An insurer reportedly accused this 82-year-old of running a motorcycle repair shop out of her house, canceling her policy. Then the property burned down — and the company refuses to pay

Johnson denies this allegation, telling the local broadcaster, "I don’t see how it could have been very profitable. You know, we have no skills. We have no abilities. I don’t know one bike from another."

Here are some of the details behind the messy insurance conflict.

Fight for compensation

Public adjuster Neil May took on Johnson's case after the insurance company, Liberty Mutual, refused to pay her claim. He believes Johnson's loss was the result of an accident.

"The just resolution would be that [Liberty Mutual] would cover this loss, and they'd rebuild [the home] to pre-loss condition," May told 8 News Now in a story broadcast Oct. 21.

One point of contention with the home insurance claim is the cause of the blaze. Johnson believes the fire started on the back wall of the home where the solar system hardware was located, but she told 8 News Now an inspector from Liberty Mutual found a cigarette butt in the backyard and determined it to be the fire's origin.

Fires caused by cigarette use are typically considered accidental and therefore covered by insurance — but if the fire was set on purpose, an insurer won't cover the damages.

Liberty Mutual hired an attorney to represent it amid its investigation of the claim. The attorney examined Johnson under oath in December 2023. According to a transcript obtained by 8 News Now, Johnson admitted to making a mistake filling out insurance paperwork, including the age and value of a refrigerator she says was destroyed in the fire. Misrepresentations can result in a claim being tossed.

There's also the matter of whether Johnson's policy was still in effect if she was considered to be running a business out of her home.