Alpert v. Wickes Companies

354 S.E.2d 674, 182 Ga. App. 51, 1987 Ga. App. LEXIS 1620
CourtCourt of Appeals of Georgia
DecidedMarch 6, 1987
Docket73411, 73412
StatusPublished
Cited by2 cases

This text of 354 S.E.2d 674 (Alpert v. Wickes Companies) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Appeals of Georgia primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Alpert v. Wickes Companies, 354 S.E.2d 674, 182 Ga. App. 51, 1987 Ga. App. LEXIS 1620 (Ga. Ct. App. 1987).

Opinion

Beasley, Judge.

Wickes sued Leonard Alpert d/b/a Alpert Imports for conversion. It alleged that Wickes had purchased $30,200 worth of dining tables and chairs from KFK Industrial Company, Ltd., in Taipei, Taiwan; that KFK had shipped the furniture to the port of Los Angeles; that the furniture was picked up at Los Angeles harbor by Giant Transportation, Inc., and shipped to Department Store Consolidators in Commerce, California; that Department Store Consolidators erroneously shipped the furniture to F. W. Myers & Company where it was mixed in with a shipment headed for Leonard Alpert of Alpert Imports in Savannah; that after being informed of the error Alpert refused to deliver the furniture to Wickes or to pay Wickes the reasonable value of the property; and that Alpert converted the property to his own use. Wickes demanded $30,200 with interest and shipping costs or return of the property.

The response was that Alpert had no idea what had happened in Taiwan or between Wickes and other parties; that he had purchased certain items from the named parties but had been unable to identify anything which had not been paid for; that his warehouse had been infested by termites and he was unable to get there to identify his merchandise and see if any of the allegations were correct; and that he had no objection to delivering property if it was shown to belong to someone else and that party was willing to pay the removal expenses.

Wickes amended the complaint to allege that defendant wrongfully, wilfully, intentionally, and in bad faith refused to pay the value of the furniture, that the furniture had greatly diminished in value as a result of apparent termite infestation and market place fluctuation, and that defendant had been stubbornly litigious. Punitive damages [52]*52and necessary attorney fees were added damages, and solely a money judgment was sought.

Defendant then amended his answer and counterclaimed alleging that there was no such business known as Leonard Alpert d/b/a Alpert Imports; that plaintiff had been unreasonable in the situation and had .filed suit in an attempt to cause him attorney fees and other costs; that if in fact, he had been storing goods for plaintiff, storage charges were due; that plaintiff had been stubbornly litigious and acting in bad faith in filing suit; and that Alpert was in intensive care at a South Carolina hospital and was thus unable to personally meet to try to clarify the situation. Defendant demanded that the complaint be dismissed and that he be awarded $100,000 for plaintiff’s bad faith and stubborn litigiousness as well as attorney fees. A later amendment reflected Alpert’s death.

Wickes then sought and obtained a temporary restraining order to prevent Mrs. Alpert, a South Carolina resident, from selling the furniture to satisfy estate costs. It was extended and later expanded into an interlocutory injunction.

In the meantime, Wickes amended its complaint to add Mrs. Alpert d/b/a Alpert Imports as a party defendant and moved for summary judgment, arguing that its ownership of the tables and chairs and defendants’ wrongful dominion of the property was undisputed. Summary judgment was granted, the court having concluded that Wickes “[won] the test of title” and that “Alpert Imports’ purchase of the goods in good faith [did] not change this result.” The court deemed admitted certain of plaintiff’s requests for admissions of fact because defendants’ response was not timely and, as a result, rejected defendants’ contention that Wickes had sued the wrong entity, i.e., individuals rather than the corporation. The court awarded plaintiff the furniture, determining that under OCGA § 44-12-151 Wickes was not entitled, to monetary damages as it had made no election of remedies or showing of value of the property, the amount of damages, or the value of the property’s hire. Plaintiff moved for reconsideration and amendment of the judgment to reflect that it did make an election of remedies and to award the money damages prayed for including attorney fees. The next day defendants filed a notice of appeal. On the third day, Mrs. Alpert d/b/a Alpert Imports and on behalf of her deceased husband filed a motion to withdraw or amend the admissions which the trial court had relied upon. At the same time she also filed cross-motion for reconsideration of the grant of summary judgment to Wickes. The trial court denied Wickes’ motion on the ground that it lost jurisdiction by defendants’ filing of a notice of appeal from the judgment. It did not rule on defendants’ motions.

Defendants’ appeal from the grant of summary judgment to Wickes complaining that the court erred in deeming as admitted the [53]*53matters in the request for admissions, finding personal jurisdiction of Mrs. Alpert, entering judgment against Mr. Alpert individually, and finding that plaintiff had title to the goods in question. Wickes’ cross-appeal is from the denial of its motion for reconsideration and amendment of judgment.

1. We first address whether Wickes held title to the goods as a matter of law. In opposition to this proposition, appellants argue that their answers, responses to interrogatories, and Mrs. Alpert’s affidavit create a material issue of fact with regard to title. They further maintain that they have established a strong prima facie claim of title under OCGA §§ 11-7-501 and 11-7-502 by the existence of a bill of lading and warehouse receipts for the goods.

Plaintiffs’ complaint is for conversion. OCGA § 44-12-150. “In order to prevail, where title is claimed, plaintiff must present proof of legal rather than equitable title. [Cits.] In order to present a cause of action for conversion an act of dominion over the personal property of another inconsistent with his rights or by an unauthorized appropriation must be shown. [Cit.]” Kornegay v. Thompson, 157 Ga. App. 558, 559 (2)-560 (278 SE2d 140) (1981). See also McDaniel v. White, 140 Ga. App. 118 (230 SE2d 500) (1976).

In support of the motion for summary judgment, Wickes submitted the affidavit of its distribution manager which reiterated the path of the furniture as outlined in the complaint and stated that the manager had repeatedly contacted Mr. Alpert in unsuccessful attempts to have the furniture returned. The affidavit also referred to an appended copy of an invoice for 100 tables and 400 chairs at a cost of $30,200 and a letter of credit for the principal amount for the benefit of KFK Industrial Company, Ltd. Wickes also submitted affidavits of officers from the intermediary companies echoing the chain of delivery to Alpert and shipping documents showing the delivery. In response, defendants submitted shipping documents, copies of bills of lading and warehouse receipts, Mrs. Alpert’s affidavit in which she denied the court’s jurisdiction over her, averred that the furniture was shipped to a warehouse controlled by Alpert Imports and Len Alpert Associates, both corporations and not individual proprietorships, that her husband had not individually paid for and taken control or possession of the goods, that the furniture was paid for by Alpert Imports, Inc.

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Bluebook (online)
354 S.E.2d 674, 182 Ga. App. 51, 1987 Ga. App. LEXIS 1620, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/alpert-v-wickes-companies-gactapp-1987.