MYSTERIOUS DISAPPEARANCE

mysterious disappearance.A loss of property under unknown or baffling circumstances that are difficult to understand or explain. • The term is used in insurance policies covering theft. [Cases: Insurance 2152.]

“Under a policy insuring against loss of property by ‘mysterious disappearance’ recovery is generally allowed where the article disappears from the place the insured left it, while recovery is ordinarily disallowed where the insured has no recollection of when he last had possession of the article and cannot say when or from what place it disappeared. Thus the addition of the words ‘mysterious disappearance’ to a theft policy does not transform it to an ‘all loss’ policy covering lost or mislaid articles, but it remains a theft policy.” 43 Am. Jur. 2d Insurance § 501, at 575–76 (1982).

[Blacks Law 8th]