Metzgar v. Reserve Insurance Company

254 S.E.2d 517, 149 Ga. App. 404, 1979 Ga. App. LEXIS 1872
CourtCourt of Appeals of Georgia
DecidedMarch 16, 1979
Docket57488
StatusPublished
Cited by5 cases

This text of 254 S.E.2d 517 (Metzgar v. Reserve Insurance Company) 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
Metzgar v. Reserve Insurance Company, 254 S.E.2d 517, 149 Ga. App. 404, 1979 Ga. App. LEXIS 1872 (Ga. Ct. App. 1979).

Opinion

Webb, Presiding Judge.

Metzgar appeals from the grant of summary judgment in favor of the insurance company asserting that his pleadings and affidavits raised a genuine issue as to whether an oral lifetime employment contract between the parties was removed from the Statute of Frauds by his part performance. There is no merit in this contention.

"Under Georgia law, '[a]ny agreement (except contracts with overseers) that is not to be performed within one year. . .’ must be in writing and signed by the person obligated thereunder, unless because of certain circumstances the Statute of Frauds does not apply. Code Ann. §§ 20-401 (5), 20-402. Contrary to [appellant’s] assertions, the alleged oral contract involved here has not been taken out of the Statute of Frauds by part performance. 'The mere fact he entered upon employment and served would not avail as part performance. Norman v. Nash, 102 Ga. App. 508 (116 SE2d 624). The part performance required to obviate the Statute of Frauds must be substantial and essential to the contract and which results in a benefit to one party and a detriment to the other. Bagwell v. Milam, 9 Ga. App. 315 (71 SE 684). Thus it has been held in a similar case that a performance of services under a contract for a part of the term is not *405 such part performance as renders it a fraud upon the party performing for the employer to refuse to comply, by discharge of that party before the expiration of the term.’ Utica Tool Co. v. Mitchell, 135 Ga. App. 635, 637 (218 SE2d 650) (1975). See also Grace v. Roan, 145 Ga. App. 776 (245 SE2d 17) (1978).” Hudson v. Venture Industries, 147 Ga. App. 31, 32 (1) (248 SE2d 9) (1978), affd. 243 Ga. 116 (1979).

Submitted Maech 6, 1979 — Decided March 16, 1979. E. Graydon Shuford, for appellant. Henning, Chambers & Mabry, Rex D. Smith, for appellee.

It is thus unnecessary for us to consider the authority of appellee’s employee to enter into a contract binding the insurance company to a lifetime contract with appellant.

Judgment affirmed.

Banke and Underwood, JJ., concur.

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

Related

Chittranjan Thakkar v. Naresh Parikh
Court of Appeals of Georgia, 2025
Smith Service Oil Co., Inc. v. Parker
549 S.E.2d 485 (Court of Appeals of Georgia, 2001)
Zappa v. Basden
373 S.E.2d 246 (Court of Appeals of Georgia, 1988)
Vitner v. Funk
354 S.E.2d 666 (Court of Appeals of Georgia, 1987)
Sierra Associates, Ltd. v. Continental Illinois National Bank & Trust Co.
315 S.E.2d 250 (Court of Appeals of Georgia, 1984)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
254 S.E.2d 517, 149 Ga. App. 404, 1979 Ga. App. LEXIS 1872, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/metzgar-v-reserve-insurance-company-gactapp-1979.