Opinion ID: 2614170
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 7

Heading: cross-claim on count i

Text: Did the trial court err in denying Young's motion for judgment notwithstanding the verdict or in the alternative for a new trial on his cross-claim against Kimbrough and Corey with respect to Count I? Young's cross-claim essentially states that if any judgment is obtained against him then the other defendants are liable to him for the full amount thereof since they handled all transactions with State Savings. The trial court gave the jury Young's requested instruction on Count I. It provided that if the jury found that Young executed the written undertaking based solely upon misrepresentations of either of the other defendants then the jury should find in favor of Young. We have stated that verdicts based on conflicting evidence will not be set aside where there is substantial evidence to support the jury's findings. More particularly, in relation to directed verdicts we have held in Chambers v. City and County of Honolulu, 48 Haw. 539, 541, 406 P.2d 380, 382 (1965), quoting from Young v. Price, 47 Haw. 309, 313, 388 P.2d 203, 206 (1963); Young v. Price, 48 Haw. 22, 24, 395 P.2d 365, 367 (1964), that: [O]n motions for a directed verdict, the evidence and the inferences which may be fairly drawn from the evidence must be considered in the light most favorable to the party against whom the motion is directed and if the evidence and inferences viewed in that manner are of such character that reasonable persons in the exercise of fair and impartial judgment may reach different conclusions upon the crucial issue, then the motion should be denied and the issue should be submitted to the jury. The facts were in dispute in this case as to the relationships among the defendants. Young testified that he did not know what was going on in reference to the mortgage negotiations and that the only reason he signed the written undertaking was because Kimbrough and Corey requested him to do so. Kimbrough and Corey testified, on the other hand, that Young was a full participant for the Kauaian Development during the procurement of the mortgage. In addition Young was a major stockholder and officer of Kauaian Development at the time he signed the written undertaking. When the time came to close the loan, Kimbrough was hospitalized and Young played an integral part in the mechanics of that process. It is evident that, just as there was sufficient evidence for the jury to find in favor of Young on the fraud in Count II, there was sufficient evidence to find him liable on the written undertaking in Count I.