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DRAFT FOR ATTORNEY REVIEW — NOT FINAL

Yaffe v. American Fixture, Inc., 345 S.W.2d 195 (1961)

Citation
Yaffe v. American Fixture, Inc., 345 S.W.2d 195 (1961)
Parent Document
Yaffe v. American Fixture, Inc., 345 S.W.2d 195 (1961)
Jurisdiction
Missouri (state)
Effective Date
1961-04-10

Full Text

1,274 chars
On defendant’s counterclaim, plaintiff claims error, in refusing to direct a verdict for him on defendant’s counterclaim, in admitting the opinion evidence, without supporting data, of defendant’s officer, Fischer, as to the amount of profits lost, and in refusing testimony that defendant’s letter, claiming a month to month tenancy, contributed to delay in restoration. Plaintiff also claims that the provision in the lease for abatement of rent excluded the right of defendant to recover damages for breach of covenant to make prompt repairs. Plaintiff mainly relies on our recent cases of Tnemec Co. v. North Kansas City Development Co., Mo.Sup., 290 S.W.2d 169, and Coonis v. City of Springfield, Mo.Sup., 319 S.W.2d 523. The rule established by these cases and those they cite is that anticipated profits are recoverable only when they are made reasonably certain by proof of actual facts which present data for a rational estimate of such profits. See also 15 Am.Jur. 558, Damages, Sec. 150; A.L.I. Restatement of Contracts, Sec. 331; 25 C.J.S. Damages, § 42, p. 517; § 90, p. 631. Our conclusion, for the reasons hereinafter stated, is that defendant’s evidence did not meet this standard but left the amount of profits lost to speculation without substantial basis.