Illinois mansion owner gets just $25,000 for contents despite $8.75 million coverage

A lightning strike destroyed Pine Manor, a 24,000-square-foot mansion in southern Illinois, in October 2019, leaving owner Wesley Gibson facing a dispute over insurance coverage for the antiques, artwork and furnishings inside. His homeowner’s policy with Chubb National Insurance Company covered the building for $8.75 million and its contents for $3.5 million. Chubb paid the full amount for the house but limited the contents payout to $25,000, arguing that most of the property had been used to operate a commercial lodging and events venue. Gibson challenged the decision, saying the policy should cover his collection of personal belongings. On July 13, 2026, the US Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit upheld the insurer’s position in Gibson v. Chubb National Insurance Company. The court concluded that most of the mansion’s contents were used to conduct Gibson’s business and fell under the policy’s business-property limit.