Bigham v. Bank of Madison

181 S.E. 197, 51 Ga. App. 643, 1935 Ga. App. LEXIS 430
CourtCourt of Appeals of Georgia
DecidedAugust 15, 1935
Docket24433
StatusPublished
Cited by2 cases

This text of 181 S.E. 197 (Bigham v. Bank of Madison) 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
Bigham v. Bank of Madison, 181 S.E. 197, 51 Ga. App. 643, 1935 Ga. App. LEXIS 430 (Ga. Ct. App. 1935).

Opinion

MacIntyre, J.

Mrs. Mary A. Bigham brought an action against the Bank of Madison, to the June term, 1934, of the superior court of Morgan County, to recover $12,500 for an alleged breach of its contract to convey certain land to the plaintiff. The defendant demurred to the petition generally and specially, and, without passing upon the special demurrers, the court sustained the general demurrer and dismissed the petition. The correctness of this judgment is the sole question for determination.

Omitting some of the formal allegations, the petition, by paragraph, is substantially as follows:

2. On August 2, 1927, the plaintiff and the defendant entered into a written contract whereby the bank agreed to sell, and the plaintiff to buy, a described tract of land containing “six acres more or less,” located in Madison, Morgan County, Georgia. We quote from the contract as follows: “The purchase and sale price mutually agreed upon is ten dollars and other valuable considerations payable as follows: Two hundred dollars this day tendered and received as part of the purchase-price, and confirmation of the purchase and sale of the within described property, by the parties hereto, under conditions herein named, and $2500 on or before January 1st, 1929, with interest at the rate of 8 per cent, per annum after maturity. Hpon a minimum payment of $500 on or before January 1st, 1929, this loan will be extended for six months with interest at 8 per cent, per annum, interest to be rebated on payment prior to maturity. Possession upon exchange is formal. Taxes payable by seller through 1927. Premiums prorated and insurance continued and maintained by buyer with loss payable to seller as his interest may appear. Formal papers to be exchanged promptly. Acreage six acres more or less. In confirmation of the above purchase and sale agreement, we each hereunto set our hands and affix our seals.

“Witness. W. P. Bearden, Pres. (L. S.), Seller, Mrs. Mary A. Bigham (L. S.), Buyer.”

[644]*6443. "The property so contracted for and hereinafter referred to as the Turnbull property had been acquired by defendant bank on December 17, 1927, from one R. W. Parker by deed of conveyance, made, however, to secure Parker’s indebtedness to said bank.”

4. "On July 30th, 1927, said bank agreed with Parker, the real owner, to convey said Turnbull property to plaintiff by deed in fee simple for the consideration of $2500, payable one year from date by security deed and the prepayment of her $200 interest.”

5. " Thereupon plaintiff agreed with said Parker to exchange for said Turnbull property all her one-fourth interest in” described lands in Cobb County, Georgia, "and accordingly plaintiff did convey all her interest in said lots to said Parker by warranty deed dated August 17, 1927, whereby she completely divested herself of all her property therein, of the value of $12,500.”

6. "All of which plaintiff did in reliance upon defendant’s obligation to convey to her said Turnbull property, and thereupon said defendant bank did contract with plaintiff as hereinbefore more fully set forth in paragraph 2 of this petition.”

7. "And plaintiff, in compliance with her said contract with said bank, on August 10th, 1927, did execute and deliver to it her security deed dated that day and recorded in Book 66, page 516, of the land records of said county, whereby she conveyed to said bank said Turnbull property as security for the payment of the consideration upon which it was to convey said property to her. And plaintiff paid to said bank $200 interest in advance and complied with all her obligations under said contract, and defendant was thereby obligated simultaneously to execute and deliver to plaintiff a deed conveying to her said Turnbull property in fee-simple.”

8. "Yet said bank did not deliver to plaintiff said deed, but refused to do so, except upon the wholly unjustifiable condition imposed by it that plaintiff should pay to its attorney the sum of $20 as a fee for the preparation of such deed, notwithstanding no such obligation was imposed upon her by said contract or by law, and notwithstanding the express agreement between herself and said R. W. Parker was that each party should furnish his, her, and its own papers free of cost to the other.”

9. “A copy of one of defendant bank’s letters demanding prepayment of said attorney’s fees as a condition to delivery of its deed to the Turnbull property is as follows; ‘Madison, Ga., Sept. 8th, [645]*6451927. Mrs. E. W. Bingham [Bigham?], Atlanta, Ga. Dear Mrs. Bingham: We are writing you about bill rendered by Col. E. W. Butler that we gave Mr. Parker to present when you signed the note to us. Please take this matter up with Mr. Butler right away, as I have instructions to send you warranty deed after this account has been settled. Your prompt attention will be appreciated. Yours very truly, E. S. Atkinson, Cashier.’”

10. "Said security deed so made by plaintiff in conformity with her contract matured January 1st, 1929.”

11. “ Immediately upon such maturity defendant bank, notwithstanding the fact that it had never delivered plaintiff any deed, did by virtue of a power contained in the loan deed so executed by plaintiff authorizing it to sell said property after advertising the sale once a week for four weeks, proceeded to advertise the same on January 4th, 11th, 18th and 25th, 1929, in the Madisonian, a newspaper published in'said county, and defendant did on January 25th, 1929, being the very day on which the last advertisement appeared, professed to sell to itself the said bargained Turnbull property in the exercise of said power, that is to say, it sold to its president, Bearden, who immediately reeonveyed said property to defendant bank.”

12. "Said sale was void, because the same was not advertised once a week, for four weeks before the date of said sale, and because defendant had never consummated its contract with plaintiff by delivering to her any deed to said Turnbull property.”

13. “On information and belief, plaintiff avers that on or about March 2, 1928, after the execution of said contract of sale . . and before the maturity of the note given by her in compliance therewith, defendant bank negotiated with one Central of Georgia Bailway Company for the sale . . of a valuable and essential part of said Turnbull property [described], and likewise, intervening the last-named dates, defendant bank negotiated with one Mrs. Obear touching the sale to her of the residue of said Turn-bull property, all at a higher price than so contracted for with plaintiff.”

14. “And therefore said bank desired to avoid its obligation to plaintiff to convey to her said Turnbull property, which it sought to accomplish by said ostensible foreclosure.”

15. "Defendant bank did consummate said negotiations by eon[646]*646veying to said railway company said part of the Turnbull property by.deed dated June 21, 1929, and thereafter conveyed to the said Mrs. Obear the residue thereof.”

16. “Any protest or objection on plaintiff’s part to the bank’s foreclosure under power of sale would have been ineffectual and wholly nugatory.”

17. “By reason of the last conveyances specific performance’is impossible.”

18. “Said Turnbull property at the time aforesaid was of the reasonable value of $15,000, and plaintiff’s loss is that sum less the encumbrance by said security deed of $2500.”

19.

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Bluebook (online)
181 S.E. 197, 51 Ga. App. 643, 1935 Ga. App. LEXIS 430, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/bigham-v-bank-of-madison-gactapp-1935.