Opinion ID: 1387773
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 4

Heading: Directed Verdict on Counterclaim

Text: The trial court struck Carver's counterclaim for failure to prove damages. Carver argues that he could have proved that substantial leasing percentages should have been obtained if Leon had exerted his best efforts, had the trial court allowed him to testify on that issue. On Carver's offer of proof, consisting of his own testimony and a related exhibit, the trial court held that the offer of proof was speculative; that Carver lacked sufficient experience in the Albuquerque real estate market to offer an opinion on probable leasing success, and that Carver's reliance on certain economic and market appraisals was insufficient because the documents were not available in court. Carver argues that in New Mexico a property owner is presumed competent to testify as to the value of his property, e.g., City of Albuquerque v. Ackerman, 82 N.M. 360, 482 P.2d 63 (1971), and that the accuracy of Carver's opinion goes to the weight rather than admissibility of his testimony. He further claims that he gained knowledge of the Albuquerque real estate market when he was deciding whether to buy property there, and that under NMSA 1978, Evid.R. 703 (Repl.Pamp. 1983), he could base his opinion on documents not available in court. But Carver was not offering to testify regarding the value of the building or the property; he based his counterclaim on leases he thought Leon should have procured had he exerted the best efforts required by the leasing agreement. Carver's offer of proof contained certain assumptions about the rate at which space in the building could have been leased during the life of the agreement. Those assumptions were, in turn, based on certain economic and market appraisals allegedly used by Carver in the early stages of the property's development. Without access to those documents, the court could not ascertain whether the appraisals themselves had a factual or conjectural basis. As we have noted, an owner's presumed expertise on the value of his property does not necessarily extend to the rate at which space in his building could or should have been leased under the then-prevailing market conditions. It was undisputed that First City Place was Carver's first Albuquerque venture and that, although the Albuquerque market for office space was weak during the period of the leasing agreement, Carver was demanding the highest rates in town. Whether a witness qualifies as an expert is a decision for the trial court that will not be disturbed absent an abuse of discretion. Duran v. Lovato, 99 N.M. 242, 656 P.2d 905 (Ct.App. 1982), cert. denied, 99 N.M. 226, 656 P.2d 889 (1983). Likewise, the admission or exclusion of expert testimony is discretionary with the trial court. Cantrell v. Dendahl, 83 N.M. 583, 494 P.2d 1400 (Ct.App. 1972). Expert testimony may be received if, and only if, the expert possesses such facts as would enable him to express a reasonably accurate conclusion as distinguished from mere conjecture. Duran, 99 N.M. at 245-46, 656 P.2d at 908-09. Based on the record before us, the trial court obviously felt that Carver was not competent to give evidence as an expert on leasing projections and probabilities. We are satisfied that there was no abuse of discretion in refusing Carver's testimony.