Opinion ID: 2052464
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 7

Heading: Whether Jensens are entitled to prejudgment interest.

Text: Jensens also assert that the trial court erred in denying their claim for prejudgment interest to which they argue they are entitled pursuant to SDCL 21-1-11. That statute provides: Every person who is entitled to recover damages certain, or capable of being made certain by calculation, and the right to recover which is vested in him upon a particular day, is entitled also to recover interest thereon from that day, except during such time as the debtor is prevented by law, or by the act of the creditor, from paying the debt. In order to award prejudgment interest, the damages must be certain or capable of being made certain by calculation and there must be some actual damages upon which to predicate such award. See Arcon Constr. Co. v. S.D. Cement Plant, 405 N.W.2d 45 (S.D.1987); Amert v. Ziebarth Constr. Co., 400 N.W.2d 888 (S.D.1987); and Subsurfco Inc. v. B-Y Water District, 369 N.W.2d 129 (S.D.1985). The fundamental purpose of an award of prejudgment interest is to do justice to one who has suffered a loss at the hands of another person. That person should be charged interest upon the sum he or she refuses to tender to the injured party. S.D. Bldg. Authority v. Geiger-Berger Associates, 414 N.W.2d 15 (S.D.1987). Under our most recent holdings, including Heer v. State, 432 N.W.2d 559 (S.D.1988), Jensens are entitled to recover. In Heer, we examined the application of SDCL 21-1-11 and reversed the trial court's refusal to award prejudgment interest for the loss of Heer's hogs. We noted in that case that the value of the hogs was reasonably certain and that prejudgment interest therefore should have been awarded as a matter of law. In the present case, as in Heer, Jensens' damages are easily ascertainable, their right to recover was vested on a particular day (date of completion of the fence) and thus they are entitled to prejudgment interest. See also South Dakota Building Authority v. Geiger-Berger Associates, 414 N.W.2d 15 (S.D.1987) (Sabers J., concurring in part and dissenting in part); Arcon, supra ; Amert, supra; Beka v. Lithium Corp., 77 S.D. 370, 92 N.W.2d 156 (1958). Affirmed in part, reversed in part, and remanded. [7] WUEST, C.J., and MORGAN and HENDERSON, JJ., concur. SABERS, J., concurs in part and dissents in part.