Court Opinion

ID: 9827431
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-09-01 17:32:39.508281+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T07:42:31.304120
License: Public Domain

On Rehearing.
We have given careful consideration to appellants’ insistence upon rehearing that we were in error in our original opinion in holding that the evidence was sufficient to sustain a verdict in favor of the plaintiff on account of the plaintiff’s land being “waterlogged.” The plaintiff’s testimony was to the effect that the pipe burst about January 1, 1928, which resulted in flooding the land; that approximately two acres were flooded; that the land had been rented on the third and fourth, that is, one-third of all grain crops, and one-fourth of cotton crops raised; that, when spring came on, the man in charge of it could not break the land on account of it being too wet at the time he got ready to break it; that in March the land was too hard to break, and, as a result thereof, it lay out for the year. Plaintiff further testified that feed crops are generally planted from the 10th of February up until May 1st, and cotton crops are generally planted after May 1st.
In our original consideration of the case we overruled the contention of appellant that there was no evidence or insufficient evidence to support the judgment for $60 for damages -to the land resulting from it being waterlogged, based upon a consideration of the following testimony of the plaintiff: “I consider the reasonable market rental value of my land for that year on that part which was water-logged to be $60.00.” We regarded that testimony as being some evidence showing a measure of damages recoverable by the plaintiff. But upon further consideration we are led to change our views. Under his evidence the plaintiff was not entitled to recover the rental value of the land which had been flooded. His possessory rights and interest in the land for the year had been parted with to the tenant. His only interest in the two acres, short of any permanent injury or damage to the land, was the value of the third and fourth, as the case might be, of the crops raised. As to the value of such crop, there was no evidence whatever. There was no evidence as to what character of crops were contemplated to be raised on the land. The evidence did not show with any degree of certainty or satisfaction that the reason no crops were raised was due to the flooding of the land. Plaintiff’s testimony failed to show that any character of crops contemplated to be raised on the land could not have been planted and raised after the time which he testifies the land was dry.
 Plaintiff’s testimony “that $60.00 is a fair and reasonable amount of damages that I sustained by reason of said pipe not being buried and being permitted to freeze and burst and water-log my land” is not to be regarded as any evidence whatever. That was the very matter in issue and for the sole determination of the jury. It is not competent to establish by the opinion of the witnesses the very issue to be determined by the jury. Pickering v. Harris (Tex. Com. App.) 23 S.W.(2d) 316. The testimony being incompetent is not to be considered in determining the sufficiency of the evidence to support the judgment. Henry v. Phillips, 105 Tex. 459, 151 S. W. 533. The conclusion that there was no evidence, or, at any rate, no sufficient evidence, to support recovery of the $60, requires a reversal of the case.
We are therefore of opinion that the motion for rehearing should be granted, that our former judgment reforming and affirming the judgment of the trial court should be set aside, and that the judgment of the trial court should be reversed and the cause remanded for another trial, and it is accordingly so ordered.