Court Opinion

ID: 9627896
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-22 08:58:19.613862+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T17:51:04.010121
License: Public Domain

CARDINE, Justice, dissenting,
with whom GRANT, District Judge, joins.
I dissent. I would affirm the decision of the trial judge who observed the witnesses, listened to their live testimony, judged their credibility, and accorded such evidence the weight to which he determined it was entitled. When, as in this case, the parties’ written agreement specifically provides “[t]here are no known defects, EXCEPT: (1) Those which are readily visible upon inspection,” (emphasis added) it is patently clear that the parties were properly allowed to testify orally as to what was readily visible upon inspection. It was the function of the trial court to accept or *1138reject that testimony and to resolve the disputed statements of fact that were present. That is not our function. We should not be deciding upon a cold record whether a piece of string on a fence is significant. If we adhere to our oft-stated rule that we accept the evidence favorable to the successful party as true and leave out of consideration entirely the evidence of the unsuccessful party in conflict therewith, we are left with evidence supporting the decision of the trial court and it ought to be affirmed.