Opinion ID: 1800517
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: The Award of Damages.

Text: Bendix complains that the evidence does not support a finding of a loss in value of $15,000 for the mobile home, and that, in any event, it is particularly anomalous for plaintiff to be awarded $15,000, the full price of the mobile home, and be allowed to keep the home as well. A. First of all, Bendix says Mrs. Peterson should not be able to keep the mobile home in addition to her money damages and cites Durfee v. Rod Baxter Imports, Inc., 262 N.W.2d 349 (Minn.1977), and Jacobs v. Rosemount Dodge-Winnebago South, 310 N.W.2d 71 (Minn.1981), where the goods were returned to the seller. But neither case is applicable here. In both Durfee and Jacobs the buyer had elected to revoke acceptance of the product and was suing for return of the purchase price and incidental damages. Here, on the other hand, plaintiff chose not to revoke acceptance but to affirm the contract, thus keeping the goods, and suing for damages. (We might add that, contrary to appellant's contention, the evidence shows plaintiff did give notice of the breach, as required by section 336.2-608(2), within a reasonable time.) B. The heart of Bendix's complaint on damages is that the evidence does not support the jury's finding that the difference in value between the mobile home as warranted and as delivered was $15,000, the same as the purchase price, the jury finding no residual value to the home being kept by the plaintiff. We hold there is sufficient evidence to support the jury's finding. Both parties elected to go for all or nothing on damages. Mrs. Peterson testified that her opinion was that she could not get even $1,000 for her home. On the other hand, Maureen Wagner, one of the owners of Heritage Homes, testified for defendants that the mobile home in the condition that I'm sure hers is in was still worth what Mrs. Peterson had paid for it, $15,000. Bendix points out that Mrs. Wagner's opinion was based on her extensive dealer experience and contends Mrs. Peterson's opinion is pure speculation. While Mrs. Peterson admitted she had not put her home on the market, she did explain, Well, if I were going to sell it, I would have to explain that I have formaldehyde problems, and I doubt if I could get $1,000.00 for it. It seems to us this testimony, coupled with the evidence that Bendix repeatedly refused to buy back Mrs. Peterson's home, is a sufficient basis for the jury's award. It is the jury's province to weigh opinion evidence by reference to all other facts and circumstances of the case. Poirier Manufacturing Co. v. Griffin, 104 Minn. 239, 241, 116 N.W. 576, 577 (1908). Bendix's claim that Mrs. Peterson gets a windfall by keeping the mobile home is negated by the jury's finding that the home has no value. Cf. Louis DeGidio v. Ace Engineering Co., Inc., 302 Minn. 19, 225 N.W.2d 217 (1974) (continued use of a defective product does not negate jury's finding that the product was of no value). C. Plaintiff's post-trial motion for an award of attorneys fees and costs based on the provision for fees in the Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act, 15 U.S.C. § 2310(d)(2) (1976), was denied by the trial court as untimely made and consequently unfair to the defendant to be considered in post-trial motions. We agree, as plaintiff's complaint made no reference to the Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act and its provisions for attorneys fees. Affirmed.