I thought this was funny, don't know if it has been posted before.

A Charlotte, NC lawyer purchased a box of very rare and expensive cigars then insured them against fire among other things. Within a month, having smoked his entire stockpile of these great cigars, the lawyer filed a law suit against the insurance company. In his claim, the lawyer stated the cigars were lost "in a series of small fires." The insurance company refused to pay, citing the obvious reason: that the man had consumed the cigars in the normal fashion. The lawyer sued.... and won! In delivering the ruling the judge agreed with the insurance company that the claim was frivolous. The Judge stated nevertheless, that the lawyer held a policy from the company in which it had warranted that the cigars were insurable and also guaranteed that it would insure them against fire, without defining what is considered to be "unacceptable fire," and was obligated to pay the claim.

Rather than endure a lengthy and costly appeal process, the insurance company accepted the ruling and paid $15,000.00 to the lawyer for his loss of the rare cigars lost in the "fires."

NOW FOR THE BEST PART:

After the lawyer cashed the check, the insurance company had him arrested on 24 counts of ARSON!!!! With his own insurance claim and testimony from the previous case being used against him, the lawyer was convicted of intentionally burning his insured property and he was sentenced to 24 months in jail and ordered to pay a $24,000 fine.

It's been posted multiple times over the years, as has the inevitable response that this is nothing more than an urban legend ...

That is to say, it's a cute story, but not a true one

snopes.com

No, its true I tell, true.

Well truely funny.

I ran into a waitress in a restaurant that knew that story. She's never smoked a cigar in her life.

It sure is an urban legend.

Check this out for proof:

http://urbanlegends.about.com/library/blcigar.htm 

anybody ever heard the country song by Brad Paisley called the Cigar Song - sounds an awful lot like that story lol here are the lyrics hehe

"The Cigar Song"

Well I'm a sucker for fine Cuban cigars

The problem is I can't afford 'em

But last year I went and got myself a whole box

And just to be safe I insured 'em

[Chorus]

I took out a policy against fire and theft

And then I hurried home

With a thirty-cent lighter I sat on my back steps

And I smoked 'em one by one

Two weeks later I went to see that insurance man

And I handed in my claim

With a straight face I told him that through a series of small fires

They'd all gone up in flames

[2nd Chorus]

They reviewed my case and they had no choice

But to pay me for what I'd done

And I took that check and bought a whole new box

And I smoked 'em one by one

Two weeks later this detective shows up

Tells me that company's pressin' charges

One speedy trial later they locked me up

On twenty-four separate counts of arson

[3rd Chorus]

And now I sit and I stare at a blank brick wall

Lookin' back on what I've done

To pass the time I've got some ten-cent cigars

And I smoke 'em one by one

Yeah, I smoke 'em one by one