Opinion ID: 1196613
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Insufficiency of Judgment

Text: In his counter-appeal, Gentry contends that the amount of the trial court's award for actual damages was insufficient. He argued to the trial court that he had presented evidence that more had been stolen from him than was reflected by the charges filed against Langley. When addressing the issue of whether the facts of the case support constructive fraud, Gentry argues that this was a fact question that the trial court acting as a fact-finder was to resolve. He then cites M-A-C Finance Co. of Tulsa v. Parker, 408 P.2d 552 (Okla. 1965), to support his statement that such a decision should not be disturbed upon appeal when there is competent evidence to support it. But the same reasoning supports allowing the trial court to determine the amount of damages that should be awarded to Gentry. In Battles v. Janzen, 325 P.2d 444, 446 (Okla. 1958), this Court held: On appeal it matters not that we might or might not have reached a different conclusion as to the amount of damages suffered by reason of the injuries received. Nor that we might or might not feel that the evidence adduced would have sustained a larger verdict. The only question as to the evidence which is here presented is, is there any competent evidence to sustain the verdict. Battles reveals that where a trial court sits in the place of a jury and determines the damages, that determination will be affirmed if there is any competent evidence to sustain the judgment. [4] Testimony of witnesses and the exhibits reveal that a substantial portion of the $98,208.07 in damages claimed by Gentry was for costs of rework or for consequential damages. There was competent evidence in the record to support the award of damages made by the trial court for Gentry's loss caused by Langley's wrongful takings. We find no abuse of discretion by the trial court in making this award.