Opinion ID: 882953
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: Was the court's property valuation clearly erroneous?

Text: The Dowers contend that the District Court erred by determining damages in the amount of $500 per acre. They argue that $1000 per acre was a reasonable value for the property. The Dowers paid $366 per acre for 205 acres in May 1981. They sold the property to the plaintiffs in 20 acre tracts for $1000 per acre in 1982-83. Alice Dower testified that the sale price reflected the fact that she would provide improved roadways from the county road through the subdivided tracts. The plaintiffs each testified that they agreed to pay $1000 per acre because she promised to provide the subdivision with county-grade roads. The plaintiffs as landowners had a right to give reasonable testimony as to the value of their property for the uses to which they put the property. See Zugg v. Ramage (1989), 239 Mont. 292, 297, 779 P.2d 913, 916; State Highway Comm'n v. Marsh (1974), 165 Mont. 198, 203, 527 P.2d 573, 575. Dew testified that his property was worth $400 per acre after the Dowers completed the road construction in the summer of 1983. He further testified that the 1983 road construction made access even more difficult than before, because it created runoff areas converging at the main access. According to Posey, the fair market value of his property was $500-$600 per acre following the road construction. Dresch estimated that his property was worth $500 per acre in the summer of 1983. The Dowers presented their own evidence of higher property values, but the court found the plaintiffs' evidence more convincing. The District Court determined that $500 was a reasonable estimation of the property's fair market value after the road construction in 1983. Substantial evidence supports the District Court's valuation and the court did not misconstrue the evidence. We do not have a firm and definite conviction that the court made a mistake. Consequently, we find no cause to disturb the court's determination of the property values. See DeSaye, 820 P.2d at 1287; Rule 52(a), M.R.Civ.P.