State v. Haire

334 S.W.2d 488
CourtCourt of Appeals of Texas
DecidedMarch 16, 1960
Docket10728
StatusPublished
Cited by24 cases

This text of 334 S.W.2d 488 (State v. Haire) 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
State v. Haire, 334 S.W.2d 488 (Tex. Ct. App. 1960).

Opinion

GRAY, Justice.

This is a condemnation proceeding instituted by the State to acquire part of Lots 5 and 6 of Block 147 in the City of Austin for the construction of a State Office Building. Floree Haire was the owner of the property and is appellee here.

Prior to the introduction of any evidence at the trial appellee filed an admission of the State’s right to condemn reserving to *490 herself the right to open and close. The parties stipulated that the date of the taking of the property was May 15, 1958 and the cause proceeded to trial before a jury on the issue of damage. Upon the jury’s verdict a judgment was rendered awarding appellee $53,000. The State has appealed.

Block 147 lies immediately east across Brazos Street from the Capitol grounds. The block is bounded on the north by 13th Street, on the south by 12th Street, on the west by Brazos Street and on the east by San Jacinto Street. An alley from east to west divides the block into its north and south halves. The property in question is out of the north half of the block and fronts 65.13 feet on 13th Street and 75.5 feet on San Jacinto. It contains approximately 5154 square feet. Its principal improvement was a two-story frame building of sturdy construction and about forty years old. It was originally a residence but prior to the taking it had been converted into four apartments, three of which were rented and the fourth was used as a residence by appellee. There were other improvements on the property such as retaining walls, sidewalks, driveway and a parking space for cars.

The Capitol grounds lies between Brazos Street on the east, Colorado Street on the west, 11th Street on the south and 13th Street on the north.

In answer to the only issue submitted the jury found that the market value of the property in Austin on May 15, 1958 was $53,000. The trial court instructed the jury “that the term ‘market value’ is the price which the property will bring when offered for sale by one who desires to sell, but is not obliged to sell, and is bought by one who desires to buy, but is under no necessity of buying.”

Appellant here presents nine points. The first two are to the effect: That there is no evidence to support the jury’s answer of market value of the property and. that the jury’s answer is so against the overwhelming weight and preponderance of the credible evidence as to be manifestly wrong and unjust.

The first point presents a question of law and the second a question of fact. In answering the second point we must review all of the evidence. King v. King, 150 Tex. 662, 244 S.W.2d 660; Tudor v. Tudor, Tex., 314 S.W.2d 793. This review of the evidence will of course answer the first point.

Appellee called Mr. Uselton who qualified himself to testify as to market value of the real property in Austin. He testified that he was familiar with the property in question and other property in that vicinity. He was asked if he knew the meaning of the term “market value” and answered by giving a definition in substantially the same words as contained in the trial court’s definition of the term. He gave his opinion as to the uses for which the property was suitable and said he appraised it in 1957 at $76,370.70 and said it had increased in value between five and ten per cent per year since that time. He reviewed sales of other property, compared their values with the value of appellee’s property, stressed the location of the property and said its location made it valuable for commercial use. His opinions and statements were tested by a lengthy and thorough cross-examination.

There was evidence that the City of Austin had assessed the property for taxes at a total value of $18,010, this being $11,220 for the land and $6,790 for the improvements.

Appellant called four witnesses who gave their opinions of the market value of the property. These values were: $28,400; $35,000; $34,000 to $35,000, and $33,000 to 35,000. The opinions of these witnesses were also tested by cross-examination.

The location of the property immediately across the street from the State Capitol, its adaptability for commercial use and its ability to produce income were all matters stressed in the examination of *491 the witness and were facts and circumstances to be considered by the jury, along with other evidence in determining the market value of the property.

The market value of property necessarily is a matter of opinion. McCormick & Ray, Texas Law of Evidence, § 1422, Vol. 2, p. 256; 16 Tex.Jur. p. 584, § 255. The testimony of witnesses qualified to express their opinions as to the market value of property is admissible to aid the jury in determining such value, however, the jury is not bound by such testimony. Nass v. Nass, 149 Tex. 41, 228 S.W.2d 130. In Coxson v. Atlanta Life Ins. Co., 142 Tex. 544, 179 S.W.2d 943, 945, it is-said:

“The opinion testimony of experts, although persuasive, under most circumstances is not conclusive. It is peculiarly within the province of the jury to weigh opinion evidence, taking into consideration the intelligence, learning, and experience of the witness and the degree of attention which he gave the matter. The judgments and inferences of experts or skilled witnesses, even when uncontroverted, are not necessarily conclusive on the jury or the trier of facts, unless the subject is one for experts or skilled witnesses alone where the jury or the court cannot properly be assumed to have, or be able to form, correct opinions of their own based upon the evidence as a whole and aided by their own experience and knowledge of the subject of inquiry.”

In Maryland Casualty Co. v. Hearks, 144 Tex. 317, 190 S.W.2d 62, 64, it is said:

“Jurors in weighing the evidence before them have a right to use their common knowledge and experience in life. If the opinions of the experts as given in evidence do not comport with the jurors’ ideas of sound logic, the jurors have a right to say so. Otherwise there could not be a free discussion of the evidence in the jury room. ⅜ ⅜ ⅜ »

The answer of the jury to the issue is within the limits of the market value of the property as testified to by the witnesses. It is true that no witness testified that such value was $53,000. However, this was not necessary in order for such answer to find support in the evidence. State v. Littlefield, Tex.Civ.App., 147 S.W.2d 270, er. dism. j. c. If the above rules were not applicable then opinion evidence would control rather than aid the jury in determining market value.

Applying the above tests to the evidence before the jury it cannot be said that there is no evidence to support the finding of market value. Also the weight to be given to the opinions of the witnesses was for the jury.

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334 S.W.2d 488, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/state-v-haire-texapp-1960.