McCarty v. Kendall Co.

242 F. Supp. 495, 1965 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 6264
CourtDistrict Court, W.D. South Carolina
DecidedJune 21, 1965
DocketCiv. A. No. 4664
StatusPublished
Cited by2 cases

This text of 242 F. Supp. 495 (McCarty v. Kendall Co.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, W.D. South Carolina primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
McCarty v. Kendall Co., 242 F. Supp. 495, 1965 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 6264 (southcarolinawd 1965).

Opinion

HEMPHILL, District Judge.

Motion by defendant under Ru’e 12(b) of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure to dismiss upon the following grounds: (1) that the plaintiff’s sole and exclusive remedy is before the South Carolina Industrial Commission, (2) that the plaintiff has failed to tender a return of any money received from the settlement alleged in the plaintiff’s Complaint, and (3) that the plaintiff does not state facts sufficient to constitute a cause of action for either fraud and deceit or breach of a contract accompanied by a fraudulent act. Plaintiff alleges in his Comp’aint that on May 5, 1958, he sustained an injury by accident arising out of and in the course of his employment with the Kendall Company and that after he received certain benefits under the Workmen’s Compensation Act, he experienced a change of condition and made a demand for further benefits. The defendant and the plaintiff subsequently entered into a final settlement agreement, the stated consideration being $1400.00. He alleges that in connection with said settlement agreement the defendant orally promised to provide the plaintiff with a job when he was finally released by the doctors. He also says that at the time of the above mentioned promise, the defendant did not intend to live up to such representation and that this was part of a fraudulent scheme to obtain a release from him for all claims arising under the Workmen’s Compensation Act.

In oral argument counsel for plaintiff admits that his action sounds in fraud and deceit and that the fraud occurred in the inception of said contract. It is also obvious from reading the plaintiff’s Complaint that he charged fraud in the inception or fraud in the inducement of the alleged contract. The applicable rule is set forth in Taylor v. Palmetto State Life Ins. Co., 196 S.C. 195, 12 S. E.2d 708, wherein the South Carolina Supreme Court held that a plaintiff, in a fraud and deceit action involving fraud in the inducement, must either return or tender the return of the consideration that has been received by him in order to avoid the effect of a release. Justice Fishburne noted:

“We presume that no doubt exists as to the soundness of the general proposition that where a party to a compromise desires to set aside or avoid a release duly entered into and be remitted to his original rights, he must place the other party in statu quo by returning or tendering the return of whatever has been received by him under such compromise, if of any value, and so far as possible, any right lost by the other party in consequence thereof. This rule obtains even though the contract of settlement was induced by the fraud or fa’se representations of the other party. The rationale of the doctrine is that by electing to retain the property the party must be conclusively held to be bound by the settlement. The rule applies to actions ex contractu as well as to [497]*497actions ex delicto. Riggs v. Home Mutual Fire Protection Association of South Carolina, 61 S.C. 448, 39 S.E. 614; Lawrence v. Durham Life Ins. Co., 166 S.C. 203, 164 S.E. 632; Levister v. Southern R. Co., 56 S.C. 508, 35 S.E. 207; Cook v. Hartford Fire Ins. Co., 168 S.C. 283, 167 S.E. 148; King v. Pilot Life Ins. Co., 181 S.C. 238, 187 S.E. 369; 15 C.J.S., Compromise and Settlement, § 41, page 762.” 12 S.E.2d at page 710.

Plaintiff has cited Dunaway v. United Insurance Company of America, 239 S.C. 407, 123 S.E.2d 353, to support his position that in an action for fraud and deceit in connection with the settlement of a claim a plaintiff does not have to return the consideration paid in such a settlement as this rule is only applicable in cases involving breach of contract accompanied by a fraudulent act. That is not applicable to the case at bar since it involves fraud in the factum and not fraud in the inducement, a clear distinction has been made by a majority of the courts that have had this question before them and the South Carolina Court is no exception. As stated in Dunaway, supra, at page 356:

“This case does not involve fraud in the factum. Appellant knew he was surrendering the policy for cancellation in consideration of the return of the premiums. He claims fraud only in inducing him to make the settlement. It is wholly illogical to say that he may keep the money paid for a cancellation of the contract and recover damages for its breach.
“We are not to be understood as intimating that appellant could have proceeded in tort for fraud and deceit without returning the consideration for the release. That question is not presented. It may be added, however, that a return of the consideration was held to be necessary in Taylor v. Palmetto State Life Insurance Co., supra, 196 S.C. 195, 12 S.E.2d 708, although the action was construed to be one for fraud and deceit.”

The Dunaway Case in no way attempted to overrule Taylor v. Palmetto State Life Ins. Co., supra. It is, therefore, the opinion of this Court that the defendant’s motion should be granted as the plaintiff has brought an action in fraud and deceit based upon fraud in the inducement, therefore, in order to avoid the effect of a release previously signed by the plaintiff, he must first return or tender the return of the consideration previously paid to him. See discussion in 10 S.C.L.Q. 444, 468 (1958) by Henry Summerall.

After having determined that the plaintiff’s Complaint must be dismissed for the failure to return or tender the return of the consideration mentioned above, it is not necessary for this Court to consider the other two grounds set forth in the defendant’s motion. Nevertheless this Court feels that it should pass upon the question raised by the defendant that the plaintiff’s sole and exclusive remedy is before the South Carolina Industrial Commission as such ground goes to the heart of this action.

On September 23, 1961, the plaintiff, in the presence of his attorney, W. Ray Berry, entered into an agreement to release and discharge the defendant from any and all claims arising under the “Workmen’s Compensation Act or otherwise,” (emphasis supplied) for the sum of $1400.00. This settlement was subsequently approved by a majority of the South Carolina Industrial Commission. The above mentioned settlement agreement is usually referred to as a “common law” or “Atkin’s Release” which is not only a complete release under the South Carolina Workmen’s Compensation Act but is also a general release of all claims. As stated in the Release itself, plaintiff “ * * * does hereby release, relieve and forever discharge the Kendall Company, the employer, and Liberty Mutual Insurance Company, the insurer, from any and all claims, demands, actions or causes of action under the South Caro[498]*498lina Workmen’s Compensation Act or otherwise * * (Emphasis added)

Gainey v. Coker’s Pedigreed Seed Company, 227 S.C. 200, 87 S.E.2d 486, controls the case at bar. There the plaintiff was permanently injured as a result of inhaling poisonous fumes while preparing some machines in the course of his employment with the defendant.

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
242 F. Supp. 495, 1965 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 6264, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/mccarty-v-kendall-co-southcarolinawd-1965.