Matney v. Cedar Land Farms, Inc.

This appeal arises from the trial of two consolidated cases in which a building contractor sought compensatory and punitive damages on the ground of fraud from a developer of real estate, as the result of the sale of eight lots in a residential subdivision.

In September 1972, plaintiff Roger L. Matney purchased from defendant Cedar Land Farms, Inc. two parcels of land, comprised of four lots each, in the Cedar Land Farms Subdivision in Tazewell County. Matney, a builder of “spec” homes, negotiated the purchase with defendant H. Paul Buskell, president of the defendant corporation. The evidence…