Southern Silica Mining & Manufacturing Co. v. Hoefer
Southern Silica Mining & Manufacturing Co. v. Hoefer
Opinion of the Court
The decree of the circuit court in this action has been considered in the light of the questions presented by appellant. The trial record and briefs have been reviewed and we are of opinion that the decree represents the correct disposition of all of the several issues except that we think there should be a new trial upon the issue of the amount of damages or sum necessary to put respondent’s industrial railroad track in repair in accord with the terms of the lease under which appellant has had possession. The decree will be reported and is affirmed and adopted as the judgment of this court except paragraph 4 of the judgment, which awards judgment against appellant in the sum of $10,350.00. It is reversed for new trial.
Defendant-appellant’s motion for rehearing or new trial, which was refused, was in part upon the ground that the money judgment for repairs was excessive and with respect to it appellant discovered new evidence after filing of the
It is clear from the decree that the court mainly relied for the amount of damages upon the recited testimony of Track Supervisor Cooper, then in charge of the territory which included respondent’s industrial track. Other witnesses, produced later by appellant, made much smaller estimates of the cost of putting the track in repair for use. A reading of the testimony is convincing that the conflicting standards of repair in the witnesses’ minds caused the very wide divergence in their estimates which is important upon the motion for new trial, as will be seen. It appears that very shortly after the trial Mr. Cooper was succeeded as Trade Supervisor of the Railway Company in that territory by Mr. Barber whose affidavit on motion for new trial states that he assumed the position on January 1, 1949.
Exhibits “T” and “U” came into the case in a remarkable manner. Appellant called as a witness T. J. Royster who was Chief Clerk to the Division Superintendent of Southern Rail
Counsel’s affidavit on motion for new trial recites that he was previously unaware of the existence of the contracts and from his examination of them and the attached plats, was unable to ascertain that the tracks therein referred to were not the track involved in the controversy and that he and his client were unable with due diligence to ascertain that important fact for lack of experience in map reading. In the counter-affidavit of respondent’s counsel it is shown that he had no former knowledge of these exhibits before his cross examination of appellant’s witness, Royster; that he understood from the latter’s evidence that they related to the trackage in question, on which account he offered them in evidence; and they were in possession of the court from December 29, 1948 (the date of the trial) until January 28, 1949, when they were returned to the Railway Company.
This iea&wkey;-e of the motion for new trial was refused upon the authority Qf Boykin v. Capehart, 205 S. C. 276, 31 S. E. (2d) 506. However, the facts of that
It is seen from the circuit decree, published herewith, that the amount found necessary for repairs is in lump sum without segregation of the component amounts for repair to the railroad track and for repair of the other equipment and appliances. Thus the entire money judgment will have to be reversed and the legal issue of the proper amount re-tried. In all other respects the judgment is affirmed.
Affirmed in part and reversed in part, and remanded for new trial of the stated issue of damages.
Reference
- Full Case Name
- SOUTHERN SILICA MINING & MANUFACTURING CO. v. HOEFER
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- 4 cases
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- Published