Hollis v. First Nat. Bank of Atlanta

Court of Appeals of Georgia

Hollis v. First Nat. Bank of Atlanta

159 S.E.2d 497, 117 Ga. App. 145, 1968 Ga. App. LEXIS 1008

CourtCourt of Appeals of Georgia

DecidedJanuary 15, 1968

Docket43194, 43195

StatusPublished

Cited by5 cases

This text of 159 S.E.2d 497 (Hollis v. First Nat. Bank of Atlanta) 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.

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Hollis v. First Nat. Bank of Atlanta, 159 S.E.2d 497, 117 Ga. App. 145, 1968 Ga. App. LEXIS 1008 (Ga. Ct. App. 1968).

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Opinions

Hall, Judge.

The defendant contends that the cases of

Sanders v. Jefferson Furn. Co., 111 Ga. App. 59 (140 SE2d 550); McMullan v. Kroger Co., 84 Ga. App. 195 (65 SE2d 420); Ely v. Barbizon Towers, 101 Ga. App. 872 (115 SE2d 616) and McHugh v. Trust Co. of Ga., 102 Ga. App. 412 (116 SE2d 512) are controlling. Those cases merely hold that the mere fact of maintaining dividers elevated above the surface in parking areas does not in itself amount to negligence by the proprietor. See Johnson v. Thompson, 111 Ga. App. 654, 657 (143 SE2d 51). They do [147]*147not hold that maintaining elevated parking dividers can never amount to negligence by the proprietor regardless of the surrounding circumstances. The question is whether these dividers expose an invitee to a foreseeable unreasonable risk of harm under the totality of the circumstances in each particular case. In making this determination, the court must consider the utility of the dividers with respect to the type of construction, location, observability to invitees and the state of maintenance. For a recent case where the undisputed evidence on summary judgment showed no genuine issue of liability see Broadview Plaza, Inc. v. Goodman, 116 Ga. App. 738 (158 SE2d 258).

In our opinion, the facts alleged in this petition relating to the location, appearance, and visibility of the barrier when compared with comparable allegations in the following cases, create an issue of fact for jury determination. Atlanta Terminal Co. v. Johnson, 15 Ga. App. 22 (82 SE 629); Rogers v. Sears, Roebuck & Co., 45 Ga. App. 772 (166 SE 64); Fuller v. Louis Steyerman & Sons, 46 Ga. App. 830, 836 (169 SE 508); Lane Drug Stores v. Brooks, 70 Ga. App. 878 (29 SE2d 716); Delta Air Lines v. Millirons, 87 Ga. App. 334 (73 SE2d 598); Wicker v. Roberts, 91 Ga. App. 490 (86 SE2d 350); Etheridge Motors v. Haynie, 103 Ga. App. 676 (120 SE2d 317).

When the petition alleges facts creating an issue that the thing described as a defect was not observable to the plaintiff in the exercise, of ordinary care but was within the proprietor’s actual or constructive knowledge, it is not subject to general demurrer. Wynne v. Southern Bell Tel. & Tel. Co., 159 Ga. 623, 624 (126 SE 388); Chotas v. J. P. Allen & Co., 113 Ga. App. 731 (149 SE2d 527), certiorari denied by the Supreme Court, 113 Ga. App. 887.

The trial court erred in sustaining the defendant’s general demurrers.

Judgment reversed.

Felton, C. J., Jordan, P. J., Deen, Quillian and Whitman, JJ., concur. Bell, P. J., Eberhardt and Pannell, JJ., dissent.

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Hall, Judge.

The defendant contends that the cases of

Sanders v. Jefferson Furn. Co., 111 Ga. App. 59 (140 SE2d 550); McMullan v. Kroger Co., 84 Ga. App. 195 (65 SE2d 420); Ely v. Barbizon Towers, 101 Ga. App. 872 (115 SE2d 616) and McHugh v. Trust Co. of Ga., 102 Ga. App. 412 (116 SE2d 512) are controlling. Those cases merely hold that the mere fact of maintaining dividers elevated above the surface in parking areas does not in itself amount to negligence by the proprietor. See Johnson v. Thompson, 111 Ga. App. 654, 657 (143 SE2d 51). They do [147]*147not hold that maintaining elevated parking dividers can never amount to negligence by the proprietor regardless of the surrounding circumstances. The question is whether these dividers expose an invitee to a foreseeable unreasonable risk of harm under the totality of the circumstances in each particular case. In making this determination, the court must consider the utility of the dividers with respect to the type of construction, location, observability to invitees and the state of maintenance. For a recent case where the undisputed evidence on summary judgment showed no genuine issue of liability see Broadview Plaza, Inc. v. Goodman, 116 Ga. App. 738 (158 SE2d 258).

In our opinion, the facts alleged in this petition relating to the location, appearance, and visibility of the barrier when compared with comparable allegations in the following cases, create an issue of fact for jury determination. Atlanta Terminal Co. v. Johnson, 15 Ga. App. 22 (82 SE 629); Rogers v. Sears, Roebuck & Co., 45 Ga. App. 772 (166 SE 64); Fuller v. Louis Steyerman & Sons, 46 Ga. App. 830, 836 (169 SE 508); Lane Drug Stores v. Brooks, 70 Ga. App. 878 (29 SE2d 716); Delta Air Lines v. Millirons, 87 Ga. App. 334 (73 SE2d 598); Wicker v. Roberts, 91 Ga. App. 490 (86 SE2d 350); Etheridge Motors v. Haynie, 103 Ga. App. 676 (120 SE2d 317).

When the petition alleges facts creating an issue that the thing described as a defect was not observable to the plaintiff in the exercise, of ordinary care but was within the proprietor’s actual or constructive knowledge, it is not subject to general demurrer. Wynne v. Southern Bell Tel. & Tel. Co., 159 Ga. 623, 624 (126 SE 388); Chotas v. J. P. Allen & Co., 113 Ga. App. 731 (149 SE2d 527), certiorari denied by the Supreme Court, 113 Ga. App. 887.

The trial court erred in sustaining the defendant’s general demurrers.

Judgment reversed.

Felton, C. J., Jordan, P. J., Deen, Quillian and Whitman, JJ., concur. Bell, P. J., Eberhardt and Pannell, JJ., dissent.

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159 S.E.2d 497, 117 Ga. App. 145, 1968 Ga. App. LEXIS 1008, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/hollis-v-first-nat-bank-of-atlanta-gactapp-1968.

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