Court Opinion

ID: 9857346
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-09-24 14:30:55.114621+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T09:38:28.756852
License: Public Domain

On Petition to Behear.
We have been presented with a petition to rehear in this cause arguing again the question so ably argued orally before us and in the original brief: “that there is no substantial evidence to support the verdict of the jury * * as to incidental benefits offsetting incidental damages.
It is very earnestly and seriously contended again that the record fails to show any incidental benefits to offset certain evidence of incidental damages. And too, the case of Vaulx v. Tennessee R., 120 Tenn. 316, 108 S.W. 1142, is again brought to our attention and is argued that the rule therein stated is applicable here.
The rule relied upon and the question presented in the Yaulx case was that where there is a motion for new trial challenging the sufficiency of the evidence to support the verdict, it is the duty of the trial judge to weigh the evidence and satisfy himself that it preponderates in favor of the verdict, or, if it does not, to grant a new trial. The reasons for the rule are obvious and have been discussed time and again in various authorities in this State. Upon reading the opinion of Curran v. State, 157 Tenn. 7, 4 S.W.2d 957, and Carter v. Pickwick Greyhound Lines, 166 Tenn. 200, 60 S.W.2d 421, this rule and the reasons therefor will be found to have been discussed at length. We think the rule a good one and one that applies here equally as well as it did in any of the cases cited. This is not the question here though because the trial judge did exercise the function of a thirteenth *22juror; lie weighed the evidence and passed upon the issues and decided whether or not the verdict of the jury was supported by the evidence, and he concluded that the verdict was supported by the evidence.
We read this record and concluded too that this verdict of incidental benefits offsetting the incidental damages was supported by certain statements of witnesses in this record. We were satisfied with the fact. We did not and it is not our obligation, to set down two columns of figures and add or subtract and see whether or not one offset the other. This was not our function and neither was it the jury’s function or the trial judge’s function if he concluded that the statements or evidence of certain witnesses merely to the fact that in their opinions (after being duly qualified) that the incidental damages offset the incidental benefits, then this was sufficient.
 In a condemnation case the amount to be allowed or fixed for incidental damages or incidental benefits and the amount to be allowed for the actual value of the property taken is peculiarly within the province of the jury, and unless the same be shown to be so wholly unfair and unreasonable, this Court will not interfere with the verdict of the jury. We read this evidence and if we are satisfied that the verdict has not been influenced by passion or prejudice or some other motive on the part of the jury which caused its verdict to be rendered as it was, which is all out of line, then we will not disturb the verdict. The trial judge heard this evidence and saw these witnesses and exercised his duties and prerogatives after the verdict had been rendered on passing on the motion for new trial. He committed no *23error therein. The record does contain substantial evidence to support this conclusion.
The weight to be given the testimony of any one of the witnesses who expressed opinions would depend, of course, on the candor, intelligence, experience and knowledge of values on the part of the witness. The values will usually be established by the opinions of witnesses who are familiar with the value of property and who express opinions from their experience as to the actual value of the property taken and as to whether or not the other property is damaged or benefited. Merely because one witness says that it is damaged so many thousand dollars or hundreds of dollars, and another witness says, “Well, it helped them. It helped them a great deal, did it? Yes sir, that’s right, helped them.” In other words what we are trying to say is this that the jury may accept the judgment of a witness who is not voluble in figures and take his judgment as says well one about or does offset the other. Then under these circumstances it is up to the jury to evaluate what these witnesses say and arrive at their conclusion. As to who is competent to express opinion upon the value of the land and the incidental benefits and incidental damages is largely a question within the discretion of the trial court.
The credibility of these various witnesses is challenged in that one witness is asked certain questions and says one thing and another witness says another. Under such circumstances the jury is the final arbiter of whether that challenge shall be given the effect of discrediting the witness and eliminating his testimony. All of this makes, and more especially in cases of this kind *24where the evidence is largely opinion evidence, the statements that this Court has made in the past on the effect to be given a jury verdict more pronounced than ever. "We have heretofore said:
“Another well established rule must be kept in mind, that is, that the jury has seen and heard all witnesses for both sides and after seeing and hearing them has determined these issues against the plaintiff in error. Their credibility has thus been determined.” Batey v. State, 191 Tenn. 592, 597, 235 S.W.2d 591, 593,
and
‘ ‘ The jury saw and heard the witnesses testify and observed their demeanor on the witness stand, and the question of their credibility was settled by the verdict of the jury.” Robertson v. State, 189 Tenn. 42, 44, 221 S.W.2d 535, 536,
and
“This is no more than a question of the credibility of the witnesses and is foreclosed by the verdict.” Turner v. State, 188 Tenn. 312, 318, 219 S.W.2d 188, 191.
It is true these statements above quoted were made in criminal cases but it seems if those rules apply in criminal cases that they should apply equally in a civil case for stronger reasons. Here we have only property rights involved while in the criminal cases the life and liberty of the citizen was involved.
*25For these reasons we feel that we were right originally and that there is evidence in this record wherein the jury and trial judge could, as they did, find that incidental damages were offset by incidental benefits and for these reasons herein expressed we must deny the petition to rehear.