Opinion ID: 1694303
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 16

Heading: did the trial court, in arriving at its final decision in the action, err in failing to consider the testimony of paul crimm and others given at the initial hearing held in this action when the trial court refused to grant to the appellee a preliminary injunction halting the construction of the goode home?

Text: In his bench opinion granting the permanent injunction, the chancellor stated: Further, the Court regrets that the Defendant builder, Mr. Crimm, did not present testimony. So, we cannot even consider that other than he being a defendant and Mr. Dennis testifying on rebuttal about notifying the builder of the apparent problem of the pitch of the roof over the garage, and nothing transpiring as a result of that confrontation before this Court to consider today. Appellants argue that the chancellor committed reversible error when he failed to consider the testimony given at the hearing for a preliminary injunction by Crimm. At a hearing held on July 26, 1993, for a preliminary injunction, Crimm testified that he was aware that the Committee had to approve plans before a house could be built in the subdivision and that he noticed the different roof pitches in the old section of the plan and the new section of the plan. Crimm also testified that he stopped construction on the house after Dennis informed him of the roof problem and continued with construction when Goode told him what was said at a Committee meeting. In addition, Goode admitted that maybe he should have contacted Dennis regarding changes that Goode desired in the house plan, but that he tried to just use a little common sense concerning the construction. Appellants contend that the testimony given by Crimm at the hearing for a preliminary injunction should have been considered by the trial court in rendering its decision on whether to grant a permanent injunction based on Mississippi Rule of Civil Procedure 65 and its Comments, which states in part as follows: Under Rule 65(a)(2) the court can consolidate the hearing on the preliminary injunction with the trial of the action on the merits; in the event consolidation is not ordered, the record upon the hearing of the motion for preliminary injunction becomes a part of the record at the trial on the merits. M.R.C.P. 65, Comment. However, the chancellor's error, if any, was harmless because nothing prevented Crimm from testifying at the hearing for a permanent injunction, Crimm's testimony contained some information adverse to his case, and the chancellor based his decision to grant a permanent injunction, in part, on the admission of Goode that the plans submitted and approved were not followed. Therefore, the chancellor committed no reversible error in failing to consider Crimm's testimony presented at the hearing for a preliminary injunction when the chancellor made his decision to grant a permanent injunction.