Court Opinion

ID: 9693282
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-25 16:34:38.16272+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T18:19:44.111707
License: Public Domain

Frank T. Gallagher, Justice
(concurring specially).
While I agree that no foundation was laid to show that Mr. Toushin was familiar with the market value of real estate of the kind involved here, I cannot agree with the majority that it would seem that his opinion on the difference in value had been tailored to correspond with the evidence of witnesses Speckmann, Olson, Johnson, and Anderson with reference to the cost of repairing the damages to the house. As stated by the majority, the rule is that the owner of property is competent to express his opinion as to the value of his property. All that Mr. Toushin did was to testify that in his opinion the house would be worth $65,000 to $68,000 if it had been constructed according to the plans and specifications in a good and workmanlike manner and that it is worth $48,000 as it was constructed. Witnesses Speckmann, *504Olson, Johnson, and Anderson, testifying as to what would be necessary to repair the house, all said that it would cost in excess of $20,000 to repair the damages. In fact, Mr. Olson, a building contractor with many years experience, said that he would not take the job of repairing the house for $20,000. It would, therefore, seem to me that the testimony of those witnesses as to the cost of repairing the house corroborated Mr. Toushin’s opinion as to how much less he thought the house would be worth than that his testimony was tailored to correspond with that of the repairmen and experienced builders referred to above.
I otherwise concur specially in the results.