Opinion ID: 1485182
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: Whether the Court erred in permitting Morris Wing to testify in regard to market value and damages, and in refusing to strike his testimony.

Text: Mr. Wing is the Regional Manager of Woodlands for plaintiff International Paper Company with responsibility for the supervision of more than a million acres of timberland in three states. He was permitted over objection to express his opinion with respect to the fair market value of the entire tract before and after the taking. In the course of a careful examination, both direct and cross, he displayed qualifications derived from training and experience that would enable him to form an expert opinion with respect to the value of timberlands. He was intimately acquainted with the land in question and was familiar with the market for timberlands in Maine and with comparable sales of large timberland properties. His capacity as an expert witness was not unlike that of the shareholder of plaintiff corporation in F. X. Bilodeau Realty, Inc. v. Lewiston Urban Renew. Authority (1968) 237 A.2d 398 (Me.), and that of the president of the plaintiff corporation in Knox Lime Company v. Maine State Highway Comm. (1967) 230 A.2d 814, 827 (Me.). In each of these cases the witness satisfied the requirements of special knowledge and experience entirely apart from his capacity as owner or officer of the claimant company. The determination of admissibility is within the sound discretion of the presiding Justice and on the basis of the qualification evidence here presented there was no abuse of that discretion. The weight to be given to the opinion of the expert witness is for the jury, and this jury was so instructed. The motion to strike all of Mr. Wing's testimony made at the close thereof was predicated on his use of a stumpage inventory maintained by International. Since the same issue is raised with respect to the testimony of witness Richard Sawyer, discussion of the point is deferred. Suffice it to say that the value placed by Mr. Wing on stumpage was only one factor used by him in his determination of the fair market value of plaintiffs' land.