Peevyhouse v. Garland Coal & Mining Co. · Supreme Court of Oklahoma · 1962

How much does the couple get?

Short answer: $300: the farm's lost value.

The facts. A coal company mined an Oklahoma couple's farm and promised to restore the land. It didn't. Fixing it would cost $29,000, but the farm would only gain $300 in value.

The ruling. Peevyhouse v. Garland Coal (1962): The court limited damages to $300, the lost value of the farm, since the repair cost was far out of proportion to the benefit.

The Peevyhouses had insisted on the promise, giving up cash. Some of the judges in the majority were later caught in a bribery scandal, though nothing proves it touched this case.

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For fun, not legal advice.