Griffin v. Maddox

182 S.E. 847, 181 Ga. 492, 1935 Ga. LEXIS 137
CourtSupreme Court of Georgia
DecidedDecember 10, 1935
DocketNo. 11090
StatusPublished
Cited by6 cases

This text of 182 S.E. 847 (Griffin v. Maddox) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Supreme Court of Georgia primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Griffin v. Maddox, 182 S.E. 847, 181 Ga. 492, 1935 Ga. LEXIS 137 (Ga. 1935).

Opinion

Bell, Justice.

This was a suit for the writ of mandamus to compel county commissioners to levy a tax for the payment of a county warrant held by the plaintiff. The defendants filed an answer alleging that the warrant was invalid because it was not based on a contract made in writing and entered on the minutes as required by law. On the trial it appeared without dispute that that warrant was issued under the following circumstances: The county through its former sole commissioner gave an oral order for bridge material to be delivered in the future. “Something like a week or two or a month” after delivery of the material, the seller made a demand for payment, and the county, being without funds, issued the warrant for the amount of the purchase-money, payable more than a year later and bearing interest from date. The contract for the purchase of the material was never reduced to writing and entered on the minutes. The court directed a verdict in favor of the defendants, refused to grant a new trial, and the plaintiff excepted.

All contracts made in behalf of a county must be in writing and entered on the minutes. Code of 1933, § 23-1701. “If they are not in writing and not so entered, they are not enforceable.” Killian v. Cherokee County, 169 Ga. 313 (2c) (150 S. E. 158). Under this law, the court did not err in directing the verdict. See also Pritchett v. Inferior Court of Bartow County, 46 Ga. 462; Milburn v. Glynn County, 109 Ga. 473 (34 S. E. 848); Holliday v. Jackson County, 121 Ga. 310 (48 S. E. 947); Jones v. Bank of Cumming, 131 Ga. 614, 622 (63 S. E. 36); Ward v. State Highway Board, 172 Ga. 414 (157 S. E. 328); Douglas v. Austin-Western Road Machinery Co., 173 Ga. 386 (160 S. E. 409); Murray County v. Pickering, 42 Ga. App. 739 (157 S. E. 343). The ques[493]*493tion involved in tbe present case was not raised in the trial court in Maddox v. Highway Iron Products Co., 172 Ga. 133 (157 S. E. 269), and the ruling now made is not contrary to the decision in that ease. Judgment affi/rmed.

All the Justices concur.

Free access — add to your briefcase to read the full text and ask questions with AI

Related

Hatcher v. Hancock County Commissioners of Roads & Revenues
236 S.E.2d 577 (Supreme Court of Georgia, 1977)
Floyd v. Thomas
87 S.E.2d 846 (Supreme Court of Georgia, 1955)
Malcom v. Webb
86 S.E.2d 489 (Supreme Court of Georgia, 1955)
Malcom v. Fulton County
73 S.E.2d 173 (Supreme Court of Georgia, 1952)
Jones v. Graham
15 S.E.2d 420 (Supreme Court of Georgia, 1941)
Rainey v. Marion County
10 S.E.2d 258 (Court of Appeals of Georgia, 1940)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
182 S.E. 847, 181 Ga. 492, 1935 Ga. LEXIS 137, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/griffin-v-maddox-ga-1935.