Civil trial results under appeal

That $3 million verdict rendered late last month by an Oconee jury in a real estate trial is under appeal.  Supporting documents for the appeal were filed last week in the Common Pleas Court by attorneys for Redland Properties and Larry Hoeben.  The jury April 28 returned verdicts for the plaintiff, 4105 Liberty Highway, in the amount of a little more than $3 million.  In a week-long trial, the jury heard testimony about the condition of property on 123 ByPass Seneca that was sold by the defendants to the plaintiffs for $850 thousand.  Under appeal are the individual awards, such as punitive damages, along with allegations that plaintiff’s counsel made an “inflammatory and prejudicial closing argument.”  Further, the defendants move in their court filing with the following accusation: “The Court Improperly Failed to Instruct the Jury on the Issue of Punitive Damages and The Defendants’ Due Process Rights Were Violated.”  Short of adjusting the jury’s award, the defense seeks a new trial.