J-A06013-17

NON-PRECEDENTIAL DECISION - SEE SUPERIOR COURT I.O.P. 65.37

JOHN R. BLACKBURN III IN THE SUPERIOR COURT OF

PENNSYLVANIA

Appellant

v.

KING INVESTMENT GROUP, LLC 

No. 2409 EDA 2016

Appeal from the Judgment Entered June 28, 2016

In the Court of Common Pleas of Chester County

Civil Division at No(s): No. 2015-01295-CT

BEFORE: PANELLA, J., SHOGAN, J., and RANSOM, J.

MEMORANDUM BY PANELLA, J. FILED JULY 06, 2017

Appellant, John R. Blackburn III,1appeals from the judgment2entered 

following a June 28, 2016 order, which modified the amount of a judgment 

____________________________________________

1 The caption in the notice of appeal listed John R. Blackburn III and 

Donanne M. Blackburn as Appellants and King Investment Group, LLC, Peter 

Papadopoulos, Hristos Papadopoulos, and Anita Papadopoulos as Appellees. 

See Notice of Appeal, 7/27/16. However, only John R. Blackburn III and 

King Investment Group, LLC appear to be parties to the instant appeal. See

Appellant’s Brief; Appellee’s Brief; Order, 6/28/16. We have corrected the 

caption accordingly. 

2 Appellant purports to appeal from the order entered June 28, 2016, which 

partially granted Appellant’s post-trial motion by modifying the verdict in 

favor of Appellee, King Investment Group, LLC, from $147,735 to $132,935, 

while denying the rest of the relief requested in his post-trial motion. See

Notice of Appeal, 7/27/16. “Orders denying post-trial motions, however, are 

not appealable. Rather, it is the subsequent judgment that is the appealable 

order when a trial has occurred.” Harvey v. Rouse Chamberlin, Ltd., 901 

A.2d 523, 524 n.1 (Pa. Super. 2006) (citation omitted). Here, the June 28, 

(Footnote Continued Next Page)
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in favor of Appellee, King Investment Group, LLC, from $147,735 to 

$132,935. Appellant contends that the trial court erred in its interpretation 

of the contract, improperly precluded expert testimony, and erred in its 

calculation of damages recoverable by Appellee. We affirm. 

The factual basis of this litigation is largely undisputed. On February 

18, 2011, Appellant entered into a written agreement (the “Agreement”) to 

convey property located at 19-191⁄2 King Street, Malvern, Chester County, to 

Appellee for $625,000.3 The property consisted of two commercial buildings, 

one of which contained a pizza shop owned by the members of Appellee. 

Following execution of the Agreement, but prior to settlement, the parties 

(Footnote Continued) _______________________

2016 order directed that the judgment for $132,935 be entered on the 

docket. See Docket Entry #27, 6/28/16. 

 “[W]here a trial court denied a party’s post-trial motions and unequivocally 

enters judgment in the same order, that order is immediately appealable 

and an appeal should be filed within thirty days of its entry on the trial court 

docket.” Taxin v. Shoemaker, 799 A.2d 859, 860 (Pa. Super. 2002) 

(footnote omitted). Thus, this appeal correctly lies from the entry of 

judgment, entered by the order, rather than the order itself. However, 

despite his error, this Court will address the appeal because judgment has 

been entered on the verdict. See Mount Olivet Tabernacle Church v. 

Edwin L. Wiegand Division, 781 A.2d 1263, 1266 n.3 (Pa. Super. 2001). 

We have corrected the caption accordingly. 

 

3 As part of the Agreement, Appellant granted Appellee a $125,000 purchase 

money loan pursuant to the terms of a judgment note. In December 2015, 

Appellant commenced a separate action, successfully confessing a judgment 

of $145,347.12, later modified to $143,347.12, against Appellee for 

defaulting on the note. See Trial Court Order, 3/28/16, at docket no. 2015-

11212-JD. Appellee appealed this judgment. However, a panel quashed the 

appeal as untimely. See Blackburn v. King Investment Grp., LLC, ___ 

A.3d ___, 2017 WL 1246700 (Pa. Super., filed April 5, 2017). 
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completed several written addendums to the Agreement. In relevant parts, 

the addendums provided that Appellant would: (1) continue to occupy the 

rear commercial premises for $1,000 a month, payable to Appellee, until 

December 31, 2011; (2) install two American Disabilities Act compliant 

bathrooms; (3) install new heating and air conditioning units on the first and 

second floor of the property; (4) replace the plumbing in the addition to the 

main building; and (5) replace a broken hot water heater. See Addendum, 

2/18/11, at ¶ 43; Third Addendum, 5/9/11, at ¶ 52(A)-(E); Fourth 

Addendum, 5/19/11, at ¶ 55(A). All of these renovations were to be 

undertaken at Appellant’s sole cost and expense, and with the exception of 

the ninety-day period for replacing the hot water heater, were to be 

completed within two years of the settlement date. See id. In May 2011, the 

parties settled and Appellant conveyed the property to Appellee. 

Subsequently, Appellant breached his obligation to pay rent and 

complete the agreed to renovations. Thus, in February 2015, Appellee filed a 

complaint against Appellant and his wife, Donanne M. Blackburn, asserting 

(1) breach of contract of the written agreement of sale; (2) breach of 

contract for unpaid rent; (3) fraud; (4) negligent misrepresentation; (5) 

violations of Pennsylvania’s Uniform Trade Practices and Consumer 

Protection Law, 73 P.S. § 201-1 et seq., and (6) unjust enrichment. Upon 

Appellant’s preliminary objections filing, the trial court dismissed counts (3) 
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through (6) against all parties, and counts (1) and (2) against Appellant’s 

wife. 

On March 17, 2016, the trial court held a non-jury trial on the 

remaining breach of contract claims against Appellant. Appellee presented a 

fact witness, Jerry O’Connor, to testify in relation to a construction proposal 

he completed for the property in 2013. O’Connor, a general contractor, 

testified that he estimated the value of the renovations based upon 

blueprints submitted to him by Appellee. The proposal included estimates for 

the complete demolition of two existing bathrooms, the construction of two 

new bathrooms, the installation of an acoustic ceiling grid, two Bryant gas 

furnaces and condensers, plumbing, ductwork registers and grills, and seven 

day programmable thermostats. O’Connor’s proposal did not differentiate 

between the costs of completing each line item, but generally concluded that

the total cost of completion to be $114,935. O’Connor testified this rate 

would increase $6,500 in labor costs if the work were performed as of the 

date of trial. 

Appellee also submitted into evidence invoices from Airtek Heating and 

Air Conditioning, Inc., relating to the installation of heating pumps. The 

invoices indicated that it would cost $7,500 for installation of two-ton 

Goodman GMC Heat pumps with two-ton air handler units and $850 for the 

installation of a new Bradford water heater. 
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Appellant testified on his own behalf. Appellant admitted he failed to 

pay rent pursuant the addendum to the Agreement. And he agreed with 

Appellee that he owed $18,000 as a result. Further, Appellant admitted that 

he breached the Agreement by failing to complete any of the contracted 

renovations to the property. However, Appellant contested the scope and 

cost of the work O’Connor’s proposal included. 

To contest O’Connor’s proposal, Appellant presented his own proposal 

estimating the costs of labor and materials for the renovations. Appellant’s 

proposal estimated that it would cost $3,200 to renovate the bathrooms, 

$14,900 to replace the heating and cooling system, $7,840 to replace the 

heating and cooling system on the second floor, and $570 to replace the hot 

water heater. Appellant offered no evidence as to the cost to replace the 

plumbing in the attached addition. Appellant also intended to present the 

testimony of Stephen Tait, a general contractor, to opine as to the 

renovations Appellant was obligated to complete under the Agreement. 

Ultimately, the trial court precluded Tait’s opinion testimony, following 

Appellee’s objection to Appellant’s failure to disclose Tait’s expert status 

prior to trial. 

Following the conclusion of testimony, the trial court entered a verdict 

in favor of Appellee and against Appellant for $139,435—$121,435 for failure 

to make the repairs mandated under the Agreement, and $18,000 for unpaid 

rent pursuant to the Agreement. In support of its verdict, the trial court 
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determined that the Agreement was clear and unambiguous, and thus, 

reasoned that Appellant’s admitted failure to make the repairs in the 

Agreement required him to pay the credible damages as set forth by 

O’Connor. 

Appellee filed a motion to include pre-judgment interest in the verdict. 

Appellant did not respond. The trial court corrected the verdict to $147,785. 

Subsequently, Appellant filed a post-trial motion disputing: (1) the trial 

court’s grant of Appellee’s post-trial motion; (2) the trial court’s 

interpretation of the Agreement; (3) acceptance of Appellee’s witness’s 

estimate of total damages; and (4) the trial court’s exclusion of the expert 

testimony of Tait. The trial court granted Appellant’s motion in part by 

modifying the verdict from $147,785 to $132,935. However, the trial court 

denied Appellant’s claims that it erred by accepting Appellee’s damage 

estimate or by excluding Tait’s expert testimony. This appeal follows. 

We apply the following standard of review to a nonjury trial verdict: 

Our appellate role in cases arising from nonjury trial 

verdicts is to determine whether the findings of the trial court 

are supported by competent evidence and whether the trial court 

committed error in any application of the law. The findings of 

fact of the trial judge must be given the same weight and effect 

on appeal as the verdict of the jury. We consider the evidence in 

a light most favorable to the verdict winner. We will reverse the 

trial court only if its findings of fact are not supported by 

competent evidence in the record or if its findings are premised 

on an error of law. However, [where] the issue ... concerns a 

question of law, our scope of review is plenary. 

The trial court’s conclusions of law on appeal originating 

from a non-jury trial are not binding on an appellate court 
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because it is the appellate court’s duty to determine if the trial 

court correctly applied the law to the facts of the case. 

Allegheny Energy Supply Co., LLC v. Wolf Run Min. Co., 53 A.3d 53, 

60-61 (Pa. Super. 2012) (citation and quotation marks omitted; brackets 

and ellipses in original). Furthermore, the trial court, as the finder of fact, is 

free to believe “all, part[,] or none of the evidence presented.” Ruthrauff,

Inc. v. Ravin, Inc., 914 A.2d 880, 888 (Pa. Super. 2006) (citation 

omitted). “Issues of credibility and conflicts in evidence are for the trial court 

to resolve; this Court is not permitted to reexamine the weight and 

credibility determinations or substitute our judgment for that of the 

factfinder.” Id. (citation and internal quotation marks omitted). 

 In his first issue, Appellant contends that the trial court erred by 

determining that the damages caused by his breach of the Agreement 

amounted to $139,435. See Appellant’s Brief, at 4. His claim is two-fold. 

The first aspect of Appellant’s argument concerns the trial court’s 

interpretation of the parties’ Agreement. See id., at 10-26. The second 

challenges the trial court’s calculation of damages based upon its allegedly 

incorrect interpretation of the contract term and scope of renovations. See 

id.

First, Appellant contends that the trial court incorrectly interpreted 

paragraph 52 of the third addendum to the Agreement. See Appellant’s 

Brief, at 10. Contract interpretation is a question of law; therefore, this 

Court is not bound by the trial court’s interpretation. See Kraisinger v. 
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Kraisinger, 928 A.2d 333, 339 (Pa. Super. 2007). “In construing a contract, 

the intention of the parties is paramount and the court will adopt an 

interpretation which under all circumstances ascribes the most reasonable, 

probable, and natural conduct of the parties, bearing in mind the objects 

manifestly to be accomplished.” Charles D. Stein Revocable Trust v. 

General Felt Industries, Inc., 749 A.2d 978, 980 (Pa. Super. 2000). 

In determining the intent of the parties to a written 

agreement, the court looks to what they have clearly expressed, 

for the law does not assume that the language of the contract 

was chosen carelessly. 

When interpreting agreements containing clear and 

unambiguous terms, we need only examine the writing itself to 

give effect to the parties’ intent. The language of a contract is 

unambiguous if we can determine its meaning without any guide 

other than a knowledge of the simple facts on which, from the

nature of the language in general, its meaning depends. When 

terms in a contract are not defined, we must construe the words 

in accordance with their natural, plain, and ordinary meaning. As 

the parties have the right to make their own contract, we will not 

modify the plain meaning of the words under the guise of 

interpretation or give the language a construction in conflict with 

the accepting meaning of the language used. 

On the contrary, the terms of a contract are ambiguous if 

the terms are reasonably or fairly susceptible of different 

constructions and are capable of being understood in more than 

one sense. Additionally, we will determine that the language is 

ambiguous if the language is obscure in meaning through 

indefiniteness of expression or has a double meaning. Where the 

language of the contract is ambiguous, the provision is to be 

construed against the drafter. 

In re Jerome Markowitz Trust, 71 A.3d 289, 301 (Pa. Super. 2013) 

(citation omitted). 
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At issue, is the phrase “renovate and otherwise install” as used in the 

provision in the third addendum addressing the renovations to bathrooms 

within the property. The provision provides: 

(A) [Appellant] and [Appellee] hereby expressly agree that 

[Appellant] shall renovate and otherwise install two (2) handicap 

bathrooms, both of which are compliant with the Americans with 

Disabilities Act [(“ADA”)] within two (2) years from the 

anniversary date of settlement, at [Appellant’s] sole cost and 

expense.

Third Addendum, 5/9/11, at ¶ 52(A) (emphasis added).

Appellant argues that the phrase “renovate and otherwise install” in 

section paragraph 52(A) of the third addendum to the Agreement was 

ambiguous as to whether it required Appellant to demolish and completely 

rebuild the bathrooms or to simply bring them into compliance with ADA 

standards. See Appellant’s Brief, at 10. Appellant alleges that the addendum 

contains an ambiguous term, “renovate,” which should be construed in his 

favor. See id. Conversely, the trial court and Appellee contend that the term 

“renovate” is clear and unambiguous, and as such, the scope of work to be 

completed is clearly defined through the addendums and consistent with the 

complete remodel present in O’Connor’s proposal. See Rule 1925(a) 

Statement, 9/19/16, at 3-4; Appellee’s Brief, at 12. 

Here, we agree with the trial court’s finding that the phrase “renovate 

and otherwise install” as used in the third addendum to the Agreement is 

clear and unambiguous. Appellees clearly understood the term “renovate” to 

connote demolition and complete replacement, as evidenced by the 
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blueprints relied upon by O’Connor in preparing his estimate. This 

understanding is supported by the rest of the provisions in the addendum. 

They indicate that the parties intended for Appellant to undertake a major

renovation to the property, rather than just making small repairs. Further, 

while Appellant claims that he understood the term “renovate and otherwise 

install” to connote altering the bathrooms to bring them into compliance with 

the ADA, the trial court found Appellant’s testimony to be incredible. See

Trial Court Opinion, 6/28/16, at 8. As an appellate court, we will not 

challenge a trial court’s credibility determinations. Thus, we find no error in 

the trial court’s determination that the Agreement language was 

unambiguous and required a complete remodel of the bathrooms. 

The second aspect of Appellant’s first issue challenges the trial court’s 

calculation of damages based upon the alleged incorrect interpretation of the 

contract and scope of the work to be completed. See Appellant’s Brief, at 

10. As discussed above, we do not find that the trial court incorrectly 

interpreted the contract or the scope of work to be completed. Thus, we are 

left with Appellant’s challenge to the calculation of damages. 

Where one party to a contract without any legal 

justification, breached the contract, the other party is entitled to 

recover, unless the contract provided otherwise, whatever 

damages he suffered, provided (1) that they were such as would 

naturally and ordinarily result from the breach, or (2) they were 

reasonably foreseeable and within the contemplation of the 

parties at the time they made the contract, and (3) they can be 

proved with reasonable certainty. 
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Ferrer v. Trustees of the University of Pennsylvania, 825 A.2d 591, 

610 (Pa. 2002) (citation and quotation marks omitted). The purpose of the 

damage award is to place the non-breaching party “as nearly as possible in 

the same position [it] would have occupied had there been no breach.” 

Lambert v. Durallium Products Corp., 72 A.2d 66, 67 (Pa. 1950) 

(citations omitted). Further, 

[t]he determination of damages is a factual question to be 

decided by the fact-finder. The fact-finder must assess the 

testimony, by weighing the evidence and determining its 

credibility, and by accepting or rejecting the estimates of 

damages given by the witnesses. 

Although the fact-finder may not render a verdict based on 

sheer conjecture or guesswork, it may use a measure of 

speculation in estimating damages. The fact-finder may make a 

just and reasonable estimate of the damage based on relevant 

data, and in such circumstances may act on probable, 

inferential, as well as direct and positive proof. 

Omicron Systems, Inc. v. Weiner, 860 A.2d 554, 564-565 (Pa. Super. 

2004) (citation omitted). 

Here, Appellant admits that he did not complete any of the contracted 

renovations set forth in the Agreement. See Appellant’s Brief, at 10. To 

justify the amount of damages awarded, the trial court outlined the credible 

evidence set forth at the hearing and determined that Appellees proved that 

they sustained $132,935 in damages. See Trial Court Opinion, 6/28/16, at 

7; Rule 1925(a) Opinion, 9/19/16, at 3-6. This amount was supported by the 

record, as evidenced by O’Connor’s testimony and written proposal. Thus, 

Appellant is essentially challenging the weight the trial court gave to 
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O’Connor’s testimony. As an appellate court, we will not reweigh the 

evidence. Therefore, because the damage amount was supported by the 

record, we affirm the award of damages. 

In his final issue, Appellant contends that the trial court erred by 

prohibiting his fact witness, Tait, from testifying as an expert witness. See

Appellant’s Brief, at 8, 27. Appellant contends that Appellee’s failure to 

pursue the identification of expert witnesses pursuant to Pa.R.C.P. 4003.5 

through discovery, prior to trial, precludes the trial court’s prohibition of Tait 

status as an expert witness. See id., at 30. 

“[T]he standard for qualification of an expert witness is a liberal one. 

When determining whether a witness is qualified as an expert the court is to 

examine whether the witness has any reasonable pretension to specialized 

knowledge on the subject under investigation.” Callahan v. Nat’l R.R. 

Passenger Corp., 979 A.2d 866, 875-876 (Pa. Super. 2006) (citation 

omitted). If a trial court determines that a witness may testify as an expert, 

he may testify and the weight to be given to such testimony is 

for the trier of fact to determine. It is also well established that a 

witness may be qualified to render an expert opinion based on 

training and experience. Formal education on the subject matter 

of the testimony is not required.... It is not a necessary 

prerequisite that the expert be possessed of all of the knowledge 

in a given field, only that he possess more knowledge than is 

otherwise within the ordinary range of training, knowledge, 

intelligence or experience. 
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Miller v. Brass Rail Tavern, Inc., 664 A.2d 525, 528 (Pa. 1995) (citations 

omitted). However, when considering the admission of expert evidence, our 

standard of review is very narrow: 

The admission or exclusion of evidence, including the 

admission of testimony from an expert witness, is within the 

sound discretion of the trial court. ... [W]e may only reverse 

upon a showing that the trial court clearly abused its discretion 

or committed an error of law. To constitute reversible error, an 

evidentiary ruling must not only be erroneous, but also harmful 

or prejudicial to the complaining party.

Turney Media Fuel, Inc., v. Toll Bros., Inc., 725 A.2d 836, 839 (Pa. 

Super. 1999) (internal citations omitted); see also Pa.R.E. 702 Comment. 

Here, the trial court explained its decision to prohibit Tait from 

testifying as an expert witness as follows:

At trial, Appellee’s counsel indicated that he had 

requested, through discovery, that Appellant produce the 

documents intended to be introduced at trial. Because [] Tait did 

not prepare an expert report, as is customary, Appellant was 

able to avoid identification of [] Tait as an expert. I determined 

that this caused Appellee unfair surprise. 

Moreover, the decision to preclude [] Tait from testifying 

as an expert was also grounded in his qualifications. The 

qualification of an expert witness rests within the sound 

discretion of the trial judge. [] Tait identified himself as a general 

contractor with 42 years of experience. Without the benefit of a 

curriculum vitae offered as evidence or any further elaboration 

on his experience, this is the extent of [] Tait’s qualifications. 

Further it was established that [] Tait’s testimony was based on 

a limited review of the relevant contract provisions, [O’]Connor’s 

estimate, and the testimony at trial. In my discretion, I 

determined that [] Tait was simply not qualified to offer expert 

opinions as to the value of the work that was contemplated 

under the contract or criticism of [O’]Connor’s estimate. 
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Having determined that [] Tait was not identified prior to 

trial, had produced no report or curriculum vitae, and limited 

qualifications, I found that the prejudice to Appellee was too 

great to allow him to offer any opinions as an expert witness. 

Instead, he was permitted to testify as a fact witness on behalf 

of Appellant. 

Rule 1925(a) Opinion, 9/19/16, at 7-8 (citation omitted).

While Appellant is correct in noting that Appellee did not request the 

identification of expert witnesses pursuant to Pa.R.C.P. 4003.5, this does not 

lead to the automatic conclusion that the trial court should have allowed Tait 

to testify as a witness. The trial court, as it explained above, found a number 

of reasons, including a lack of curriculum vitae, Appellant’s attempt to game 

the discovery process, and limited qualifications, to explain why Tait could 

not be confirmed as an expert witness. We find no error of law in the trial 

court’s reasoning for excluding this witness’s expert testimony. Thus, as we 

find no error of law or abuse of discretion, Appellant’s second issue on 

appeal is without merit. 

Judgment affirmed. 

Judgment Entered.

Joseph D. Seletyn, Esq.

Prothonotary

Date: 7/6/2017