State Ex Rel. Missouri Highway & Transportation Commission v. Dooley

738 S.W.2d 457
CourtMissouri Court of Appeals
DecidedJuly 14, 1987
Docket51217
StatusPublished
Cited by12 cases

This text of 738 S.W.2d 457 (State Ex Rel. Missouri Highway & Transportation Commission v. Dooley) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Missouri Court of Appeals primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
State Ex Rel. Missouri Highway & Transportation Commission v. Dooley, 738 S.W.2d 457 (Mo. Ct. App. 1987).

Opinion

SIMEONE, Judge.

I

This is an appeal in a condemnation action tried to a jury upon the exceptions of appellant — Mini-Opry, Inc. The jury assessed damages for the taking of the appellant’s property in the amount of $21,300 and judgment was entered on the verdict by the Circuit Court of Monroe County. Mini-Opry appeals raising several issues for reversal. For reasons hereinafter stated, we affirm.

Mini-Opry raises a number of issues. The principal issues, as stated at oral argument are: (1) whether a loss of visibility or “view” of a potential commercial establishment resulting from a change in grade of a highway abutting appellant’s land and building is a proper element of damage in a condemnation action, and (2) whether the condemnee is entitled to obtain for trial the Commission’s appraiser’s reports, letters, notes, memoranda or other documents prepared by the Commission’s appraiser for use at trial by means of a subpoena duces tecum. There are other issues developed in the course of this opinion.

II

These proceedings began with the filing of a “Condemnation Petition” by the Missouri Highway and Transportation Commission on May 10, 1984 to condemn 5.17 acres of land owned by the defendant, Mini-Opry, Inc. (formerly Wells-Walker, Inc.), which in turn is owned by Jim and Audrey Wells. The property is located in Monroe County and abuts Highway 24. It had a 1,396 foot frontage on the highway and is located some two miles west of the intersection of Highways 24 and 107 near Florida and Paris, Missouri. The property was condemned in order to reroute, improve and reconstruct U.S. Route 24. The entire tract consisted of 30 acres prior to the taking and 24.83 acres after the taking. The property is located near Stoutsville, east of Route 5 and on the south side of and along Highway 24. The highway improvements were for the betterment of the Clarence Cannon Dam and Mark Twain lake area.

In due time Commissioners were appointed and they awarded damages at $17,850, which was paid into the registry of the court.

On July 5,1984, appellant filed its exceptions to the Commissioners’ award and requested a jury trial.

Prior to trial, on July 11, 1984, Mini-Opry, pursuant to the discovery rules, propounded certain interrogatories to the Commission. Among such interrogatories was the question:

2. Please state the name and address of each person whom you intend or expect to call as an expert witness at the trial of this case and state the general nature of the subject matter on which the expert is expected to testify.

On December 14, 1984, the Commission answered and stated, “Unknown at this time.” On September 3,1985, the Commission supplemented its December 14 answer and named the experts it intended to call at trial: M.N. Dean, James O’Bryan, W.J. *459 Schneider and W.J. Van Huss. Three were to testify as to market value and one as to highway design.

In early September, 1985, the parties were notified by the Court that trial would be held on December 8 and 9, 1985. Depositions were taken of the experts in October.

On November 20, 1985, some two weeks prior to trial, the Commission filed its “Second Supplemental Answers” to defendant’s interrogatory, which named the same four experts, but added the name of Ray Otto of Monroe City. The supplemental answers were marked received November 23, 1985. In addition, Mini-Opry was informed that the experts whose depositions had been taken (not Otto) had new opinions concerning the fair market value of the property condemned. On November 25, the Monday before Thanksgiving, counsel for the Commission telephoned defendant’s counsel informing him of the “new” expert, Otto, and asked permission to inspect the land and building. Since counsel for Mini-Opry was in preparation for another trial, arrangements could not be made for such inspection until December 5 (Thursday), one business day before trial, for Otto to inspect the property and form an opinion as to damages. During the telephone conversation, counsel for Mini-Opry informed the counsel for the Commission that he would move to strike Otto as an expert witness. On December 3, defendant’s counsel did formally move to strike Ray Otto from the list of the Commission’s expert witnesses and to prohibit his testimony at trial. The motion to strike Otto was on the basis that the defendant did not find out about him until 12 business days before trial and that he did not have an opinion as to fair market value until one business day before trial. The court overruled the motion. In addition, counsel for Mini-Opry filed and served a subpoena duces tecum on Otto and the other experts, commanding them to produce for trial and in evidence “all appraisal reports, letters, notes, photographs, memos, or any other document prepared by you or used by you in evaluating” the property. The subpoena was served on November 21, and filed December 3, 1985. The Commission immediately moved to quash the subpoenas duces tecum on the ground that the subpoenas “seek discovery of facts known and opinions held by experts which were acquired or developed in anticipation of litigation or for trial and which are privileged and may only be obtained by deposition under Supreme Court Rule 56.01(b).” The Commission objected to the subpoenas on the basis that the subpoenas called for “work product” and relied on State ex rel. Highway Commission v. Jensen, 362 S.W.2d 568 (Mo. banc 1962).

Trial began on December 9, 1985. On the morning of trial, the court, in chambers, took up the various motions. The court (1) overruled the defendant’s motion to strike Otto as a witness, (2) sustained Mini-Opry’s motion in limine as to comparable sales made after the taking of depositions, and (3) overruled certain other motions.

During the voir dire examination, the Commission’s counsel questioned the veniremen. He acknowledged that the Commission owes the defendant money and the question “here is how much.” During his interrogation, he asked:

Q. ... Is there anyone here on this panel who believes that the State should not be allowed to even condemn property for public purposes even though it will pay fair compensation for the property? Anyone have a problem with that concept? This is what we are here for today. We want to know if it bothers anyone. As I indicated it won’t be an issue today. It’s been resolved. The State has that right. Is anyone bothered by that concept? ...
******
Q. ... Anyone else bothered by this legal concept? You will be instructed in the law and if you have a problem with this issue, now is the time to tell us.... Is there anyone here who feels that because the State is taking this property through the power of eminent domain that it should pay a bonus for this property because it is not an open market transaction? ...

*460 Four of the veniremen answered that they felt a bonus should be paid, but that their feeling would not affect their ability to render an impartial verdict, although one said “I don’t know that it would be unfair or impartial.”

The Commission challenged these four veniremen for cause.

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738 S.W.2d 457, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/state-ex-rel-missouri-highway-transportation-commission-v-dooley-moctapp-1987.