Opinion ID: 878365
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 4

Heading: value of casing

Text: The District Court found that Creek Oil Company and Biby were entitled to receive from Bow Valley $5,250.00 as the present value of the casing in place in the oil well, less its costs of removal. The District Court arrived at its figure by determining the present value of the 5,000 feet of casing at $3.75 per foot less the cost of removal, $2.70 per foot. In reaching this finding, the court admitted the evidence of value of the casing was sketchy, that the casing was 17 years old, and the amount of removable pipe is speculative. Accordingly, Bow Valley argues that the decision of the District Court is speculative and conjectural and should be set aside. This Court has approved the concept that in assessing damages, the trier of fact must exercise calm and reasonable judgment and the amount of the award rests of necessity in the sound discretion of the trier of fact. Johnson v. Murray (Mont. 1982), 656 P.2d 170, 175, 39 St.Rep. 2257. When there is strong evidence of the fact of damage, a defendant should not escape liability because the amount of damage cannot be proved with precision. Johnson, supra; Jarussi v. Board of Trustees of School District No. 28 (Mont. 1983), 664 P.2d 316, 318, 40 St.Rep. 720, 723. We have adopted the concept that a wrongdoer is not allowed to escape by merely paying nominal damages if there is any reasonable way in which the amount that he should pay in damages can be determined. Therefore, if the damages are measured by a method which is reasonably definite, and not likely to give compensation in excess of the loss suffered, the damages will be approved. Laas v. Montana State Highway Commission et al. (1971), 157 Mont. 121, 131, 483 P.2d 699, 704. Although these rules of damages apply against wrongdoers, there is no reason why we should not apply the same rules here where it is undoubted that Creek Oil Company and Biby are entitled to recover for the present value of the casing less its costs of removal. We hold that in view of the difficulty in ascertaining the value of the casing, the Court adopted a reasonable method and price for determining the damages based on the evidence of experts before it. We therefore affirm the award of the District Court with respect to the value of the casing.