Biggers v. Bank of Ringgold

144 S.E. 397, 38 Ga. App. 521, 1928 Ga. App. LEXIS 328
CourtCourt of Appeals of Georgia
DecidedAugust 31, 1928
Docket18648
StatusPublished
Cited by1 cases

This text of 144 S.E. 397 (Biggers v. Bank of Ringgold) 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
Biggers v. Bank of Ringgold, 144 S.E. 397, 38 Ga. App. 521, 1928 Ga. App. LEXIS 328 (Ga. Ct. App. 1928).

Opinion

Bell, J.

Bank of Einggold brought suit by attachment, on the ground of nonresidence, against W. E. Biggers, as drawer, upon two drafts aggregating $8,296.44 and drawn upon Georgia Cotton Growers Co-operative Association of Atlanta, Georgia, payable at sight to the order of Bank of Einggold. There was attached to the drafts at their execution a bill of lading covering 139 bales of cotton, [522]*522in payment for which it was expected that the cotton growers association would honor the drafts, and thus reimburse the plaintiff for the amount it had advanced to the defendant thereon. The association, however, declined acceptance of the cotton and refused to pay the drafts. After some delay the cotton was sold and the proceeds, less certain items of expense, were credited upon the drafts, and the suit was to recover the alleged balance in the amount of $2,161.31.

The trial resulted in a verdict in favor of the plaintiff, and, the defendant’s motion for a new trial being refused, he excepted. Two grounds of the motion for a new trial assign error upon the overruling of a motion to dismiss the attachment. Exceptions to this ruling were also taken pendente lite, but there was in the final bill of exceptions no assignment of error either upon the exceptions pendente lite or upon the rulings therein excepted to.

The defendant traversed the ground of the attachment alleging that he was a nonresident of the State of Georgia, and upon the trial of the issue thus formed the court directed a verdict in favor of the plaintiff. This ruling is made one of the grounds of the motion for new trial.

There was an issue in the evidence as to whether plaintiff had given to the defendant notice of the dishonor of the drafts within the contemplation of the uniform negotiable instruments act of August 18, 1924 (Ga. L. 1924, p. 126, sections 89, 103, 104, 114). The court nevertheless instructed the jury to return a verdict in favor of the plaintiff for the amount sued for, except a sum representing certain items of expense which the plaintiff had deducted as above stated, and as to its authority to deduct which there was a material conflict in the testimony.

It is unnecessary to set forth the grounds of the motion to dismiss the attachment. To have raised the question of whether the court erred in overruling this motion, the ruling should have been excepted to directly. Bulings upon pleadings can not properly be made grounds of a motion for a new trial. Southern Pacific Co. v. DeCristina, 36 Ga. App. 433 (2) (137 S. E. 79), and cit. While it appears that exceptions pendente lite were taken, there is in the final bill of exceptions no assignment of error either upon the exceptions pendente lite or upon the rulings therein excepted to. House v. American Discount Co., 31 Ga. App. 396 (120 S. E. 701).

[523]*523The court property directed a verdict in favor of the plaintiff and against the defendant upon the issue formed by the defendant’s traverse of the ground of the attachment alleging that the defendant was a nonresident of this State. While it was admitted by the plaintiff that the defendant had retained his legal citizenship in the State of Georgia, being a registered voter of Catoosa county and having the right to vote in that county in elections held in this State, it is conclusive, from the evidence of the defendant himself, that he was a nonresident of the State of Georgia within the meaning of the attachment laws. He testified that while he owned a farm and other property in Catoosa county, he had no dwelling place in that county; that for several years he had been in business in the City of Chattanooga, Tennessee, and had owned and occupied a residence there at the same location for at least three and one half years. He removed from Einggold, Georgia, first to Union Avenue in Chattanooga, where he lived for about six months. He later removed to 1411 Bailey Avenue in the latter city, where he was still living at the date of the trial. His name was listed in the Chattanooga telephone directory as having both a residence and a business telephone. His daughter attended the public schools of that city. The defendant further testified that he intended to keep his citizenship in Georgia, but there is nothing to indicate that he expects ever to return to this State to live. Physically he seems to be permanently located in Chattanooga, Under the facts as thus disclosed, the defendant was a nonresident of the State of Georgia for the purposes of attachment.

As to ordinary suits, section 5563 of the Civil Code of 1910 provides that leaving a copy at the defendant’s residence shall be sufficient service. The defendant here could not have been so served. In a case of this sort the question is not one of domicile merely, but is one of actual residence. Eesidence has been defined to be an act, and where a person voluntarily removes from this State for the purpose of living and carrying on business elsewhere for an unlimited period, he is, for the purposes of attachment, a nonresident of Georgia, nothwithstanding he may occasionally visit this State and may intend to return at some indefinite time in the future.

The facts as disclosed by the record demanded a finding that the defendant was a nonresident of the State of Georgia, and there was no error in directing the jury to return a verdict accordingly. [524]*524Stickney v. Chapman, 115 Ga. 759 (42 S. E. 68). Tliis case is distinguishable from the case of Flemister Grocery Co. v. Wright Mercantile & Lumber Co., 10 Ga. App. 702 (73 S. E. 1077).

The defendant contends that the court erred in not submitting the case to the jury upon the question of whether he was discharged by the failure of the bank to notify him, within the terms of the negotiable instruments law, of the dishonor of the drafts by the drawee, the cotton growers association. There was testimony for the bank showing that notice was given in strict accordance with the statute. This, however, was denied in the testimony of the defendant, so that in the absence of a waiver of notice by him, there was an issue for the jury as to the fact of notice.

It is clear that the parties did not contemplate that the bank was buying the cotton. The defendant thought he was selling it to the cotton growers association and drew upon the association for the purchase price, attaching bill of lading for the shipment. The association declined the shipment and refused payment of the drafts. This was about the middle of February, 1926. After some negotiation and controversy the defendant wrote and delivered to the plaintiff the following letter:

“Ringgold, Ga., June 1, 1926.
“Bank of Ringgold, Ringgold, Ga.
“Gentlemen: You are hereby authorized to sell the 139 bales of cotton stored in Atlanta, Ga., at 10-1/8 cents per pound f. o. b. loaded on cars Atlanta, Ga., for my account and credit drafts due said bank. [Signed] W. E. Biggers.”

The cotton was sold by the bank in accordance with this authority, and the proceeds, less certain items of expense, were credited upon the drafts.

The'defendant testified: “I arranged the sale’of this cotton myself; that is, I had an offer from James and Milner.

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Bluebook (online)
144 S.E. 397, 38 Ga. App. 521, 1928 Ga. App. LEXIS 328, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/biggers-v-bank-of-ringgold-gactapp-1928.