Red River Pipeline v. Amonett

695 S.W.2d 802, 87 Oil & Gas Rep. 143, 1985 Tex. App. LEXIS 12054
CourtCourt of Appeals of Texas
DecidedAugust 21, 1985
Docket07-84-0067-CV
StatusPublished
Cited by4 cases

This text of 695 S.W.2d 802 (Red River Pipeline v. Amonett) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Appeals of Texas primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Red River Pipeline v. Amonett, 695 S.W.2d 802, 87 Oil & Gas Rep. 143, 1985 Tex. App. LEXIS 12054 (Tex. Ct. App. 1985).

Opinion

*804 REYNOLDS, Chief Justice.

Appellant Red River Pipeline, a general partnership and a common carrier in the pipeline business of transporting oil and gas, initiated an action to condemn an easement and right-of-way for a pipeline through the farm land of appellees, the Amonetts. 1 Both Red River and the Amo-netts objected to the amount of damages awarded to the Amonetts by the special commissioners, and the issue of damages was tried before a jury. Red River appeals from the judgment awarding the Amonetts $56,898.44 in damages. Concluding that reversal is not warranted by Red River’s points of error, we affirm.

In the construction of its buried 24-inch natural gas pipeline, Red River condemned a permanent easement, fifty feet wide and 2583.9 feet long, and a temporary working easement, ten feet on each side of the permanent easement, extending diagonally across from the south boundary to the east boundary of the Amonetts’ 319-acre irrigated farm. The permanent easement contained 2.97 acres of land, and the temporary working easement embraced an additional 1.19 acres.

By its answers to the special issues submitted, the jury found that the reasonable market value of the Amonett property, including the easements, before the taking of the easements was $1,400 per acre; that the reasonable market value of the 1.19-acre temporary working easement after the taking was $500 per acre; that the reasonable market value of the 2.97-acre permanent easement after the taking was $200 per acre; and that the reasonable market value of the 314.84-acre remainder after the taking was $1,234 per acre. Judgment rendered on the verdict decreed that the Amonetts recover $56,898.44 from Red River.

With the first five of its eight points of error, Red River contends the trial court erred (1) in overruling its challenge for cause to five jurors, (2) in admitting photographs taken during construction of the pipeline, and (3) in admitting testimony concerning aerial or pilot landmark maps. With its eighth point, Red River also contends that the award for the diminished market value of the 314.84-acre remainder tract is so manifestly excessive as to be the result of improper motive or in disregard of the evidence by the jury. 2

Five of thirteen jury panelists whom Red River unsuccessfully challenged for cause served on the jury. The challenges, premised on the statutory disqualification for bias or prejudice, 3 were levied when thirteen of the first twenty-five members of the jury panel answered affirmatively when Red River’s counsel asked the following, or similarly worded, questions:

Q [D]o you feel like or believe that the construction of the pipeline automatically damages the property it’s going across?
Q Do you think it’s going to take evidence from this witness stand to eon- *805 vince you that the land has not been damaged?

The court deferred a ruling until counsel for the Amonetts had the opportunity to address the panel members who were challenged for cause. Counsel first addressed panelist Joe Lowrie, who was not selected as a juror, asking these questions and receiving these answers:

Q Now, may I inquire of you, first, Mr. Lowrie: Do you believe that if I take some property from you, that it has some value?
A Yes, sir.
Q And would you say that’s fundamental?
A Sure.
Q Now, when you were asked damages, were you computing that there may be damages to the remainder and there may not be?
A Well, if this land is put back to where the water will run, it’s absolutely level, the topsoil is put back, then it’s okay, no damages, but if it’s not, he will have trouble with that from now on.
Q Is your mind closed so that it would take evidence to change your thinking so far as your impartiality is concerned?
A If it’s done properly, then it would be okay. If they can convince me that it’s put back like it should be, then okay.
Q You haven’t made your mind up yet, have you?
A No.
Q It’s not going to take evidence to change your mind one way or the other, because you haven’t made it up yet, have you?
A That’s right.

The next three panelists, who were not chosen as jurors, were then asked if they differed from panelist Joe Lowrie’s position, and each gave negative responses. When panelist Cody Marlar, who also did not serve on the jury, was asked the same question, he responded with a question and statement about the temporary working easement. After counsel for the Amonetts stated he did not think that applied to the question, the following exchange occurred between counsel and panelist Marlar.

Q I think the question is whether or not your mind is closed that there is damage to the remainder caused by the pipeline until you have heard all the evidence.
A Yes, I believe it is.
Q You think it is closed?
A Yes.
Q All right, sir. Is that based upon the premise that you believe there is a taking and they ought to pay for that taking?
A Yes, sir.
Q But you don’t know whether it’s damaged the far acre in the other corner or not yet, do you?
A No.
Q And you are going to listen to evidence on that, aren’t you?
A That’s right.
Q Other than paying for what they have taken, a fair market price, you haven’t made up your mind on even what the fair market price is yet, have you?
A No.
Q So your mind is not closed to anything, is it, Mr. Marlar?
A Well, I suppose not, no, sir.

Then, of the eight remaining panel members who were challenged for cause, two members not chosen on the jury, and three members — Wood, Reyna and Ellis — who served on the jury, stated that they did not differ from what Joe Lowrie and Cody Marlar said.

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Bluebook (online)
695 S.W.2d 802, 87 Oil & Gas Rep. 143, 1985 Tex. App. LEXIS 12054, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/red-river-pipeline-v-amonett-texapp-1985.