Opinion ID: 1788911
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 5

Heading: has the highway department waived its right to claim less damage than $219,500?

Text: Prior to the condemnation hearing, the Highway Department filed in the eminent domain court a statement of values of the property being condemned, showing the total compensation being due as $219,500. At trial two appraisers testified for the Highway Department, Melvin Chaney and Bobby L. Cloud. Chaney testified McDonald's was entitled to just compensation of $219,500 and Robinson as lessee was not entitled to any sum. Cloud, on the other hand, testified just compensation for this taking was $235,500, of which McDonald's was entitled to $172,440 and Robinson $63,060. As we noted above, this Court has noticed as plain error that McDonald's never had anything more than a revocable permit giving this business access to the frontage road. Of course, all rights of Robinson were as lessee of McDonald's. By failing to assert this in trial proceedings and before us, has the Highway Department waived its right to claim anything less than $219,500 in the compensation? By statute, Miss. Code Ann. § 11-27-7, the statement of values filed by the Highway Department is a pleading: The statements required by this section shall constitute the pleadings of the parties with respect to the issue of value, and shall be treated as pleadings are treated in civil causes in the circuit court. Upon reversal of this case, the trial court has authority to permit the Highway Department to amend its pleadings, Seals v. St. Regis Paper Co., 236 So.2d 388 (Miss. 1970); Armstrong v. Jones, 198 Miss. 627, 22 So.2d 7 (1945); Haines v. Haines, 98 Miss. 830, 54 So. 433 (1910); and the case proceed to trial de novo, Miller v. Watson, 467 So.2d 672 (Miss. 1985), and with this decision as the law of the case. State Highway Commission v. Coahoma County, 203 Miss. 629, 37 So.2d 287 (1948); Fair v. Federal Land Bank, 165 Miss. 513, 146 So. 303 (1933). Moreover, even though a party may in fact have waived its right to assert error, this Court has the inherent power to notice it to prevent a manifest miscarriage of justice. Johnson v. State, 452 So.2d 850, 853 (Miss. 1984). In the event that McDonald's and Robinson elect to have another trial, as we set out infra, the Highway Department will be permitted to assert on retrial that just compensation is less than $219,500 by appropriate amendment and proof at trial proceedings.