Opinion ID: 887053
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 6

Heading: issues

Text: ¶ 35 Whether the District Court erred in granting damages for the stitch crew to set the modular home and for the time delays in the Yurczyks' ability to sell the property. ¶ 36 The County argues that the District Court erred in awarding damages for lost payments on, or the time value of money on, the delayed receipt of payments from the Smiths to the Yurczyks for the forty-acre tract and modular home because there was no contract between the parties and the Yurczyks did not mitigate their damages. The Yurczyks maintain that because they had purchased the property solely as an investment with the purpose of reselling, they were entitled to lost interest which they would have received had the property and modular home been sold to the Smiths in June of 2000. In addition, the Yurczyks maintain that they are entitled to reimbursement for the out-of-area stitch crew [1] because, in order to assure guaranty of the home, the dealer that sold the home must set the home. ¶ 37 In ascertaining whether the Yurczyks were appropriately awarded damages, we must determine whether the District Court abused its discretion. Graveley Simmental Ranch Co. v. Quigley, 2003 MT 34, ¶ 21, 314 Mont. 226, ¶ 21, 65 P.3d 225, ¶ 21 (citing Sletteland v. Roberts, 2000 MT 382, ¶ 36, 304 Mont. 21, ¶ 36, 16 P.3d 1062, ¶ 36). As the record indicates, the Yurczyks bought the property for investment purposes and intended to sell one of the tracts to the Smiths by June of 2000. The District Court did not find that there was a contract between the Yurczyks and Smiths but properly concluded that because the Yurczyks intended to sell the property, they were entitled to the lost interest which they would have received had a sale occurred in June of 2000. ¶ 38 In addition, the Yurczyks did not fail to mitigate damages in using a construction crew from outside the area to set the modular home. The Yurczyks' Stratford modular home was purchased from Bennett Realty in Thompson Falls. Bennett Realty is obligated to guarantee the modular home for ten years. Lyle George, a Stratford Homes dealer, testified that because the dealers are obligated to guarantee the homes, the dealers do not trust crews, aside from their own, to set the homes. It is understandable that the Yurczyks would want to use Bennett Realty's stitch crew to insure guarantee of their home. Accordingly, we hold that the District Court did not abuse its discretion in awarding damages to the Yurczyks. ¶ 39 The trial court's decision is affirmed. We concur: JIM REGNIER, JOHN WARNER, PATRICIA O. COTTER and JIM RICE, JJ.