Commerce Finance Co. v. Perry

67 Ga. App. 491
CourtCourt of Appeals of Georgia
DecidedJuly 1, 1942
Docket29527
StatusPublished

This text of 67 Ga. App. 491 (Commerce Finance Co. v. Perry) 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
Commerce Finance Co. v. Perry, 67 Ga. App. 491 (Ga. Ct. App. 1942).

Opinion

Gardner, J.

(After stating the above facts.)

The oral motion to strike raised the question as to whether or not the company was a bona fide purchaser for value of the contract declared on. The allegations touching this question, as set out in paragraphs 4, 5, 6, 9, 16, 19, and 21 as amended, were sufficient'to withstand a motion to strike in the nature of a demurrer, and the court did not err in overruling the motion as to this contention.

We will then proceed to inquire whether or not the allegations of the affidavit were sufficient to set up any defense to the foreclosure proceeding, even though the plaintiff took the paper subject to all defenses which existed between the seller of the merchandise, the Felton Beauty Supply Co. Inc., and the purchaser, Mrs. Perry. These questions, under the pleadings, may be better analyzed by grouping the allegations.

Was fraud sufficiently alleged? Unless fraud other than that alleged to show a fraudulent transfer of the contract was specifically alleged as to the seller against Mrs. Perry, the purchaser, there is no merit in this contention. We have carefully searched the allegations of the affidavit, and outside a bare mention in general terms there is no allegation sufficient on which to base either a defensive matter or an affirmative relief on account of fraud. In Stoddard Manufacturing Co. v. Adams, 122 Ga. 802, 803 (50 S. E. 915), the court said: “General allegations of fraud are never sufficient.”

[503]*503As to the payments which Mrs. Perry alleges she was entitled to recover, from the allegations of the petition all the payments were voluntary and she can not recover them. Code § 20-1007. It was held in McCarty v. Mobley, 14 Ga. App. 225 (3) (80 S. E. 523) : “Payments not made under duress, and made with knowledge of all the facts, without fraud or deception on the part of the person to whom payment is made, though in ignorance of the legal rights of the party paying, are voluntary, and can not be recovered.” See citations in the McCarty case, supra; also Williams v. Stewart, 115 Ga. 864(2) (42 S. E. 256); Mallory v. Royston Bank, 135 Ga. 702, 706 (70 S. E. 586). There are other authorities to the same effect.

As to a failure of consideration, partial and total, there were no allegations in the affidavit sufficient to sustain this contention. It was not alleged when the defect in the machinery was discovered. It was not alleged that the conditions of the express warranty in the sale contract were complied with, nor are any facts alleged that would relieve Mrs. Perry of the effect of the terms of this express warranty as set out above. The only allegation to this effect was that she offered the machinery to the agents of the seller; that she offered it to Belton, president of the Belton Beauty Supply Co. Inc., and that he promised to remedy the defects. Under the principle announced in Lunsford v. Malsby, 101 Ga. 39 (28 S. E. 496), Mrs. Perry was precluded from suing under the contract: “1. Where to an action upon a promissory note given for the purchase-price of machinery, the defendant filed a plea of failure of consideration, and in support of such plea introduced evidence tending to show that the machinery was not reasonably suited to the purposes for which it was intended, because of certain defects existing therein, and where the evidence further showed that at the time of the execution of the note the defendant had actual knowledge of all of such defects, the law of implied warranty on the part of the seller did not enure to the benefit of the defendant, but on the contrary, he was properly held to have waived the same as to all such defects. 2. Upon the trial of such a case, where the note sued on was absolute and unconditional in its terms, evidence of a parol contract and agreement on the part of the seller of the machinery, made and entered into at the time of the execution of the note, that if the machinery would not do a specified [504]*504amount of work within a given time the purchaser would not be bound to pay the note and the signing of the note should be null and void, was inadmissible, as its effect would have been to contradict and vary the terms of the written contract.” See also American Car Co. v. Atlanta Street Railway Co., 100 Ga. 254 (28 S. E. 40); Tuttle v. Stovall, 134 Ga. 325 (67 S. E. 806, 20 Ann. Cas. 168); Blalock v. Brantley, 17 Ga. App. 579 (87 S. E. 836); Hogan v. Brown, 112 Ga. 662 (37 S. E. 880). Also, fraud may be waived by renewal. McGinnis v. McCormick, 28 Ga. App. 144 (110 S. E. 341) :• “Where the maker of a promissory note renews it, he can not set up fraud in the procurement of the original note if he knew of the fraud at the time he executed the renewal note. The making of the renewal note under such circumstances is a waiver of the fraud and a recognition of the validity of the original note, and amounts to a ratification thereof. See American Car Co. v. Atlanta Street Railway Co., 100 Ga. 254 (28 S. E. 40); Montfort v. Americus Guano Co., 108 Ga. 12 (33 S. E. 636); Atlanta Bottling Co. v. Hutchinson, 109 Ga. 550 (35 S. E. 124); Hogan v. Brown, 112 Ga. 662 (37 S. E. 880); Cooper v. National Fertilizer Co., 132 Ga. 529 (64 S. E. 650); Tuttle v. Stovall, 134 Ga. 325 (67 S. E. 806, 20 Ann. Cas. 168); 3 R. C. L. § 321, p. 1106, and notes.” The cases cited in the above ruling by Chief Judge Broyles deal with the question of renewal with knowledge of such defects.

The allegations did not sustain a plea of usury. It is'true that usury may be pleaded as a defense to a note given for the cash price of merchandise where the interest charged exceeds the legal rate. It is also true that where merchandise is sold on credit the seller may be charged as much therefor as the parties to the sale agree on. In paragraph 8 of the affidavit of illegality it was alleged that in the execution of the contract of April 13, 1938 (when Mrs. Perry cancelled the former contract), there was included $178.23 as “time and cash price differential.” Then, again, in paragraph 12 she stated that this $178.23 was included in said contract of April 13, 1938. Again, in paragraph 15 it was alleged that the note declared on was without consideration for the reason that it included a charge of $537.99 usury; that the proper amount was not correctly inserted in the note declared on by the company. We find no other specific mention of usury in the affi[505]*505davit. These allegations were too general and vague to sustain a plea of usury. Rushing v. Worsham, 102 Ga. 825 (30 S. E. 541); Richardson v. C. I. T. Cor., 60 Ga. App. 780, 789 (5 S. E. 2d, 250); E. Tris Napier Co. v. Trawick, 164 Ga. 781 (139 S. E. 552); Willis v. Jefferson, 75 Ga. 743; Lay v. Seago, 47 Ga. 82; Bank of Lumpkin v. Farmers State Bank, 161 Ga. 801 (132 S. E. 221); King v. Moore, 147 Ga. 43 (92 S. E. 757). In Burnett v. Davis, 124 Ga. 541, 543 (52 S. E. 927), the court held: “The requirements of a plea of usury, where the purpose of the plea is either to recover back usury paid or set off the same against the plaintiff’s demand, are fixed by statute. Civil Code, § 5090.

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Related

Lay v. Seago
47 Ga. 82 (Supreme Court of Georgia, 1872)
Willis v. Jefferson
75 Ga. 743 (Supreme Court of Georgia, 1885)
Odom v. New England Mortgage Security Co.
18 S.E. 131 (Supreme Court of Georgia, 1893)
American Car Co. v. Atlanta Street Railway Co.
28 S.E. 40 (Supreme Court of Georgia, 1897)
Lunsford, Maxwell & Co. v. Malsby & Avery
28 S.E. 496 (Supreme Court of Georgia, 1897)
Rushing v. Worsham & Co.
30 S.E. 541 (Supreme Court of Georgia, 1898)
Montfort v. Americus Guano Co.
33 S.E. 636 (Supreme Court of Georgia, 1899)
Atlanta Consolidated Bottling Co. v. Hutchinson & Sons
35 S.E. 124 (Supreme Court of Georgia, 1900)
Hogan v. Brown & Co.
37 S.E. 880 (Supreme Court of Georgia, 1901)
Williams v. Stewart
42 S.E. 256 (Supreme Court of Georgia, 1902)
Stoddard Manufacturing Co. v. Adams
50 S.E. 915 (Supreme Court of Georgia, 1905)
Burnett v. Davis & Co.
52 S.E. 927 (Supreme Court of Georgia, 1905)
Cooper v. National Fertilizer Co.
64 S.E. 650 (Supreme Court of Georgia, 1909)
Tuttle v. Stovall
67 S.E. 806 (Supreme Court of Georgia, 1910)
Mallory v. Royston Bank
70 S.E. 586 (Supreme Court of Georgia, 1911)
King Brothers & Co. v. Moore
92 S.E. 757 (Supreme Court of Georgia, 1917)
Bank of Lumpkin v. Farmers State Bank
132 S.E. 221 (Supreme Court of Georgia, 1926)
E. Tris Napier Co. v. Trawick
139 S.E. 552 (Supreme Court of Georgia, 1927)
McCarty v. Mobley
80 S.E. 523 (Court of Appeals of Georgia, 1914)
Blalock v. Brantley
87 S.E. 836 (Court of Appeals of Georgia, 1916)

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67 Ga. App. 491, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/commerce-finance-co-v-perry-gactapp-1942.