THI RD DI VI SI ON

M I LLER, P. J.

, M CFA DDEN, P. J.

, and M C M I LLI A N, J.

N O T IC E : M otions for r e c ons i de r a tion m us t be

ph y sic a l ly r e ce iv ed i n our c le r k ’s offic e w ithin te n

da y s of the da te of de c is ion to be de e m ed tim e ly file d.

http://w w w .ga a ppe a l s .us /r ule s

M ar ch 9, 2017



# I n th e Co u r t o f

A p p eals o f

G eo r g ia

A1 6 A2 20 1 . CITY OF STONE M OUNTAIN v . BLACK et al

.

M C F A D D E N , Pres id i n g J u d g e.

W e g ran t ed t he ci t y o f St o n e Mo un t ai n ’ s ap p l i cat i o n fo r i n t erl o cu t o ry ap p eal

i n t h i s n u i s an ce act i o n t o ad d res s a d am ag es i s s ue. Th e p l ai n t i ffs s eek d am ag es fo r

t h e d i m i n u t i on i n v al u e o f t h ei r h o u s e res u l t i n g f r o m t h e s t i g m a o f i t h av i n g b een

fl oo d ed b y a n u i s an ce al l eg ed l y cau s ed b y t h e ci t y

. Th e ci t y arg u es th at th e p l ai n t i ffs

can n ot r e c o v e r s t i g m a d am ag es b ecau s e d am ag es fo r a d i m in u t i o n i n v al u e are

av ai l ab l e o n ly i n cas es in vo l v i n g p e r m an en t n u i s an ces wh i l e t h is cas e i n v o l v es an

ab at ab l e n u i s a n ce. W e d i s ag ree an d s o affi rm t he tri al co u rt ’ s d en i al o f t h e ci t y ’ s

m o ti o n fo r s u m

m ary ju d g m en t o n t h e i s s u e.

To p rev ai l on a m o t i o n fo r s u m m ary ju d g m en t

, t h e m o v i n g p art y

m u s t d em o ns t rat e t h at t h ere i s n o g en u in e i s s ue o f m at eri al fact

, an d t hat

t h e u n d i sp u t ed fact s warran t ju d g m en t as a m at t er o f l aw. Th e g ran t o fa m o t io n fo r s u m m ary ju d g m en t i s rev i ewed de n o v o, an d t h e ev i d en ce

an d al l rea s o n a b l e i n feren ces d rawn t h erefro m m u s t b e vi ewed in th e

l i gh t m o s t fav orab l e t o t h e n o n m o v an t.

De Ca s t r o v. Du r r el l

, 2 9 5 Ga. Ap p

. 1 94

, 1 9 5 (6 7 1 SE2 d 2 4 4 ) (2 0 0 8 ) (ci t at i on s

o m it t ed ). Th e fact s rel ev an t t o t h i s ap p eal are l arg el y u nd i s p u t ed

. W i l l i am an d Pam el a

Bl ack su ed t he ci t y o f St o ne M o u n t ai n, al l eg i n g t h at i t s fai l u re t o m ai n t ai n t h e s ewer

an d s t o rm wat er d rai n ag e sy s t em res ul t ed in fl o od i n g o f t h e Bl ack s ’ h ou s e. Th ey

s o u g ht d am ag es f

o r, am o n g o th er t h i n g s

, th e l o s s of ren t al val u e fo r t h e rep et i t i v e

fl oo d i n g wh i l e l i v i n g i n t h ei r h o u s e, t h e c o s t o f rep ai ri n g t h ei r h ou s e’ s fo u n d at i o n,

an d t h e d i m i n u t i o n i n v al u e fro m t h e s ti g m a t h at s t i ll ex i s t s ev en t h ou g h t h e rep ai rs

h av e b e en co m

p l et ed

. Th e ci t y m o v ed fo r su m m ary ju d g m en t o n th e Bl ack s ’ cl ai m

fo r d am ag es fo r d i m i n ut i o n i n val u e fro m s t i g m a. T he t ri al co u rt d en i ed th e m o t i o n,

an d aft er we g ran t ed t h e ci t y ’ s ap p l i cat i on fo r i n t erl o cu t o ry ap p eal

, t h i s ap p eal

fo l l o w ed

.

Th e ci t y arg u es t h a t a p l a i n t i ff m ay reco v er d am ag es fo r t h e d i m i n u t i o n i n a

p ro p ert y ’ s fai r m ark et v al ue o n l y i n p erm an en t nu i san ce cas es ; t h at i n ab at ab l e

n u i s an ce cas es

, a p l ai n t i ff m ay reco v er l os t ren tal v al u e pl u s act u al d am ag es ; an d t h at

2cl ai m s fo r l o s t ren t al val u e an d d i m in u ti o n i n fai r m ark et v al u e are m u t u al l y

ex cl u s i v e.

Bu t al t ho u g h an i n

ju red p art y “ can n o t reco v er twi ce fo r t h e s am e i n j u ry ,” To yo

Ti r e No r t h Amer i ca n Mf

g. v. Da vi s

, 2 9 9 Ga. 1 5 5

, 1 6 3 (3 ) (7 8 7 SE2 d 1 7 1) (2 0 1 6 )

(ci t at i o n s o m i t t ed ), an award of d am ag es i n cas es i n vo l v i n g real pro p ert y “ i s i n t en d ed

t o p l ace an i n

ju red p art y

, as n earl y as p o s s i b l e

, i n t h e sam e po s it i o n i t wo u l d h av e

b een i f t h e i n

ju ry h ad n ev er o ccu rred .” Ro ya l Ca p i t a l D e v

. , LLC v. Ma r

yl an d Ca s

.

Co

. , 2 9 1 Ga. 2 62

, 2 6 4 (1 ) (7 2 8 SE2 d 2 3 4 ) (2 0 1 2 ). Ou r co urt s h av e “ lo n g co n s i d ered

d i m i n u ti o n i n v al u e t o b e an el em en t i n d et erm i n i n g t h e p ro p er m eas ure o f d am ag es

t o real p ro p ert y .” R o

ya l Ca p i t a l

, 2 9 1 Ga. at 2 6 4 -2 6 5 (1 ). T hi s i s b ecau s e “ reco g n i t i o n

o f d i m i n ut i o n i n val u e as an el em en t o f l o s s t o b e reco v e red o n t h e sam e b as i s as

o t h er el em en t s o f lo s s m erel y refl ect s eco n o m i c real i t y .” Id

. at 2 6 4 (1 ) (ci t at i o n an d

p u n ct u at i o n o m it t ed ).

Ou r Su p rem e Co u rt h as im p l i ed t h at s t i g m a d am ag es are av ai l ab l e in ab at ab l e

n u i s an c e cas es

. In Ro

ya l Ca p i t a l

, th at co u rt d i sap p ro ved o u r d eci s i o n i n Ci t y of

At l a n t a v. Br o a d

n a x

, 2 85 Ga. Ap p

. 4 3 0

, 4 38 (4 ) (6 4 6 SE2 d 2 7 9 ) (2 0 0 7)

— an

ab at ab l e n u i s an ce cas e i n v o l v i n g fl o o d i n g — t o t h e ex t en t w e h el d t h at th e p l ai n t i ffs

were n o t en ti t l ed t o reco v er dam ag es f o r b o t h t h e d im i n u t i o n in t h e v al ue o f t h ei r

3p ro p ert y du e t o s t ig m a an d t h e co s t s of rep ai r. Ro ya l Ca p i t a l

, 2 9 1 Ga. at 2 65 -2 6 6 (2 ).

Th e Su p rem e Co u rt h el d t h at Geo rg i a l aw d o es n o t “ p recl u d e[] a d i m i n u t i on i n v al u e

award i n ad d i t i o n to res t o rat i o n an d rep ai r co s t s wh e r e t h e rep ai r d o es n o t fu l l y

res t ore t h e p ro p ert y t o it s p re-d am ag e v al u e” n o r d oes i t p ro v i d e per s e t h at “ s t i g m a

d am ag es t o p ro p ert y wo u l d co n s t i t u t e an i m p erm i s s i b l e d o u bl e reco v ery .” Id

. at 2 6 6

(2 ) (p u n ct u at i o n o m i t t ed ). Th e Su p rem e Co u rt d i d n o t ex p res s ly ad d res s t h e fact t h at

Br o ad n a x was an ab at ab l e n u i s an ce cas e, b u t t h at fact was u n i m p o rt an t i n t h e co n t ex t

o f th e p ri m ary ho l d i n g t h a t s po k e g en eral l y t o t h e m eas u re o f d am ag es i n cas es

i n v o l v i n g real p ro p ert y . See i d . at 2 6 3

.

Here, t h e ci ty arg u es t h at an award of b o t h d i m in u t i o n -i n -ren t al -v al u e d am ag es

— as o p po s ed t o t h e c o s t

- o f

- rep ai r d am ag es at i s su e i n Br o ad n a x

— an d s t i g m a

d am ag es wo u ld am ou nt t o a d o u b l e reco v ery

. So t h e q ues t i o n is wh et h er t h es e

cat eg o ri es o f d am a g e s s e e k t o co m p en s at e t h e s am e i nju ry

. See To yo Ti r e

, 2 9 9 Ga.

at 16 4 -1 6 5 (3 ). “ [T] he d i m i n u t i o n i n a p ro p ert y ’ s ren t al v al ue i s a w ay to m eas u re t h e

d i s co m fo rt s t o wh i c h i t s u s e h as b een s u b ject ed du ri n g [t h e] peri o d [t h e n u i s an ce

co n ti n u es ]

. ” To

yo Ti r e

, 2 9 9 Ga

. a t 1 64 (3 ) (ci t at i o n an d p u n ct u at i o n o m i t t ed ).

Di m i n ut i o n -i n -v al u e st i g m a d am a ge s se e k t o co m p en s at e t h e i n

ju red p art y fo r t h e l o ss

i n val ue wh en “ t h e rep ai r d o es n o t fu ll y res t o re t h e pro p ert y t o i t s p re-d am ag e v al u e.”

4Ro

y a l C a p i t a l

, 2 9 1 Ga. at 2 6 6 (2 ). Su ch d am ag es are av ai l ab l e wh en

,

“ n o t wi t h s t an d in g rem ed i al m eas u res u n d ert ak en b y t h e i n ju red part y , t h ere rem ai n s

a di m i n ut i o n in v al u e o f t h e p ro p ert y

, an d an award o f o nl y t h e co s t s o f rem ed y i n g t h e

d efect s wi l l n o t fu l l y co m pen s at e t h e i n

ju red p art y .” Id

. at 26 5 (1 ) (ci tat i o n o m i t t ed ).

Th e t wo cat eg ori es o f d am ag es co m p en s at e d i fferen t i n

ju ri es

.

In t h e i ns t an t cas e, “ t h e al l eg ed di s co m fo rt an d an n oy an ce ex p eri en ced b y t he”

Bl ack s

— rep res e n ted b y d am ag es fo r d i m i n u ti o n i n t h e p ro p ert y ’ s ren t al v al u e

—

“ an d t h e al leg ed d i m i n u t i on in t h ei r p ro p ert y ’ s fai r m ark et v al u e”

— rep res en t ed by

s t ig m a dam ag es

— “ are t wo s ep arat e i n j u ri es t h at can n o t b e fi x ed b y o n e reco v ery .”

To yo Ti r e

, 2 9 9 G a. at 1 6 4 -1 6 5 (3 ). See al s o S wi f t v. Br o yl es

, 1 1 5 Ga. 8 85

, 8 8 7 -8 9 0

(4 2 SE 2 7 7 ) (1 9 0 2 ) (ex p l ai n in g t h at t h e p lai n t i ff co u l d r e c o v e r fo r al l p erm an en t

i n ju ri es t o h i s es t at e an d fo r p as t d i sco m fo rt an d an n o y an ce cau s ed b y t h e n u i s an ce

b u t co u ld n o t reco v er b o t h fo r “ t h e d i m in u t i o n o f ren tal v al u e o f t h e prem is es d u ri n g

a t i m e wh en t hey were o ccu p i ed b y p l ai n t iff h i m s el f” an d fo r “ t he p h ys i c a l

d i s co m fo rt s an d p ai n o f p l ai n t i ff an d h i s fam i ly d u ri n g t h e s am e p eri o d”).

Th e ci t y ci t es Ci ty o

f W a r n er Ro bi n s v. Ho l t

, 2 2 0 Ga. Ap p

. 7 9 4 (4 7 0 SE2 d 2 3 8 )

(1 9 9 6) fo r a b l an k et p ro h i b i t i o n o n t h e award o f d am ag es fo r b o t h l o s s o f ren t al v al u e

an d l o s s o f fai r m ark et v al u e

. B u t Ho l t s i m p l y s tan d s fo r t h e pro p o s i t i o n t h at a

5p l ai n t i ff can n o t reco v er d am ag es fo r bo t h an ab at a b l e n ui s an ce an d a p erm an en t

n u i s an ce. Id

. at 79 6 -7 9 7 (2 ). An d Ho l t i s d i s t i n g u is h ab le b ecau s e s t i g m a d am ag es

were n o t at i s s u e t h ere.

Fo r t h es e reas o n s

, we affi rm t h e t ri al co u rt ’ s d en i al o f t h e ci t y ’ s m o t i o n fo r

s u m m ary ju d g m en t o n t h e Bl ack s ’ cl ai m fo r s t i gm a d am ag es

.

Ju d g men t a f f i r m ed . Mi l l er

, P. J., a n d

McMi l l i a n , J., co n cu r

.

6