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DRAFT FOR ATTORNEY REVIEW — NOT FINAL

St. Louis County v. Taylor-Morley, Inc., 923 S.W.2d 507 (1996)

Citation
St. Louis County v. Taylor-Morley, Inc., 923 S.W.2d 507 (1996)
Parent Document
St. Louis County v. Taylor-Morley, Inc., 923 S.W.2d 507 (1996)
Jurisdiction
Missouri (state)
Effective Date
1996-06-04

Full Text

879 chars
Taylor-Morley’s argument regarding the diminution in value measure of damages is without merit. In an action for breach of implied warranty of habitability of a newly constructed home, the general rule for the measure of damages is whichever is lower, as between the cost of repair and the diminution of value. Crawford, v. Whittaker Const., Inc., 772 S.W.2d 819, 822 (Mo.App.1989). Diminution in value is the difference in value of the home if it had been constructed properly, compared with its actual value as constructed. Id. The rationale underlying this rule is that homeowners are entitled to recover as damages only a sum which is equivalent to performance of the bargain — to be placed in the position they would have been in had the contract been fulfilled in a workmanlike manner. Id. The trial court did not err in using diminution in value as the measure of damages.