Peek v. Southern Guaranty Insurance

236 S.E.2d 767, 142 Ga. App. 671, 1977 Ga. App. LEXIS 1445
CourtCourt of Appeals of Georgia
DecidedJune 10, 1977
Docket53852
StatusPublished
Cited by13 cases

This text of 236 S.E.2d 767 (Peek v. Southern Guaranty Insurance) 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
Peek v. Southern Guaranty Insurance, 236 S.E.2d 767, 142 Ga. App. 671, 1977 Ga. App. LEXIS 1445 (Ga. Ct. App. 1977).

Opinions

Webb, Judge.

After a multi-vehicle and motorcycle collision Ann Lucille Jones individually and as next friend of Timothy L. Jones filed suit on March 19, 1976, against Carl H. Peek, Jeffery C. Peek, Charles E. Williams and James Charles McKinney, alleging that their negligence caused injury to Timothy L. Jones and the wrongful death of Warner Eugene Jones. On April 16, Southern Guaranty sought a declaratory judgment on an automobile insurance policy it had issued to Charles E. Williams, claiming that he had furnished incorrect information when he applied for the policy, that the misrepresentations were material and relied upon in at least three specified areas, and that it was uncertain whether to defend and would suffer irreparable harm if the question of coverage were not determined. Answers were filed by all parties except Charles E. Williams. A hearing was held and on July 15, 1976, the trial court entered a default judgment against Williams, finding that since the allegations must be accepted as true the insurance policy was void, thereby relieving Southern Guaranty from defending Jones’ suits against Williams or paying any judgment or contribution to the other defendants. A temporary injunction restraining pursuit of the tort actions until further order was also granted.

Southern Guaranty then filed motions for summary judgment against each declaratory judgment defendant based upon its original complaint and exhibits, the defendants’ responses, the default judgment against [672]*672Williams and any other pertinent pleadings then filed in that case. At a hearing on August 31 these defendants offered no evidence, merely appearing and making oral argument and later filing a brief at the court’s direction. On September 28 Jeffery and Carl Peek filed a motion to set aside the default judgment against Williams. A hearing was held the same day, and on November 15 the court denied the Peeks’ motion to set aside the default judgment and granted Southern Guaranty’s motions for summary judgment against all defendants.

On November 22 the Peeks filed a purported transcript of the declaratory judgment-injunction hearing, and in a notice of appeal from the November 15 order requested that this transcript be included in the record on appeal. Upon motion of Southern Guaranty the trial court ruled that the transcript was not part of the record and should not be transmitted to this court. They appeal from the orders denying their motion to set aside the default judgment and granting Southern Guaranty’s motions for summary judgment against them, enumerating ten errors.

1. The first five enumerations protest the overruling of the Peeks’ motion to set aside the default judgment on various grounds, but a reading of that judgment shows that it is only against Charles E. Williams. "A third person not a party to the record cannot go into a court and move to set aside a judgment which is not against him.” Merchants’ &c. Nat. Bank v. Haiman, 80 Ga. 624 (2) (5 SE 795) (1888); Thomas v. Lambert, 187 Ga. 616 (2) (1 SE2d 443) (1939). For a judgment to be attacked by any person it must be void on its face. CPA § 60 (a) (Code Ann. § 81A-160 (a)). Appellants’ motion to set aside the default judgment against Williams alleged nonamendable defects appearing in the record and pleadings; it did not assert that the default judgment against Williams was void on its face. It was clearly a collateral attack brought under Code Ann. § 81A-160 (d), and only the person against whom the judgment is rendered has standing to do that. Whether or not Williams had automobile insurance does not affect the appellants or any of the other parties to the tort actions on the question of negligence, and they have no interest in a judgment declaring the [673]*673policy issued to Williams to be void. See Avis Rent A Car System v. Rice, 132 Ga. App. 857, 858 (2) (209 SE2d 270) (1974). The denial of the motion to set aside was not improper for any reason asserted.

2. Appellants contend that "the pleadings and record in this case do not authorize the grant of a summary judgment on factual and legal grounds,” apparently arguing that a claim for relief has not been stated. We do not agree.

Southern Guaranty’s complaint for declaratory judgment alleged that Williams had had previous automobile insurance canceled but did not report this on his application; that he stated on his application that his driver’s license had never been suspended when in fact it had been; that he misrepresented the fact that he had never had prior insurance when in fact he had; that these misrepresented facts were recorded on his insurance application which was attached to the policy issued; and that the insurance would not have been issued if the correct information had been given because the misrepresentations were false and material to the risk and increased the hazard resulting in the loss.

"It should be observed that the applicant is bound by the answers recorded on the application, whether written by him or by the agent, absent any fraud on the part of the agent. . .” Prudential Ins. Co. v. Perry, 121 Ga. App. 618, 622 (1) (174 SE2d 570) (1970) and cits. When, as here, the application was attached to and made a part of the contract, it is presumed that the company relied upon the truthfulness and completeness of the answers. Any material misrepresentations, "whereby the nature or extent or character of the risk is changed, will avoid the policy, whether the statement was made in good faith or wilfully or fraudulently.” Prudential Ins. Co. v. Perry, 121 Ga. App. 618, 633 (4), supra, and cits.

When Williams became in default he admitted as true all the allegations in Southern Guaranty’s complaint — there was no issue of fact to be determined. Flanders v. Hill Aircraft &c. Corp., 137 Ga. App. 286 (223 SE2d 482) (1976). Since the application was attached to and was a part of the policy, any false answers are deemed to have been relied on by Southern Guaranty and the intent to [674]*674deceive is conclusively presumed. The complaint clearly stated a claim.

3. Enumeration 6 attacks the grant of summary judgment on the ground that a default judgment against one defendant cannot result in a judgment against defendants who have filed special defenses. As previously pointed out, the default judgment was against Williams alone. This judgment was then used as evidence in the summary judgment motions against the other defendants to show that Williams admitted the allegations of the complaint and therefore had no insurance coverage. Only the summary judgments were against the Peeks.

4. Enumeration 8, contending that Southern Guaranty did not pierce the affirmative defenses raised by the Peeks to its motion for summary judgment, is without merit.

The first defense, that the complaint failed to state a claim, was discredited in Division 2, supra. The second defense consisted only of disclaimers of sufficient knowledge, admissions and denials of specific allegations. The third and fourth defenses were that fraud, if any, had been waived or ratified by Southern Guaranty in procuring the insurance policy. As previously stated, an intent to deceive is conclusively presumed and the misrepresentations are deemed to have been relied on where the application containing them was attached to the policy. Prudential Ins. Co. v. Perry, 121 Ga. App. 618, 632 (4), supra.

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Peek v. Southern Guaranty Insurance
236 S.E.2d 767 (Court of Appeals of Georgia, 1977)

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Bluebook (online)
236 S.E.2d 767, 142 Ga. App. 671, 1977 Ga. App. LEXIS 1445, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/peek-v-southern-guaranty-insurance-gactapp-1977.