Court Opinion

ID: 9671255
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-24 03:33:29.40752+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T18:16:09.010448
License: Public Domain

BIEGELMEIER, Presiding Judge
(concurs in part and dissents in part).
SDCL 15-6-52(a), RCP 52(a), requires that findings of fact "shall not be set aside unless clearly erroneous". In re Estate of Hobelsberger, 85 S.D. 282, 181 N.W.2d 455. The trial court found plaintiff's evidence to prove his claim for specific performance was not "clear and convincing"; that finding is not "clearly erroneous". I, therefore, concur the judgment insofar as it denied specific performance should be affirmed.
For the same reason the judgment for damages should be affirmed, as the court in the same finding then found "by a preponderance of the evidence" the parties did agree to the terms of sale as plaintiff testified. That finding and the finding of amount of damages are not clearly erroneous, so should not be set aside, and the judgment on that issue should also be affirmed.