Opinion ID: 2619544
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 10

Heading: Martin and Luther's Failure to Sustain Its Burden in Proving Reasonable Value

Text: We pass then to the assertion of appellant that Martin and Luther failed to sustain the reasonable value of its lien and accordingly the court erred in setting the amount. On this point we advert to the question which we discussed in a similar feature of the opinion pertinent to Willamette and Jackson, namely the court's saying that the trier of fact is not precluded from employing its own knowledge and experience with regard to reasonable value. Appellant correctly says that the Routh case is not authority for the proposition that the trier of fact may furnish its own opinion where vital evidence is lacking but rather may utilize its own experience in weighing the opinions of experts who have disagreed on a point. From the context of the opinion and judgment we are disposed to believe that the trial court here applied the Routh case in that sense. After citing several cases tending to hold that reasonable value of labor and materials must be proved by claimant, appellant charges that here Martin and Luther did nothing more than introduce into evidence its alleged cost records and challenges these as insufficient, we think without supporting the validity of that charge. As we observed with reference to the Willamette-Jackson appeal, Martin and Luther's evidence afforded prima facie proof of the value of the labor and materials.