Batson-McGehee Co. v. Smith
Batson-McGehee Co. v. Smith
Opinion of the Court
delivered the opinion of the court.
This cause was affirmed without an opinion on a former day of this term (95 So. 647), and a suggestion of error has been filed insisting that error was committed in such affirmance. There were two counts in the declaration, one for the statutory penalty under chapter 67, Hemingway’s Code, and the other for the actual value of the trees cut. On motion of the defendant the court required the plaintiff to elect upon which count he would proceed, and the plaintiff elected to proceed upon the count for the statutory penalty.
At the conclusion of the evidence, the court instructed the jury to disregard the second count for the actual value, but that the plaintiff may either recover the statutory penalty or the value of the timber, but not both the
In our opinion the plaintiff was not required to elect between the counts, but was entitled to go to the jury and have the theory of both counts submitted for the finding of facts by the jury, and the court having erred in requiring the election, and after such requirement submitting the instruction which would have been perfectly proper if both counts had been submitted as they should have been, it was not error to give the instruction,
It seems that the court decided in Therrell v. Ellis, 83 Miss. 494, 35 So. 826, that a count for actual válue was necessary. It is true the' statute embraces the actual value as well as the penalty and the evidence might be conflicting, and if the jury believed one theory of the evidence might find for the statutory penalty, and if it believed the other theory could only find for the actual value, and it is important to the right of the litigant to have both theories submitted. This court has often decided that a count for actual value might be filed with one for statutory penalty. Mhoon v. Greenfield, 52 Miss. 434; Ladnier v. Ingram-Day Lumber Co., 123 Miss. 238, 85 So. 196; Roell v. Shields, 124 Miss. 226, 86 So. 763.
Counsel for appellee concedes in response to the suggestion of error that the verdict was excessive on the
Suggestion of error sustained in part.
Reference
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- Trespass. Plaintiff need not elect between count for statutory penalty for trespass and count for actual value; judgment not reversed for error in requiring election between counts where instruction was proper. In an action for trespass under section 3246, Hemingway’s Code (Section 4977, Code of 1906), the plaintiff may declare for the statutory penalty in one count, and for actual value in another, and may not be required to- elect on which he will go to the jury, being entitled to submit the case on both counts; but if the court erroneously requires the plaintiff to elect, and he does elect on the count for the penalty, and under such count the court instructs the jury that they may find for either the statutory penalty or the actual value of the trees, but not both, and the jury finds for the actual value and against the statutory penalty, this court will not reverse.