Opinion ID: 1689141
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 17

Heading: should the trial court have entered an additur or ordered a new trial based on the jury's award of $0.00 for whitten's trespass claim?

Text: ¶ 45. The standard of review for an additur is the same as that for remittitur. The jury found for Whitten on each of his counterclaims of trespass against Cox, Logan and Spinosa, and awarded him $0.00 in damages. Whitten argues that because his land had been burdened with an unlawful trespass, the failure of the jury to award at least nominal damages was contrary to the law and/or the result of bias, prejudice or passion. The plaintiffs argue that there was no error in refusing to award actual damages because Whitten failed to present any evidence of actual damages. For the same reason, plaintiffs argue that the trial court did not err in refusing to grant an additur. The jury was instructed on both nominal damages, as well as compensatory damages ¶ 46. Whitten's claim that there should have been an additur regarding compensatory damages is without merit, because he did not claim or prove any actual damages resulting from the trespass which the jury could have compensated. It is a principle of universal application that every trespass gives the landowner a right to at least nominal damages. However, in order to recover more than nominal damages, actual damages must be shown. Chevron Oil Co. v. Snellgrove, 253 Miss. 356, 363, 175 So.2d 471, 474 (1965). ¶ 47. However, Whitten is correct to point out that where there is a trespass to land, the landowner has a right to at least nominal damages. The jury's refusal to award nominal damages for the trespass was in error, but since there were no actual damages resulting from the trespass, this error is of little consequence. If this Court reversed and remanded on this issue, Whitten could only receive nominal damages. Instead, this error will be cured by this Court reversing and rendering an award of nominal damages without the necessity of remand or retrial. See Daniel v. McNeel, 221 Miss. 666, 668, 74 So.2d 753, 754 (1954) (where the Court reversed and rendered and awarded a nominal sum of $10.00 when the only issue to be resolved was the payment of nominal damages.) Accordingly, we reverse and render as to the trespass claim only and award Whitten nominal damages in the total amount of $10.00 against Cox, Logan, and Spinosa, jointly and severally.