Opinion ID: 1692340
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Sufficiency of Evidence Sustained Award of Punitive Damages.

Text: We next consider defendant's argument that the award of punitive damages is contrary to law. At the outset, we note that we are not called upon to determine whether if the only claims presented were ICCC violations, an award of punitive damages might be allowed in addition to the statutory penalties. The present claims involved the additional elements of trespass and breach of contract. The jury in answering the special verdict forms found the defendant liable on each of these theories in addition to finding violations of the ICCC. Although no damages were awarded by the jury on the trespass count, this was likely due to the fact that the court's instructions limited damages on that portion of the claim to diminution in value of plaintiff's real property as a result of the wrongful entry. Other damages sustained as a result of defendant's act in coming upon the premises were included under the breach of contract and ICCC violations. Defendant urges that the record contains insufficient evidence of malice to sustain an award of punitive damages. This contention suffers, we believe, from defendant's failure to challege the jury's findings on the breach of contract and trespass counts either factually or legally. Consequently, we must accept these findings of the jury as a verity in our consideration of its award of punitive damages. We believe that the evidence of defendant's actions, viewed in the light most favorable to the plaintiff, shows a breach of contract amounting to or accompanied by an independent tort permitting an award of punitive damages under the criteria established in Pogge v. Fullerton Lumber Co., 277 N.W.2d 916, 919 (Iowa 1979); see also Ennen v. Public Serv. Mut. Ins. Co., 774 F.2d 321, 326-27 (8th Cir.1985) (applying Iowa law). The district court did not err in upholding the punitive damage award.