Eden v. Weight, 265 Va. 398

Summary

The Supreme Court of Virginia affirmed the trial court’s decision setting aside a jury verdict for the co-administrators of an estate in a constructive fraud action arising from the proposed sale of corporate stock. The court held that the co-administrators did not prove reliance on the defendants’ alleged misrepresentations after July 15, 1996, and did not establish damages resulting from reliance before that date.

Holdings

1. The evidence did not support a finding that the co-administrators relied on the defendants' alleged misrepresentations after July 15, 1996.
2. The co-administrators failed to prove damages resulting from any reliance on the defendants' misrepresentations before July 15, 1996.
3. A jury verdict must be reinstated if any evidence in the record supports it, viewing the evidence in the light most favorable to the party who received the verdict.

Questions Presented

1. Whether the trial court properly set aside the jury's constructive-fraud verdict because the evidence did not establish reliance on the defendants' alleged misrepresentations after July 15, 1996.
2. Whether the evidence established damages resulting from reliance on the alleged misrepresentations before July 15, 1996.

Disposition

affirmed