Ferrell v. Wight

200 S.E. 271, 187 Ga. 360, 1938 Ga. LEXIS 778
Supreme Court of Georgia·Decided November 19, 1938·No. No. 12538·Published·Cited by 17 cases

Opinions

Grice, Justice.

It is insisted by counsel for defendants in error that the judge passed no order denying an injunction, but merely continued in force a temporary restraining order; and that such a ruling is not one reviewable by fast writ of error. There was a prayer for injunction; a restraining order was granted; a hearing had at which demurrers were ruled on and evidence sub[363] mitted; and the order of the judge excepted to contains the following : '"the restraining order of the court heretofore granted on the 20th day of May, 1938, is hereby made continuing until the further order of the court.” This was in effect the grant of an interlocutory injunction. Jones v. Warnock, 67 Ga. 484; Ramsey v. Ramsey, 175 Ga. 685 (165 S. E. 624). The motion to dismiss is denied.

Eor the proposition stated in headnote 2 we refer to the Code, § 38-403. It was ruled in Anderson v. Brown, 72 Ga. 713, that in a contest between an administrator and another person, concerning certain lands, tax returns made by the intestate of the administrator, in which he returned the lands as the property of the other party, were admissible in evidence as admissions against his title. In the opinion it was said: '"The admissibility of such admissions of intestate against his own title, when offered in answer to the claims of the administrator, is too plain to need more than a statement.”

It is earnestly insisted by counsel for the plaintiffs in error that in a case of this character, in which the plaintiff seeks the aid of a court of equity, such court has a discretion to compel the plaintiff, as a condition precedent to granting him extraordinary relief, to consent that the defendant, otherwise incompetent to testify as to transactions with the deceased, be permitted to testify. The judge certified that he ruled as a matter of law that the opposite party was an incompetent witness as to transactions with the deceased, and that he had no discretion to require the plaintiff to submit to a waiver of the statutory provision prohibiting an opposite party from testifying as to transactions or conversations with a deceased party when the personal representative is the opposing party. Counsel in support of his position relies on Kirkland v. Downing, 106 Ga. 530 (32 S. E. 632). It was there ruled: “Specific performance not being a remedy which either party to a contract can demand as a matter of absolute right, it will not in any given ease be granted unless strictly equitable and just. Accordingly, specific performance of a contract to convey land upon payment of the purchase-price will not be decreed where it appears that the party seeking the aid of the court entered into a parol agreement with the defendant to the action to become answerable for the debt of another, and to pledge the land as security for the [364] fulfillment of this further obligation, notwithstanding such agreement be not legally binding or enforceable because coming within the operation of .the statute of frauds. On the contrary, the plaintiff will be left to pursue his legal remedies, unless lie elects to submit to such terms as the court may properly impose upon him as a condition precedent to the granting of the relief sought.” That was a specific-performance case. The instant case is not. There this court affirmed a ruling permitting the defendant to show that, until a certain indebtedness was paid, the plaintiff had nO right to compel specific performance. He showed this by oral testimony in an instance embraced within the statute of frauds. Though in the opinion it was said that “In all proceedings where extraordinary equitable relief is sought, the court should open wide the door to pertinent evidence, to the end that the truth concerning the transaction under investigation may fully appear, and that the court may act advisedly and wisely in the premises,” yet the decision was based on the proposition that specific performance is a remedy which '“is never to be demanded as a matter of absolute right in either party” to a contract; that “equity will not decree specific performance unless strictly equitable;” that “in all cases where it is clearly inequitable to grant it, the court will refuse to do so,” that “in exercising its discretionary powers, it will act with more freedom than when exercising its ordinary powers;” and that “the granting or withholding of this peculiar relief is in the discretion of the court.” The court further said: “ “The meaning of this proposition is, not that the court may arbitrarily or eapri-' ciously perform one contract and refuse to perform another, but that the court has regard to the conduct of the plaintiff and to circumstances outside the contract itself, and that the mere fact of the existence of a valid contract is not conclusive in the plaintiff’s favor.’ Accordingly, if the defendant can show any circumstances dehors, independent of the writing, making it inequitable to interpose for the purpose of a specific performance, a court of equity, having satisfactory information upon that subject, will not interpose.’ ” Citing Fry on Specific Performance (3d ed.), § 25; Pomeroy on Contracts, § 36 et seq.; Civil Code (1895), § 4040. In a specific-performance case the judge, under the law, could say, “I will not grant it, because the contract is affected by an inequitable feature, and under the circumstances of the transaction it would [365] bo unconscionable to permit you to enforce your contract;” but in our opinion a judge could not refuse to grant an injunction to which a party was entitled under the law, unless that party would agree to waive the incompetency of a witness as to the particular testimony sought to be delivered by him, his incompetency being so declared by a statute of the State. Equity is not antagonistic to the law. It follows the law. Code, § 37-103.

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Ferrell v. Wight, 200 S.E. 271, 187 Ga. 360, 1938 Ga. LEXIS 778 (Ga. 1938).

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