Court Opinion

ID: 9759138
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-29 00:06:47.503582+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T07:28:59.709651
License: Public Domain

GUDGEL, Judge,
dissenting:
I respectfully dissent. In my opinion, the court’s findings of fact compelled it to conclude, as a matter of law under the authority of Dahlem Construction Company v. Mid-City Development Associates, Ky., 409 S.W.2d 300 (1966), that appellee was not entitled to recover on the basis of *910quantum meruit. Alternatively, I am of the opinion that even if the court’s finding as to liability is not clearly erroneous, the court utilized an erroneous measure of damages, and hence, Perkins at the very least is entitled to a new trial on the issue of damages.
A professional person rendering services to another is entitled to recover only a reasonable fee if recovery of that fee is based on quantum meruit. See Manning v. Owens, 277 Ky. 40, 125 S.W.2d 753 (1939). Here, however, the court awarded appellee the same fee of $750 per acre for his services that he was to be paid under the terms of his verbal contract with Kindred. I believe that compensation according to that previously determined contractual fee was erroneous. Instead, the proper method for compensating appellee would be to allow him to recover the reasonable hourly fee charged by civil engineers to perform the same or similar services as those he performed, multiplied by the reasonable number of hours required to perform those services. The record indicates that this sum might be substantially less than the $18,000 which the court awarded.
For the reasons stated, I would reverse on the direct appeal and affirm on the cross-appeal.