Melton v. J. M. Kenith Co.

355 S.E.2d 115, 182 Ga. App. 184, 4 U.C.C. Rep. Serv. 2d (West) 146, 1987 Ga. App. LEXIS 1646
CourtCourt of Appeals of Georgia
DecidedMarch 17, 1987
Docket73352, 73353
StatusPublished
Cited by2 cases

This text of 355 S.E.2d 115 (Melton v. J. M. Kenith Co.) 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
Melton v. J. M. Kenith Co., 355 S.E.2d 115, 182 Ga. App. 184, 4 U.C.C. Rep. Serv. 2d (West) 146, 1987 Ga. App. LEXIS 1646 (Ga. Ct. App. 1987).

Opinion

McMurray, Presiding Judge.

On November 1, 1980, J. M. Kenith Company, Inc. and Joseph M. Kenith (plaintiffs) entered into an agreement entitled “Lease Agreement” with Allied Mechanical Services, Inc. (corporate lessee) and Ralph D. Melton (guarantor). Defendant Ralph D. Melton is the president and sole stockholder of corporate lessee and executed the lease agreement as guarantor. The agreement provided for rental of “part of the premises located in the building known as 2578 Old Rockbridge Road, Norcross, Georgia 30071, comprising approximately 9,464 square feet, together with all of the machinery, equipment and fixtures owned by [plaintiffs] ... as set forth in the annexed Schedule ‘A’, for a term to commence November 15, 1980 and to end on October 31, 1985, at an annual rental of $48,000.00 per year, payable in monthly installments of $4,000.00 in advance on the first business day of each month. Of the monthly rent of $4,000.00 the sum of $2,500.00 [i]s payment of the rent for the use of the machinery and equipment and shall be made payable to the J. M. Kenith Company, Inc. which owns said equipment. The sum of $1,500 is attributable to rent for the premises and should be made payable to Joseph M. Kenith who is the fee owner of the premises.” In addition to rental payments, corporate lessee agreed to pay one-half of the cost of utilities on the leased premises.

After January 1984 neither corporate lessee nor defendant paid any amount for utilities on the leased premises. Further, from June 1984 through the termination date of the lease agreement, neither corporate lessee nor defendant paid monthly rent as prescribed in the lease agreement. Sometime after execution of the lease agreement, corporate lessee filed for bankruptcy. The machinery and equipment described in the lease agreement were seized by the trustee in bankruptcy and sold to satisfy corporate lessee’s debts. Consequently, plaintiffs sued defendant Melton as guarantor, seeking damages as a result of corporate lessee’s breach of the lease agreement. Defendant answered, denying the material allegations of the complaint, and plaintiffs filed a motion for summary judgment accompanied by supporting evidence.

Defendant did not contradict plaintiffs’ evidence regarding breach of the lease agreement, nor did he contradict plaintiffs’ evidence regarding the amount of damages arising as a result of corporate lessee’s breach of the lease agreement. Further, in his deposition, defendant admitted that he executed the lease agreement as guarantor, testifying that it was his responsibility “[t]o pay the lease if [corporate lessee] couldn’t.”

[185]*185From this evidence, the trial court entered summary judgment in favor of plaintiffs, awarding plaintiffs liquidated damages, attorney fees and pre-judgment interest. All costs were taxed to defendant.

Defendant appeals in Case No. 73352 and plaintiffs cross-appeal in Case No. 73353. Held:

Case Number 73352

1. Plaintiffs have filed a motion to dismiss defendant’s appeal arguing that defendant failed to file a timely notice of appeal.

On April 22,1986, the trial court entered an order granting plaintiffs’ motion for summary judgment. On May 2, 1986, a judgment was entered setting out the amount of damages to be awarded plaintiffs as a result of defendant’s liability as guarantor of the lease agreement. Defendant filed a notice of appeal on May 13, 1986.

Upon plaintiffs’ and defendant’s request, the trial court entered an order on July 22, 1986, making findings of fact and conclusions of law, clarifying its previous order entered April 22, 1986. (This order did not affect the outcome of the previous orders.) Defendant did not file a notice of appeal from this order and plaintiffs contend that his failure to do so precludes his right to appeal.

Contrary to plaintiffs’ contentions the defendant has filed a timely appeal. OCGA § 5-6-38 (a). See Snyder v. Savannah Union Station Co., 85 Ga. App. 851 (1) (70 SE2d 382). Plaintiffs’ motion to dismiss defendant’s appeal is denied.

2. Defendant contends the lease agreement was not a true lease but was a disguised security agreement regulated by the Uniform Commercial Code (UCC). From this contention, defendant argues that he should be totally relieved from liability on his personal guarantee because plaintiffs impaired the collateral of the lease agreement by failing to perfect their lien on the machinery and equipment by filing a financing statement as required by OCGA § 11-9-302.1

(a) At the outset, we find this argument not germane to defendant’s liability for rental payments on the leased premises. There is nothing in the lease agreement indicating that the parties intended to enter into a security agreement with regard to the sale of the real property that was the subject of the lease. However, assuming the contrary, a security interest in real property is not subject to the notice requirements of OCGA § 11-9-302. OCGA § 11-9-104 (h). OCGA § 11-9-302 relates only to specific security interests in personal property. See OCGA §§ 11-9-102; 11-9-104. Consequently, since the evidence was undisputed regarding corporate lessee’s breach of the lease [186]*186on the real property and since defendant did not contradict the amount of damages arising from said breach of contract, the trial court did not err in granting plaintiffs’ motion for summary judgment for corporate lessee’s failure to pay rent on the leased premises and for corporate lessee’s failure to pay its portion of the utility costs on the leased premises.

(b) With regard to defendant’s contention concerning the machinery and equipment, the first issue we must resolve is whether the lease agreement was a true lease or a security instrument regulated by the UCC.2

“When the issue ... is the determination of whether a document denominated on its face as a lease ‘is intended as security is to be determined by the facts of each case; however, (a) the inclusion of an option to purchase does not of itself make the lease one intended for security, and (b) an agreement that upon compliance with the terms of the lease, the lessee shall become or has the option to become the owner of the property for no additional consideration or for a nominal consideration does make the lease one intended for security.’ (Emphasis supplied.) OCGA § 11-1-201 (37).” Mann Investment Co. v. Columbia Nitrogen Corp., 173 Ga. App. 77, 78 (1) (325 SE2d 612). “Any determination of whether consideration is ‘nominal’ must be made on a case by case basis. . . .” Mejia v. C & S Bank, 175 Ga. App. 80, 82 (332 SE2d 170).

In the case sub judice, the lease agreement provided that “the Lessee shall have the option to purchase the machinery and equipment ...

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355 S.E.2d 115, 182 Ga. App. 184, 4 U.C.C. Rep. Serv. 2d (West) 146, 1987 Ga. App. LEXIS 1646, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/melton-v-j-m-kenith-co-gactapp-1987.