Commonwealth, Department of Highways v. Cole

CLAY, Commissioner.

In this highway condemnation case the landowner was awarded $12,000 for the taking of 3.73 acres from a 61-acre tract. Several errors are urged for reversal but we think one is dispositive of this appeal.

The trial judge sustained a motion to strike the testimony of both the Commonwealth’s expert appraisal witnesses. The competency of the testimony of only one of them is here involved. This witness was a *737senior right-of-way appraiser for the Highway Department. He had been engaged in this activity six years and testified he had studied the market and talked with…