Case Title: RICKL v BRAND S LUMBER CO

Citation: 

Docket Number: 

State: montana

Court: Montana Supreme Court

Date: 1977-02-16T00:00:00Z

Document:
No. 13544 IN THE SUPREME COURT OF TIE STATE OF I4ONTANA 1977 ELLEN J. RICKL, Plaintiff and Xespondent, BRAND S. LUMBER COMPANY, a corporation, Defendant and Appellant: Appeal from: District Court of the Tenth Judicial District, Honorable LeRoy L. McKinnon, Judge presiding. Counsel of Record: For Appellant: Robert L. Kelleher argued, B illings, Montana For Respondent : Leonard H. McKinney argued, Lewistown, Montana Submitted: January 21, 1977 Decided: CEfi 1 6 ?Qn -.-+ Filed: -'k[3i:.k M r . Justice John Conway Harrison delivered the Opinion of the Court. This i s an appeal from an award of damages by the d i s t r i c t court, Fergus County, s i t t i n g without a jury. Plaintiff Ellen J. Rick1 owned a piece of land adjacent t o land on which defendant Brand S. Lumber Company had secured consent t o cut timber. The lumber company admitted by stipulation that it had gone upon the r e a l property belonging t o plaintiff and cut 208,000 board f e e t of timber. The sole issue a t t r i a l and on appeal i s the measure and amount of damages. The d i s t r i c t court found these facts: 1) Plaintiff did not enter into any contract t o s e l l timber and did not want the timber disturbed. 2) The trespass was not w i l l f u l nor malicious but there was indication of lack of due care. 3) The land was damaged as a result of the logging. 4) The f a i r value of the timber taken was $25 per thousand board feet stumpage or $75 per thousand board feet a t the m i l l . The court's conclusions of law held: 1) Plaintiff suffered loss 05 the timber removed and detri- ment t o the r e a l property not easily translatable t o money damages. 2) A damage award based on stumpage value would give defendant the benefit of its own wrong. 3) Plaintiff should recover damages i n the amount of $75 per thousand board f e e t , together with costs. In the d i s t r i c t court plaintiff argued section 17-503, R.C.M. 1947, which grants treble damages for injury t o trees where the trespass was other than casual or involuntary was the appli- cable statute. The d i s t r i c t court granted damages based on actual detriment only and not treble damages, Plaintiff abandoned argu- ment that section 17-503, R.C.M. 1947, was the proper s t a t u t e during o r a l argument to t h i s Court. The lumber company cited texts and cases from other states holding that the general measure of damages i s the value a t the time of conversion. Section 17-404, R.C.M. states: "The detriment caused by the wrongful conversion of personal property i s presumed t o be: 1. The value of the property a t the time of i t s conversion, with the interest from that time; or where the action has been prosecuted with reasonable diligence, the highest market value of the property a t any time between the conversion and the verdict, without interest, a t the option of the injured party; and, 2. A f a i r compensation for the time and money properly expended i n pursuit of the property." The highest value of the lumber i n the hands of the party that converted it i s the market value a t the m i l l . It i's clear the d i s t r i c t court f e l t that stumpage value alone would give the lumber company the benefit of i t s own wrong and encourage trespass and conversion, especially where there i s b e t t e r timber on adjoining land where the owner w i l l not s e l l . Since the d i s t r i c t court did not grant interest it is obvious that highest value was used. W e find no error. The judgment of the d i s t r i c t court i s affirmed. ,? W e Concur: L,, 1 4"" > ; : ; - E z 2 j N I/' && - d chief Just c e