Carlton v. Mississippi Transp. Com'n

749 So. 2d 170, 1999 WL 508802
CourtCourt of Appeals of Mississippi
DecidedJuly 20, 1999
Docket98-CA-00324-COA
StatusPublished
Cited by4 cases

This text of 749 So. 2d 170 (Carlton v. Mississippi Transp. Com'n) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Appeals of Mississippi primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Carlton v. Mississippi Transp. Com'n, 749 So. 2d 170, 1999 WL 508802 (Mich. Ct. App. 1999).

Opinion

749 So.2d 170 (1999)

Frank CARLTON, Executor of the Estate of Mary W. Caillouet, Deceased; Frances C. Carlton; Martha C. Decareaux And Rickey Deangelo, Appellants,
v.
MISSISSIPPI TRANSPORTATION COMMISSION, Appellee.

No. 98-CA-00324-COA.

Court of Appeals of Mississippi.

July 20, 1999.

*171 Nathan P. Adams, Jr., Paul Mathis, Jr., Greenville, Attorneys for Appellants.

James T. Metz, Greenwood, Attorney for Appellee.

BEFORE McMILLIN, C.J., DIAZ, AND LEE, JJ.

LEE, J., for the Court:

¶ 1. This case involves the taking of property located in Greenville, Mississippi by the Mississippi Department of Transportation *172 through the process of eminent domain. A trial was held in the Special Court of Eminent Domain of Washington County, and the jury returned a verdict in the sum of $55,000 in damages as compensation for the taking in favor of defendants Frank Carlton, executor of the Estate of Mary W. Caillouet, deceased: Frances C. Carlton, owner: Martha C. Decareaux, owner: Rickey DeAngelo, claimant/lessee: Junior Food Strores, Inc., f/k/a DeWeese Enterprises, d/b/a Super Stop, claimant/lessee, as owners and tenants. Feeling aggrieved by this judgment the appellants have appealed. Finding the appellants' arguments to be without merit, we affirm.

FACTS

¶ 2. The property which was subject to the taking by the Mississippi Transportation Commission is located at the corner of U.S. Highway 82 and Colorado Street in Greenville, Mississippi. The Mississippi Transportation Commission explained that it was necessary to take 7/100 of an acre for improvements to the intersection. The Commission was taking the aforementioned property to straighten the intersection and add a turn lane.

¶ 3. In 1996, an employee with the Mississippi Transportation Commission notified Rickey DeAngelo, the owner of Chillie's liquor store, of its intention to take portions of the property located on U.S. Highway 82 and Colorado Street which surrounded this area. DeAngelo, in turn, notified Frank Carlton, executor of the Estate of Mary Cauillouet of the Commission's intention to take a portion of the property. At the time of the taking, Chillie's liquor store and an abandoned building which formerly contained a convenience store were located on the property.

¶ 4. The ultimate taking resulted in the condemnation of property close into proximity to Chillie's liquor store. As a result, the Commission bought the building in which the liquor store was located. Prior to filing the eminent domain action, an appraiser for the Commission offered Frank Carlton a sum of money as just compensation for the taking of the property. Frank Carlton on behalf of the heirs of the estate of Mary W. Caillouet declined this offer and made a counter-offer. No further negotiations were made between the Commission and Carlton relative to compensation for the taking.

¶ 5. On April 21, 1997, the Mississippi Transportation Commission filed a complaint for a Special Court of Eminent Domain against Frank Carlton, executor of the Estate of Mary W. Caillouet, Deceased: Frances C. Carlton, owner; Martha C. Decareaux, owner; Rickey DeAngelo, claimant-lessee; Junior Food Stores, Inc., f/k/a DeWeese Enterprise, d/b/a Super Stop, claimant-lessee, hereinafter referred to as Carlton. A motion to dismiss the eminent domain action was filed by Carlton. In addition, the State filed a motion for the trial court to appoint an appraiser. On June 20, 1997, a hearing was held relative to both motions which resulted in the trial court appointing an appraiser and denying the Carlton's motion to dismiss.

¶ 6. On June 27, 1997, the Mississippi Transportation Commission filed a statement of values showing that (1) the fair market value of the property to be condemned was $20,450 and (2) damage to the remainder was $17,700 or a total of $38,150. The elements of damage were said to be severance and that the highest and best use of the land was C-4 commercial. On September 22, 1997, Appellant Carlton filed a statement of values in which the fair market value of the property was claimed as $22,869, damage to the remainder of $124,131, total $147,000. The elements of claimed damage were for severance, cost to cure the damage caused by the taking, depreciated cost of pavement (taking area), contributory value of buildings and cost of demolition of buildings, less salvage value. The highest and best use of the property was claimed as C-4, general commercial value. On September 24, 1997, *173 Appellant Carlton, filed a supplemental statement which showed that in addition to the statement of values previously filed, additional damages, based on net present value of the property to be condemned, as of the date of the filing of the petition were $44,000 and damage to the remainder and total compensation was $248,300. The highest and best use remained C-4 commercial value and the elements of damage were for severance, cost to cure, depreciated cost of pavement, contributory value of buildings and cost of demolition of buildings, less salvage value.

After trial the jury returned a verdict of $55,000.

ISSUES

I. WHETHER THE MISSISSIPPI TRANSPORTATION COMMISSION APPRAISER USED A PROPER COMPARABLE AS A FACTOR IN DETERMINING THE BEFORE AND AFTER VALUE OF THE PROPERTY TAKEN BY THE MISSISSIPPI TRANSPORTATION COMMISSION.

¶ 7. As their first assignment of error, Carlton argues that the trial judge erred when he denied the motion to exclude the testimony of the appraiser for the Mississippi Transportation Commission because the sales relied on were not comparable to the taking of the parking area from a corner lot. Carlton and the Commission concede that the determination of the admissibility of expert testimony is committed to the sound discretion of the trial judge. Mississippi State Highway Comm'n v. Terry, 288 So.2d 465, 466 (Miss.1974). However, Carlton goes on to argue that the trial judge applied an incorrect legal standard and argues that "where the court has exercised its discretionary authority against a substantial misperception of the correct legal standards, our customary deference to the trial court is pretermitted, for the error has become one of law." Mississippi Transportation Comm'n v. National Bank of Commerce, 708 So.2d 1, 3 (Miss.1997) (citations omitted). After reviewing the record, we do not find that there was an incorrect legal standard applied.

¶ 8. The appraiser for the Mississippi Transportation Commission gave testimony relative to the value of the subject property by giving a before and after value. In arriving at a before value the appraiser used the comparable sales approach to assist him in deriving a value to the property. The appraiser used three tracts of land located in Greenville as comparables to reach just compensation for the property. The appraiser chose the most expensive property to reach the final value of seven dollars a square foot to value the subject property. Indeed, the very property that Carlton now argues was not comparable was also identified by Carlton as a comparable used to value the property in his answers to interrogatories, and a copy of the land sale was attached as an exhibit to the interrogatories. Testimony from the appraiser for the Commission revealed that though the property used as the ultimate comparable was raw land at the time of the sale, to his knowledge it was the highest piece of property sold in Greenville. From a review of the record, it appears there was no other property that the appraiser could have used that would have been an exact comparable to the subject property.

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
749 So. 2d 170, 1999 WL 508802, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/carlton-v-mississippi-transp-comn-missctapp-1999.