United States v. Tree-Removal Rights With Respect to Land in Gordon Cnty.

283 F. Supp. 3d 1333
CourtDistrict Court, N.D. Georgia
DecidedDecember 20, 2017
DocketCIVIL ACTION FILE NO. 4:16–CV–0339–HLM
StatusPublished

This text of 283 F. Supp. 3d 1333 (United States v. Tree-Removal Rights With Respect to Land in Gordon Cnty.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, N.D. Georgia primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
United States v. Tree-Removal Rights With Respect to Land in Gordon Cnty., 283 F. Supp. 3d 1333 (N.D. Ga. 2017).

Opinion

Harold Lloyd Murphy, SENIOR UNITED STATES DISTRICT JUDGE

This case is before the Court on the Motion to Exclude Testimony of Defendants' Retained Expert Bruce Penn Regarding the Subject Property's After-Take Value ("Motion to Exclude") filed by Plaintiff United States of America, upon the relation and for the use of the Tennessee Valley Authority (the "TVA") ("Plaintiff") [44].

I. Background

A. Procedural Background

On November 17, 2017, Plaintiff filed a Motion to Exclude relating to Defendants' expert, Bruce Penn. (Mot. Exclude (Docket Entry No. 44).) The briefing process for that Motion is complete, and the Court finds that the matter is ripe for resolution.

B. Materials Submitted by the Parties

1. Revised Appraisal Report

Plaintiff submitted Mr. Penn's revised appraisal report. (Revised Appraisal Report of Bruce R. Penn (Docket Entry No. 44-3).) Mr. Penn opined that the market value of the rights acquired in the Subject Property, plus consequential damages, was $10,300, with the Subject Property being worth $22,000 before the acquisition and $11,700 afterward. (Id. Cover Page and i (internal page numbers used).) Mr. Penn stated: "The reported analyses, opinions and conclusions were developed and this report has been prepared in conformity *1335with the requirements of the Code of Professional Ethics and the Uniform Standards of Professional Appraisal Practice." (Id. at 1.) Mr. Penn noted that, implicit in the definition of market value is that the sale took place under circumstances in which, among other things, "[b]oth parties are well informed or well advised, and both are acting in what they consider to be their own best interest." (Id. at 7.) Mr. Penn stated:

Analysis of Diminished Value In determining the impact, if any, from the acquisition and the monetary award due the owner from the acquisition, the appraiser utilized sales of land with high voltage transmission lines in Gordon County over the past twenty five years. These sales were analyzed using a paired data technique. Statistical application of the entirety of the data over 25 years was not considered a viable measurement due to the number of years of the economic crash and the elimination of market elasticity which would yield reliable results.

(Id. at 8.) Mr. Penn used the "Market Data/Direct Sales Comparison Approach" in his appraisal. (Id. at 24.) Mr. Penn examined recent sales of similar properties in the area, and opined "that the market value of the [S]ubject [P]roperty before the acquisition is $15,000 per acre," resulting in a pre-taking value of $22,000 for the 1.41 acre tract. (Id. at 25.) With respect to the after-acquisition valuation, Mr. Penn stated:

The acquisition considers the right to trim trees outside of the delineated easement for construction of a high voltage transmission line. As the poles and towers are in the center of the transmission line easement, the distance from the poles and towers to the edge of the easement would be 75 feet. The tree trimming easement considers trees that may fall within 10 feet of the poles and towers. Trees do not grow higher than 70 or 75 feet, and typically no higher than 50 feet. Based on these parameters, the easement is excessive.
Additionally, the acquisition by the TVA does not consider the fall radius of the poles or towers. The poles or towers are approximately 125 feet tall. If one of the poles or towers were to fall perpendicular to the easement, the poles or towers would fall onto the [S]ubject [P]roperty.
Finally, the proximity of the high voltage transmission line easement is close to the [S]ubject [P]roperty requiring the tree trimming rights/easement, a prospective purchaser would consider the subject to be a part of the high voltage transmission line easement. A prospective buyer would not delineate between the rights acquired and the easement. A prospective buyer would consider the entire easement including the tree trimming rights in his/her purchase decision of the property.
In evaluating the probable value of the [S]ubject [P]roperty after the acquisition, the appraiser considered the May 1, 2017 sale of a portion of TVA Parcel No CPFL-90-CR. This is a 41.54 acres of land improved with four poultry houses and ancillary buildings. The 41.54 acres is comprised of three parcels containing 1 acre, 20.54 acres, and 20 acres. Of these parcels, the 20 acre tract was encumbered by the tree trimming rights to TVA.
During negotiations, the personalty (chicken houses and mobile home) was negotiated separately from the land. The negotiated and agreed upon sale price of the land was $7,000 per acre.
The owner of Parcel CPFL-90-CR did not sell the entire parcel, but rather only 21.54 acres away from the parcel with the tree trimming rights. The southern 20 acres, which includes the tree trimming rights. However, the purchaser *1336was not willing to purchase the back 20 acres for the same $7,000 per acre, citing the tree trimming easement as the main consideration. The purchaser indicated he would not pay more than $4,000 per acre for the remaining 20 acres with the tree trimming easement.
A comparison of the negotiated sale price of $7,000 per acre and the offer to pay no more than $4,000 per acre for the tract with the tree trimming easement indicates a reduction in value of -43%.
The appraiser also considered numerous paired data analyses performed by the appraiser over the years. These studies support the reduction in value of around 45% to the subject for the rights being acquired.
Based on this analysis, it is the opinion of this appraiser that the market value of the [S]ubject [P]roperty after the acquisition is $8,250 per acre.

(Id. at 26-27 (emphasis in original).)

2. Deposition Excerpts

Plaintiff presented excerpts from Mr. Penn's deposition. (Dep. of Bruce R. Penn (Docket Entry Nos. 44-4, 48-2).) Mr. Penn testified that USPAP is generally recognized within the appraisal profession as establishing the standards for professional appraisers and as reliable authority for appraisers to use in forming valuation opinions. (Id. at 12-13.) Mr. Penn stated that he relied on the land residual analysis from his initial report in forming his opinions in the supplemental report. (Id. at 24.) According to Mr. Penn, with respect to the land residual analysis, "it's not solely, and it's not primarily, but I did rely on it." (Id. at 25.) Mr. Penn noted:

I've done a number of studies, and a lot of the articles and treatises that are presented typically take place in developed subdivisions....
But there are a couple of instances in my studies where a vacant lot was looked at. And in those cases, the damage seems-or the reduction in value seem[s] to come up at about 40 or 50 percent. Using the land residual analysis, it would be much greater.

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Bluebook (online)
283 F. Supp. 3d 1333, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/united-states-v-tree-removal-rights-with-respect-to-land-in-gordon-cnty-gand-2017.