Opinion ID: 2305731
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: Interest and Insurance Payments

Text: [¶ 39] Blue Star argues that, during the eight months that it owned the mill before selling the mill to mitigate its damages, it could not redevelop the property as planned because of CKF's breach, and therefore the mortgage interest and construction insurance incurred by Blue Star during that period are recoverable. Blue Star asserts that, at a minimum, a jury could reasonably decide to award it such costs for the seven-week period that the tenants remained on the premises. [2] The court excluded evidence relating to Blue Star's claim for both mortgage interest payments and insurance costs on the basis that neither cost was relevant to CKF's breach  the failure to remove Postal Express and CPR from the premises as required under the purchase and sale agreement. [¶ 40] We review a trial court's determination regarding the relevancy of evidence for clear error and the ultimate decision to consider or exclude evidence, subject to other challenges, for an abuse of discretion. Frustaci v. City of S. Portland, 2005 ME 101, ¶ 13, 879 A.2d 1001, 1006. [¶ 41] The claims regarding mortgage interest and insurance payments depend on the same theory that the court rejected on summary judgment with respect to lost profits damages, specifically that the presence of the holdover tenants prevented Blue Star from developing the property. Given the lack of disputed factual issues regarding a connection between CKF's breach and Blue Star's failure to develop the property, the exclusion of this evidence was within the court's discretion.