Opinion ID: 2172313
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 7

Heading: whether there was sufficient evidence to support an award of damages?

Text: The jury was instructed upon the measure of damages as follows: If you decide for defendant Flake on the question of breach of lease you must then fix the amount of money which will reasonably and fairly compensate him for any of the following elements of detriment or damage proved by the evidence to have resulted from the acts of Scrivner, Inc., and/or Hy-Vee Food Stores, Inc., whether such detriment could have been anticipated or not, namely: 1. The lesser of either of the following amounts: a) The cost of reasonable repairs necessary to the premises that were proximately caused by either Hy-Vee Food Stores, Inc., or Scrivner, Inc., and were not part of ordinary wear and damage by elements during the time of the occupation of the premises; b) The difference between the reasonable fair value of the premises immediately before the acts constituting the breach of lease and proximately causing the damage and immediately after its injury. Whether any of these elements of damage have been proved by the evidence is for you to determine. Your verdict must be based on evidence and not upon speculation, guesswork or conjecture. In Ward v. LaCreek Electric Association, Inc., 83 S.D. 584, 163 N.W.2d 344 (1968), a homeowner's house was damaged by water as a result of the installation of faulty automatic circuit breakers which activated a water pump in the house. There we held that the proper measure of damages to be applied to the house was the lesser of the following: (1) The difference between the reasonable value of the house immediately before and immediately after its injury; or (2) the reasonable expense of repair if the house can thereby be substantially restored to its former position. The jury returned a verdict of $78,051.00 against both Hy-Vee and Scrivner. Glen Mannes (architect witness for Hy-Vee) testified it would cost $73,940.00 to restore the building. Flake testified it would take $414,177.00. Flake also testified the building was worth $1,200,000.00 before the changes and $800,000.00 after the changes. The County Assessor testified for appellants that at the time of trial the fair market value of the building was $322,230.00. He further testified that that was also the value of the building after the changes were made. Here the jury chose, as it was their right, to disregard Flake's testimony and the testimony of the County Assessor as to before and after values. We find that the verdict returned by the jury is supported with ample evidence and is in accord with the unobjected to instructions of the trial court. We, accordingly, affirm the judgment of the trial court. MORGAN, HENDERSON, and WUEST, JJ., concur. FOSHEIM, C.J., concurs in result.