary duty, wrongful conversion and unjust enrichment.