Opinion ID: 2448926
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 4

Heading: The Hesses Sue the Developers and Prevail

Text: ¶ 17 In October 2005, the Hesses filed a lawsuit against their builder, GTS, and its principal agent. Sometime thereafter, the Hesses amended their complaint to include claims against the Developers. Prior to trial, the Hesses' claims against their builder, GTS, and its principal agent were settled, leaving only their claims against the Developers. ¶ 18 In 2008, the case against the Developers was scheduled for a jury trial. In anticipation of trial, the Developers and the Hesses submitted several proposed jury instructions to the district court. One of the instructions proposed by the Developers stated, Canberra or David Allen claim that they are not liable to the Hesses because of the later fault of the contractors and builders. To avoid liability for the harm, Canberra or David Allen must prove all the following: 1) That the contractors' and builders' conduct occurred after Canberra or David Allen; 2) That a reasonable person would consider the contractors' and builders' conduct extraordinary; 3) That Canberra or David Allen could not foresee that the contractors and builders would act in a negligent manner; and 4) That the harm resulting from the contractors' and builders' conduct was different from the type of harm that could reasonably be expected from Canberra or David Allen's conduct. The district court did not include this language in its final draft of the jury instructions. ¶ 19 In October 2008, a four-day jury trial was held to resolve the Hesses' claims. Without attempting to provide a complete list, we note that the Hesses presented the following evidence at trial. First, the Hesses called witnesses who testified regarding the damage to their home, the soil conditions beneath the home, and the information contained in the AGEC Report. Second, the Hesses submitted a copy of the AGEC Report and a drawing demonstrating that test pit twelve was located on their lot. Third, the Hesses showed they had spent $221,878.18 to discover the source of their home's problems and to make repairs to it prior to trial. Fourth, the Hesses submitted a bid showing they needed another $108,179.12 to make additional repairs to the home after trial. Finally, the Hesses each testified regarding the condition of their home, the fear and anxiety they experienced while living in the home, and the overall impact the home's problems had on their quality of life. ¶ 20 Following the presentation of the Hesses' case, the Developers moved to dismiss Mrs. Hess's claims for fraudulent misrepresentation and fraudulent nondisclosure. In support of this motion, the Developers argued that they never communicated with or made any misrepresentations to Mrs. Hess regarding the sale or conditions of Lot 41. After hearing argument on the motion, the district court dismissed Mrs. Hess's claim for fraudulent misrepresentation, but allowed her claim for fraudulent nondisclosure to go to the jury. After the court's ruling, the Developers presented evidence rebutting the Hesses' claim for fraudulent nondisclosure and Mr. Hess's claim for fraudulent misrepresentation. ¶ 21 At the conclusion of the trial, the jury found the Developers liable to the Hesses for fraudulent nondisclosure and to Mr. Hess for fraudulent misrepresentation. The jury awarded the Hesses $536,750.50 in economic damages$206,693.20 more than the Hesses demonstrated needing or spending to investigate and repair the homeand $2,625,000 in noneconomic damages for pain and suffering. ¶ 22 After the jury's verdict, the Developers filed several motions, including motions for JNOV, for a new trial, and for remittitur of the damages awards. The district court ultimately denied each of these motions.