Title: Hilb, Rogal & Hamilton Company et al. v. Werner Beiersdoerfer
Citation: N/A
Docket Number: 1071395
State: Alabama
Issuer: Alabama Supreme Court
Date: September 25, 2009

REL: 09/25/2009 
Notice: T h i s o p i n i o n i s s u b j e c t t o f o r m a l r e v i s i o n b e f o r e p u b l i c a t i o n i n t h e advance 
s h e e t s o f Southern Reporter. 
R e a d e r s a r e 
r e q u e s t e d t o n o t i f y t h e 
Reporter of Decisions, 
Alabama A p p e l l a t e C o u r t s , 300 D e x t e r Avenue, Montgomery, Alabama 36104-3741 ((334) 229¬
0 6 4 9 ) , o f 
any t y p o g r a p h i c a l 
o r o t h e r e r r o r s , i n 
o r d e r t h a t c o r r e c t i o n s may be made b e f o r e 
t h e o p i n i o n i s 
p r i n t e d i n 
Southern Reporter. 
SUPREME COURT OF ALABAMA 
SPECIAL TERM, 2009 
1071395 
H i l b , Rogal & Hamilton Company e t a l . 
v. 
Werner B e i e r s d o e r f e r 
1071396 
Werner B e i e r s d o e r f e r 
v. 
H i l b , Rogal & Hamilton Company e t a l . 
Appeals from J e f f e r s o n C i r c u i t Court 
(CV-01-1091) 
SMITH, 
J u s t i c e . 
H i l b , R o g a l & H a m i l t o n Company, H i l b , R o g a l & H a m i l t o n o f 
A l a b a m a , I n c . , 
a n d 
BDF-Meadows, I n c . ( c o l l e c t i v e l y r e f e r r e d t o 
1 0 7 1 3 9 5 , 
1071396 
as 
" t h e HRH 
c o r p o r a t i o n s " ) , 
a p p e a l 
f r o m t h e 
t r i a l 
c o u r t ' s 
o r d e r 
r e m i t t i n g t h e damages a w a r d e d t o W e r n e r 
B e i e r s d o e r f e r 
and a g a i n s t t h e HRH c o r p o r a t i o n s . 
B e i e r s d o e r f e r 
c r o s s - a p p e a l s 
f r o m t h a t same o r d e r . 
We 
r e v e r s e and remand. 
F a c t s and P r o c e d u r a l 
H i s t o r y 
T h i s 
i s t h e t h i r d 
t i m e 
t h i s 
c a s e h a s b e e n b e f o r e 
t h i s 
C o u r t . 
See B e i e r s d o e r f e r v . H i l b , 
R o g a l & H a m i l t o n Co., 
953 
So. 2d 1196 
( A l a . 200 6) 
( " B e i e r s d o e r f e r 
I " ) ; H i l b , 
R o g a l &  
H a m i l t o n Co. v. B e i e r s d o e r f e r , 
98 
9 So. 2d 1045 
( A l a . 2007 
) 
( " B e i e r s d o e r f e r 
I I " ) . 
The 
u n d e r l y i n g 
f a c t s 
a r e s t a t e d i n 
B e i e r s d o e r f e r I , 953 So. 2d a t 1199-1204, and a r e n o t 
r e p e a t e d 
h e r e . 
I n B e i e r s d o e r f e r I , t h i s C o u r t a f f i r m e d t h e t r i a l 
c o u r t ' s 
j u d g m e n t i n p a r t , r e v e r s e d i t i n p a r t , and remanded t h e c a u s e 
f o r 
a d d i t i o n a l p r o c e e d i n g s . 
953 So. 2d a t 1210. 
On 
remand, 
t h e 
t r i a l 
c o u r t 
h e l d 
t h a t 
i t d i d n o t h a v e 
j u r i s d i c t i o n t o 
r e v i e w 
t h e HRH 
c o r p o r a t i o n s ' 
m o t i o n f o r a r e m i t t i t u r 
o f t h e 
$1.25 
m i l l i o n 
v e r d i c t i n f a v o r o f B e i e r s d o e r f e r , and t h e HRH 
c o r p o r a t i o n s a p p e a l e d . 
B e i e r s d o e r f e r I I , 
989 So. 2d a t 1052¬
54. 
I n B e i e r s d o e r f e r I I , 
we h e l d t h a t " [ t ] h e 
t r i a l 
c o u r t h a d 
j u r i s d i c t i o n t o c o n s i d e r 
t h e HRH 
c o r p o r a t i o n s ' 
m o t i o n f o r a 
2 
1 0 7 1 3 9 5 , 1071396 
r e m i t t i t u r upon o u r remand o f t h e c a s e i n B e i e r s d o e r f e r I . " 
989 So. 2d a t 1058. 
We 
r e v e r s e d 
t h e 
t r i a l 
c o u r t ' s 
o r d e r 
d e n y i n g t h e m o t i o n f o r a r e m i t t i t u r and remanded t h e c a u s e f o r 
t h e 
t r i a l 
c o u r t t o d e t e r m i n e " w h e t h e r t h e damages a w a r d e d f o r 
m e n t a l 
a n g u i s h 
were 
e x c e s s i v e , 
a n d 
w h e t h e r 
t h e 
HRH 
c o r p o r a t i o n s 
a r e 
due 
a 
s e t o f f 
f o r a 
p e r c e n t a g e 
o f 
t h e 
c o m m i s s i o n s e a r n e d by B e i e r s d o e r f e r p u r s u a n t t o t h e c o n t r a c t 
t h e 
j u r y 
f o u n d t o be i n e x i s t e n c e and e n f o r c e a b l e . " 
989 So. 
2d a t 1058. 
On remand f r o m B e i e r s d o e r f e r I I , 
t h e t r i a l 
c o u r t 
o r d e r e d 
a 
r e m i t t i t u r 
o f 
t h e 
c o m p e n s a t o r y 
damages 
a w a r d e d 
t o 
B e i e r s d o e r f e r f r o m $1.25 m i l l i o n t o $ 9 0 0 , 0 0 0 . 
The t r i a l 
c o u r t 
a l s o h e l d t h a t t h e HRH c o r p o r a t i o n s were e n t i t l e d t o a 
s e t o f f 
o f 6 0 % o f t h e $63,000 t h a t B e i e r s d o e r f e r a p p a r e n t l y h a d e a r n e d 
i n 
c o m m i s s i o n s 
u n d e r 
t h e 
c o n t r a c t 
he 
h a d 
w i t h 
t h e 
HRH 
c o r p o r a t i o n s . 
The HRH 
c o r p o r a t i o n s 
a p p e a l 
f r o m t h e 
t r i a l 
c o u r t ' s 
o r d e r , and B e i e r s d o e r f e r 
c r o s s - a p p e a l s . 
D i s c u s s i o n 
The 
HRH 
c o r p o r a t i o n s 
a r g u e 
t h a t 
t h e 
r e m i t t i t u r 
was 
i n a d e q u a t e ; 
c o n v e r s e l y , 
B e i e r s d o e r f e r 
a r g u e s 
t h a t 
no 
r e m i t t i t u r was w a r r a n t e d and t h a t t h e HRH 
c o r p o r a t i o n s 
were 
3 
1 0 7 1 3 9 5 , 1071396 
n o t 
e n t i t l e d 
t o a 
s e t o f f . 
A l t h o u g h 
t h e p a r t i e s 
s t r o n g l y 
c o n t e s t t h o s e i s s u e s , t h e y b o t h a g r e e t h a t t h e t r i a l c o u r t ' s 
o r d e r must be r e v e r s e d b e c a u s e i t d i d n o t g i v e B e i e r s d o e r f e r 
t h e 
o p t i o n o f e l e c t i n g a new 
t r i a l i n l i e u o f t h e r e m i t t i t u r . 
R u l e 5 9 ( f ) , A l a . R. C i v . P., 
s t a t e s : 
"The c o u r t may, on m o t i o n f o r new 
t r i a l , 
r e q u i r e a 
r e m i t t i t u r as a c o n d i t i o n t o t h e o v e r r u l i n g o f t h e 
m o t i o n 
f o r new 
t r i a l ; 
and, t h e a c c e p t a n c e o f 
s u c h 
r e m i t t i t u r by t h e p l a i n t i f f 
s h a l l n o t , on a p p e a l b y 
t h e 
d e f e n d a n t , 
p r e j u d i c e 
t h e p l a i n t i f f ' s 
r i g h t t o 
s e e k 
r e i n s t a t e m e n t 
o f 
t h e 
v e r d i c t 
i n i t s 
f u l l 
amount." 
I n B & M Homes, I n c . v . Hogan, 347 So. 2d 1 3 3 1 , 1331-32 
( A l a . 
1 9 7 7 ) , 
t h i s 
C o u r t h e l d 
t h a t t h e t r i a l 
c o u r t 
c o m m i t t e d 
r e v e r s i b l e 
e r r o r 
i n g r a n t i n g 
t h e d e f e n d a n t s ' 
m o t i o n 
f o r a 
r e m i t t i t u r 
w i t h o u t 
g i v i n g t h e p l a i n t i f f s 
an o p p o r t u n i t y t o 
c h o o s e a new 
t r i a l i n l i e u o f t h e r e m i t t i t u r . 
347 So. 2d a t 
1332. 
T h i s C o u r t 
s t a t e d : 
"The 
l a w i s c l e a r 
i n A l a b a m a 
t h a t 
t h e 
t r i a l 
c o u r t c a n n o t 
d i r e c t a r e m i t t i t u r o f damages a g a i n s t 
t h e 
p l a i n t i f f ' s 
w i l l ; 
s u c h an o r d e r i s v o i d . 
L o n d o n 
 
& S c o t t i s h A s s u r . C o r p . v . S m i t h , 229 A l a . 556, 158 
So. 892 ( 1 9 3 5 ) ; W.T. 
R a w l e i g h Co. v. Hannon, 32 
A l a . 
App. 147, 22 So. 2d 603 
( 1 9 4 5 ) ; M c C o r m i c k v. A l a . 
 
Power Co., 
293 A l a . 481 , 306 So. 2d 233 
( 1 9 7 5 ) ; 
Holcombe v . W h i t a k e r , 294 A l a . 430, 318 So. 2d 289 
( 1 9 7 5 ) . 
To a r b i t r a r i l y r e d u c e t h e amount o f damages 
d e p r i v e s t h e p l a i n t i f f o f h i s c o n s t i t u t i o n a l 
r i g h t 
t o a j u r y . 
[11] W r i g h t & M i l l e r , 
[ F e d e r a l 
P r a c t i c e 
 
and P r o c e d u r e : 
C i v i l § 2815 ( 1 9 7 3 ) ] . " 
4 
1 0 7 1 3 9 5 , 1071396 
347 
So. 
2d a t 
1332. 
A d d r e s s i n g t h e same i s s u e i n M c C o r m i c k v. A l a b a m a Power 
Co., 
293 A l a . 481, 
306 
So. 
2d 233 
( 1 9 7 5 ) , 
t h i s C o u r t s t a t e d : 
" I n 
c a s e s 
d e c i d e d 
b e f o r e 
t h e 
a d o p t i o n 
o f 
t h e 
new 
r u l e s o f 
c i v i l p r o c e d u r e , 
t h i s C o u r t , as w e l l as 
t h e 
t h e n C o u r t o f A p p e a l s , 
has 
h e l d : 
We 
know o f no 
a u t h o r i t y 
i n 
l a w 
w h i c h 
p e r m i t s 
a 
t r i a l 
c o u r t 
t o 
d i r e c t 
a 
 
r e m i t t i t u r 
o f damages a g a i n s t t h e 
w i l l 
o f  
t h e p a r t y r e c o v e r i n g t h e same. 
T h e r e f o r e 
t h e 
o r d e r 
o f J u d g e S n y d e r , 
d i r e c t i n g 
t h e 
p l a i n t i f f 
t o e n t e r a r e m i t t i t u r o f damages 
i n 
t h e 
sum 
o f $500 a g a i n s t t h e o b j e c t i o n 
and 
e x c e p t i o n 
o f 
p l a i n t i f f , 
was 
u n a u t h o r i z e d and v o i d . ' 
L o n d o n & 
S c o t t i s h  
A s s u r . C o r p o r a t i o n v. S m i t h , 229 A l a . 
556, 
158 
So. 892 
( 1 9 3 5 ) . 
( E m p h a s i s s u p p l i e d [ i n 
M c C o r m i c k ] . ) 
"'The 
a p p l i c a t i o n o f t h e p r i n c i p a l 
o f 
a r e m i t t i t u r 
o r " a d d i t u r " i s b a s e d on 
t h e 
p r i v i l e g e 
o f 
c o n s e n t 
t o t h e 
r e d u c t i o n 
o r 
a d d i t i o n . 
I n t h e a b s e n c e o f an 
a g r e e m e n t 
by 
t h e 
p l a i n t i f f 
i n c a s e 
o f a 
r e m i t t i t u r 
and 
t h e d e f e n d a n t 
i n c a s e 
o f a d d i t u r , t h e  
c o u r t 
i s 
n o t 
p e r m i t t e d 
t o 
f o r c e 
t h e 
 
a l t e r a t i o n 
o f 
t h e 
amount 
f o u n d 
by 
t h e 
v e r d i c t o f t h e j u r y , b u t i n w h i c h e v e n t 
may 
g r a n t 
a m o t i o n 
f o r new 
t r i a l . 
W.T. 
 
R a w l e i g h 
Co. 
v. Hannon, 32 A l a . App. 
147, 
22 
So. 
2d 
603 
( 1 9 4 5 ) . 
( E m p h a s i s s u p p l i e d 
[ i n M c C o r m i c k ] . ) 
"The 
f e d e r a l 
d e c i s i o n s 
c o n s t r u i n g 
R u l e 
59, 
F [ e d ] . R. C i v . P., 
r e a c h t h e same c o n c l u s i o n . 
These 
d e c i s i o n s may 
be s u m m a r i z e d as 
f o l l o w s : 
5 
1 0 7 1 3 9 5 , 1071396 
"'Where t h e amount o f t h e damages 
a r e 
a t 
l a r g e 
and 
t h e 
p l a i n t i f f 
r e f u s e s 
t o 
r e m i t , 
t h e 
c o u r t 
may 
n o t 
d e c r e a s e 
t h e 
amount 
o f 
t h e 
v e r d i c t 
i t s e l f 
and 
o r d e r 
j u d g m e n t e n t e r e d 
f o r t h e l e s s e r amount, 
as 
t h i s 
v i o l a t e s 
t h e 
S e v e n t h 
Amendment's 
p r o h i b i t i o n a g a i n s t a r e e x a m i n a t i o n 
o f 
t h e 
f a c t s . 
... ' 
6A M o o r e ' s F e d e r a l P r a c t i c e , 
§ 
5 9 . 0 5 ( 3 ) . 
" ' T h e r e i s , n e v e r t h e l e s s , 
a p r a c t i c e , 
now 
s a n c t i o n e d by l o n g u s a g e , by w h i c h 
t h e 
c o u r t may 
c o n d i t i o n a d e n i a l o f t h e m o t i o n 
f o r 
a 
new 
t r i a l 
upon 
t h e 
f i l i n g 
by 
t h e 
p l a i n t i f f 
o f 
a 
r e m i t t i t u r 
i n 
a 
s t a t e d 
amount. 
I n t h i s way 
t h e p l a i n t i f f i s g i v e n 
t h e 
o p t i o n 
o f 
e i t h e r s u b m i t t i n g 
t o 
a 
new 
t r i a l o r o f a c c e p t i n g t h e amount o f damages 
t h a t t h e 
c o u r t 
c o n s i d e r s 
j u s t i f i e d . 
T h i s 
p r a c t i c e 
goes 
b a c k 
t o 
t h e 
o p i n i o n 
o f 
J u s t i c e S t o r y s i t t i n g a t c i r c u i t i n 1822 
i n 
B l u n t 
v. 
L i t t l e 
[3 
F. 
C a s . 
760, 
7 61-62 
(C.C. 
M a s s . 
1 8 2 2 ) ] . 
A number o f 
Supreme 
C o u r t 
d e c i s i o n s 
a c c e p t e d 
J u s t i c e 
S t o r y ' s 
v i e w 
u n c r i t i c a l l y 
and 
t h e 
power 
o f 
t h e 
c o u r t 
t o 
s e t 
a 
r e m i t t i t u r 
has 
b e e n 
u n i f o r m l y 
a c c e p t e d 
by 
t h e 
l o w e r 
f e d e r a l 
c o u r t s . ' 
( F o o t n o t e s 
o m i t t e d 
[ i n 
M c C o r m i c k ] . ) 
11 W r i g h t 
& M i l l e r , 
F e d e r a l 
P r a c t i c e 
and 
P r o c e d u r e : 
C i v i l , 
§ 2815, 
p. 
100. 
"... 
A l t h o u g h 
no 
r e a s o n 
i s 
g i v e n 
i n 
t h e 
'Committee Comments' as 
t o why 
s u b s e c t i o n 
( f ) 
was 
a d d e d 
t o R u l e 
59, 
i t w o u l d a p p e a r 
t h a t 
i t was 
t o 
c l e a r l y 
e s t a b l i s h t h e 
r u l e 
t h a t 
a c c e p t a n c e 
o f 
a 
r e m i t t i t u r 
d o e s 
n o t 
p r e j u d i c e 
t h e 
p l a i n t i f f ' s 
r a i s i n g , 
on 
a p p e a l 
by d e f e n d a n t , 
t h e 
r i g h t 
t o h a v e 
t h e 
o r i g i n a l v e r d i c t r e i n s t a t e d i n t h e 
f u l l amount, 
i n c o n t r a d i s t i n c t i o n 
t o t h e f o r m e r A l a b a m a c a s e 
l a w . 
6 
1 0 7 1 3 9 5 , 
1071396 
"'Under 
p r i o r 
A l a b a m a 
l a w , 
t h e 
v e r d i c t - w i n n e r who 
a g r e e d t o a 
r e m i t t i t u r 
i n an e f f o r t t o s t a v e o f f a new 
t r i a l c o u l d 
n o t u r g e a f f i r m a n c e o f t h e o r i g i n a l 
v e r d i c t 
i f t h e d e f e n d a n t a p p e a l e d a f t e r 
p l a i n t i f f ' s 
a c c e p t a n c e 
o f 
a 
r e m i t t i t u r . 
T e n n e s s e e 
 
V a l l e y 
Sand & G r a v e l Co. v . 
P i l l i n g , 
3 
5 
A l a . App. 237, 47 So. 2d 236 
( 1 9 5 0 ) , 
c e r t . 
d e n . 
254 A l a . 14, 47 So. 2d 245 
( 1 9 5 0 ) . 
R u l e 5 9 ( f ) r e p u d i a t e s t h i s v i e w and a l l o w s 
t h e v e r d i c t 
w i n n e r , as a p p e l l e e , t o p r e s s 
f o r 
r e i n s t a t e m e n t o f t h e 
v e r d i c t 
i n i t s 
f u l l 
amount 
a f t e r 
h a v i n g 
a c c e p t e d 
a 
r e m i t t i t u r . ' 
L y o n s , 
A l a b a m a 
P r a c t i c e , 
R u l e s o f C i v i l P r o c e d u r e A n n o t a t e d , § 5 9 . 3 . 
" I t 
i s t h u s we 
c o n c l u d e 
t h a t , 
u n d e r o u r 
R u l e 
5 9 ( f ) , a r e m i t t i t u r g i v e s t h e p l a i n t i f f a c h o i c e . He 
c a n a c c e p t t h e r e m i t t i t u r o r he c a n r e f u s e t o a c c e p t 
t h e 
r e m i t t i t u r 
and 
s u f f e r 
a 
new 
t r i a l . 
I f he 
a c c e p t s t h e r e m i t t i t u r , and d e f e n d a n t a p p e a l s , he i s 
n o t p r e j u d i c e d i n h i s r i g h t t o r a i s e t h e i s s u e 
t h a t 
t h e v e r d i c t 
s h o u l d be r e i n s t a t e d 
i n t h e f u l l 
amount. 
... However, t h e t r i a l j u d g e c a n n o t e n t e r a j u d g m e n t 
f o r an amount 
l e s s 
t h a n 
t h a t a w a r d e d by t h e 
j u r y , 
a b s e n t 
c o n s e n t 
o f 
p l a i n t i f f 
by way 
o f 
r e m i t t i t u r 
u n d e r 
R u l e 
5 9 ( f ) , 
i n 
l i g h t 
o f 
t h e 
i s s u e s 
and 
e v i d e n c e 
h e r e . " 
293 A l a . a t 483-84, 306 So. 2d a t 2 3 5 - 3 6 . 
B e c a u s e t h e t r i a l c o u r t i n t h e p r e s e n t c a s e d i d n o t g i v e 
B e i e r s d o e r f e r t h e o p t i o n o f e l e c t i n g 
t o have a new 
t r i a l i n 
l i e u o f t h e r e m i t t i t u r , t h e t r i a l 
c o u r t ' s o r d e r i s due t o be 
r e v e r s e d .
1 
B & M Homes, s u p r a . 
1 A s n o t e d , t h e p a r t i e s 
a g r e e t h a t t h e t r i a l c o u r t ' s o r d e r 
must be r e v e r s e d . 
However, t h e HRH c o r p o r a t i o n s s u g g e s t 
t h a t 
we 
r e t a i n 
j u r i s d i c t i o n o v e r t h e s e a p p e a l s w h i l e t h e c a u s e i s 
7 
1 0 7 1 3 9 5 , 
1071396 
C o n c l u s i o n 
The 
t r i a l 
c o u r t ' s 
o r d e r i s r e v e r s e d , 
a n d t h e c a u s e i s 
remanded. 
1 0 7 1 3 9 5 - 
-REVERSED AND REMANDED. 
1071396- 
-REVERSED AND REMANDED. 
Cobb, C . J . , 
a n d L y o n s , W o o d a l l , 
S t u a r t , 
B o l i n , 
P a r k e r , 
M u r d o c k , a n d Shaw, J J . , c o n c u r . 
on remand t o t h e t r i a l c o u r t . 
The HRH c o r p o r a t i o n s s t a t e t h a t 
i f t h e t r i a l c o u r t g i v e s B e i e r s d o e r f e r t h e o p t i o n o f e l e c t i n g 
a new t r i a l a n d B e i e r s d o e r f e r t a k e s t h a t o p t i o n , t h e s e 
a p p e a l s 
may t h e n be d i s m i s s e d as moot. 
However, i f 
B e i e r s d o e r f e r were 
t o 
e l e c t n o t t o a c c e p t t h e o p t i o n o f a new t r i a l , 
t h e n , t h e 
HRH 
c o r p o r a t i o n s 
c o n t e n d , we 
c o u l d 
a d d r e s s 
t h e 
r e m a i n i n g 
i s s u e s p r e s e n t e d i n t h e s e 
a p p e a l s 
r e g a r d i n g t h e t r i a l 
c o u r t ' s 
o r d e r . 
The HRH 
c o r p o r a t i o n s 
h a v e n o t c i t e d any a u t h o r i t y t o 
s u p p o r t 
t h e i r 
a s s e r t i o n t h a t we s h o u l d 
r e t a i n 
j u r i s d i c t i o n 
o v e r t h e s e 
a p p e a l s 
p e n d i n g 
f u r t h e r p r o c e e d i n g s 
i n t h e 
t r i a l 
c o u r t , a n d we a r e n o t aware o f any s u c h a u t h o r i t y . 
8