Court Opinion

ID: 876530
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2013-06-04 20:42:55.480047+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T15:27:10.142474
License: Public Domain

No.    13164

              I N THE SUPREME COURT O THE STATE O M N A A
                                     F           F O T N

                                                    1977

GEORGE R.        WEVIN e t a l . ,

                               P l a i n t i f f s and R e s p o n d e n t s ,

              -vs-
THE COUNTY O SILVER BOW e t a l . ,
            F

                               D e f e n d a n t s and A p p e l l a n t s .

Appeal from:             D i s t r i c t C o u r t o f t h e Second J u d i c i a l D i s t r i c t ,
                         H o n o r a b l e J a c k D. S h a n s t r o m , J u d g e p r e s i d i n g .

C o u n s e l of Record:

     For Appellants:

              S t i m a t z a n d E n g e l , B u t t e , Montana
              Lawrence G. S t i m a t z a r g u e d , B u t t e , Montana

     For Respondents:

              McCaffery a n d P e t e r s o n , B u t t e , Montana
              J o h n L. P e t e r s o n a r g u e d , B u t t e , Montana

                                                Submitted:           March 1 6 , 1977
                                                                     "fiQ"       7-
                                                                                  ,

                                                    Decided :        -. -.'. . ; :TT /

                     -
          *itr;%"        ?-
                          [:157 Mont. 121, 132,

483 P.2d 699, t h i s Court s p e c i f i c a l l y held t h a t under s e c t i o n

17-301, R.C.M.           1947, which provides t h a t t h e measure of damages

i n a breach of c o n t r a c t a c t i o n i s t h e amount t h a t w i l l compen-

s a t e t h e p a r t y aggrieved f o r a l l t h e detriment proximately

caused thereby o r which i n t h e ordinary cause of things would be

l i k e l y t o r e s u l t therefrom, damages a r e recoverable f o r l o s s of

profits :

        "'* *     Jc  t h e r u l e i s t h a t a person may recover f o r l o s s
        of p r o f i t s where i t i s shown t h a t such l o s s i s t h e
        n a t u r a l and d i r e c t r e s u l t of t h e a c t of t h e defendant
        complained of and t h a t such amount i s c e r t a i n and n o t
        speculative.             ***   " P r o f i t s which a r e a mere matter of
        speculation cannot be t h e b a s i s of recovery i n s u i t s
        f o r breach of c o n t r a c t , while p r o f i t s which a r e reason-
                                       ."
        ably c e r t a i n may be "' 157 Mont. 132.

        From p l a i n t i f f s ' testimony and p l a i n t i f f s ' Exhibits 6 and

1 7 , t h e c o u r t found p l a i n t i f f s ' could reasonab1.y i n t h e next 5

years expect a y e a r l y p r o f i t of $12,000 per year ( c o u r t ' s f i n d i n g

No. 10) y e t t h e c o u r t awarded $5,000 per year which i s well within

t h e evidence.          The same holds t r u e f o r good w i l l and t h e equipment.

The equipment Exhibit was introduced without o b j e c t i o n and de-

monstrates t h e t r i a l c o u r t ' s award.

        I n regard t o t h e o f f e r of proof a s t o j u s t i f i c a t i o n of a

higher r e n t a l , t h e foundation was absent t o make t h e proposed

evidence m a t e r i a l o r r e l e v a n t t o t h e considerations allowable

under t h e c o n t r a c t which governs t h e method of a r r i v i n g a t a
new r e n t f i g u r e and was t h e r e f o r e properly denied by t h e t r i a l

court.

      Finding no e r r o r and t h e r e i s s u b s t a n t i a l c r e d i b l e evidence

t o support t h e judgment of the t r i a l c o u r t , t h a t judgment i s

affirmed.

W Concur:
 e
         -
     ..--- .--,-7
         .

 Chief J u s t i c e