Opinion ID: 1764638
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 5

Heading: The $55,000 Property Damage Award.

Text: The only testimony as to value of the house and personal property was that of the appellees. Although extensive interrogatories were propounded to, and answered by, the appellees on the house and its contents, those interrogatories and answers were not introduced in evidence and the jury did not have the benefit of the damages itemized therein. Mrs. McGuire simply testified that the value of the house was thirty thousand dollars ($30,000) and the value of the contents was eighteen thousand dollars ($18,000). Property expert, Flynt Wilson, testified that the damage (value) to appellees' home was nine thousand one hundred forty-two dollars ($9,142.00). Mr. McGuire testified that damage to a small trailer parked near the home at the time of the fire was two thousand dollars ($2,000), yet he stated that it was repaired for fifty dollars ($50.00). We are of the opinion that the evidence does not support a verdict of fifty-five thousand dollars ($55,000), property damage, that the verdict is excessive under the proof, and that the judgment should be reversed and remanded for a new trial on damages alone. Accordingly, judgments against McComb in the amount of $80,000 for Mrs. McGuire and $30,000 for Mr. McGuire are affirmed; judgment for property damages in the amount of $55,000 is reversed and the case is remanded for a new trial on the issue of those damages alone; and all the judgments for appellees against Entex are reversed and judgment is rendered here for Entex. AFFIRMED IN PART AND REMANDED ON THE ISSUE OF PROPERTY DAMAGES AS TO McCOMB; REVERSED AND RENDERED AS TO ENTEX. PATTERSON, C.J., SMITH and SUGG, P. JJ., and BOWLING, HAWKINS and DAN M. LEE, JJ., concur. WALKER and BROOM, JJ., dissent.