Opinion ID: 2138322
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Hersh's Liability.

Text: Hersh's causal negligence with respect to the direction and supervision that it gave relative to the grading and excavating performed in the vicinity of the wall of the Schmidt building could be based on one or more of three separate theories: (1) Striking the building; (2) undermining the foundation and footings; (3) trespassing on the Perssion intervening strip of land followed by the removal of the strip with the result that the collapse of the Schmidt building was caused at least in part by either the withdrawal of lateral support or the crumbling away of the soil beneath the footings. There is no need for us to consider whether or not the record supports a jury's finding of negligence against Hersh under either of the first two theories, since the record clearly supports a finding of causal negligence under the third theory. Hersh's negligence in this respect is well described by the trial court when it stated in its opinion on motions after verdict: The jury did not make a finding on the specific cause of the collapse of the wall, but the evidence clearly supports the conclusion that either the withdrawal of lateral support or the crumbling of the subsoil under the footing causing a general subsidence would not have occurred if the defendant had not invaded the Perssion strip. This is consistent with the evidence and the jury's findings and it is adopted as findings by the court in order to arrive at a completed verdict. Had the defendant Hersh prepared the land for parking purposes without excavating within the Perssion strip, the wall would not have collapsed. In the process of the rough grading soil was removed from the Chapman property, but a six-foot earthen barrier constituting the Perssion strip preserved the integrity of the Schmidt wall. When Hersh removed the barrier and excavated below the footings of the Schmidt building on the property belonging to Perssion, it became liable for the consequent injuries to Schmidt's property. Hersh claims the trial court committed two errors that prejudiced him on the question of his negligence. We discuss these two alleged errors under the next two issues.