The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1916-03-10
Claims Against the Changers Mutual
Fire a. Storm Insurance Company
Of Carroll County.

Acting under an order of the Cir
cult Court for Carroll County, Messrs.
Francis Neal Parke and Charles O..
Clemson. attorneys, Westminster, Nd,
Receivers of the Changers Mutual
Fire and Storm Insurance Company
of Carroll County, are making every
effort to reach the policy holders of
the Insurance Company to advise
them that, under the Courts order, it
Is necessary that their claims, with
affidavit attached, be filed with the
Clerk OF the Circuit Court at Vest
minister. Md, on or before April 3,
1916. This means those persons who
had filed their claims with the officers
of the Insurance Company before the
Receivers were appointed in July,
1915, must again file their claims with
the Clerk of the Circuit Court at
Westminster, Md. Claimants can I'M
derstand the necessity for this pro-
cedure when they stop to think that
it might be that, between the time
they filed their claim with the Com
pany, say in 1913 or 1914, and the
present time some payment might
have been made to them on account
of their claim, about which the re-
ceivers have no information.
Many persons who had met with
losses and had filed their claims with
the Company seem to be under the
impression that it is not necessary
for them 70 file claims now with the
Clerk of the Court. This is mis-
take and the Receivers are anxious
to make it clear to the policy holders,
SO that .efore April 3rd, next, they
may file their claims in the proper
manner. After April Bird, when it is
known what claims there are against
the Company, the receivers will OBJ
tain an order of Court, authorizing
them to make an assessment against
the policy holders and afterwards
distribution will be made to those
persons whose claims for losses have
been filed
A mistaken impression exists with
many of the policy holders in think
ing that they are not liable for the
losses incurred and this may account
for the reluctance to file their claims.
This was a Mutual Company and the
policy holders are in the same posi-
ton of a number of persons who had
signed note, they are each liable
for their pro rata share of the losses,
based upon the amount of their in
surance. Up to this date, the only
claims that have been filed with the
Receivers are those of certain per-
sons in arroll and Frederick Coun
ties, but not one-third of the claims
proper to be filed according to the
claims heretofore made of the Com
pany, have been filed with the Receiy
ers. In Baltimore, Howard and
Montgomery Counties there are hun
dreds OF policy holders and many OF
them suffered losses, but none of these
policy holders have SO far filed their
claims with the Receivers. All OF
these persons are liable to lose their
right to recover for their losses and
yet be Obliged to pay their pro rata
share of the assessment. 1t is very
difficult FOR the Receivers to COM
municate with the policy holders
directly. on account of changes of
postoffice addresses. The matter has
been given as much newspaper pub
licity as possible, in the hope that
claimants may be notified of their
rights. Over fifteen hundred farmers
in Carroll. Frederick, Montgomery,
Howard and Baltimore Counties are
policy holders in this Company and
are directly interested in this matter.
The Receivers hope to make some
definite statement TO the policy hold
ers shortly after the third of April,
1915