Reliance Realty Co. v. Mitchell

152 S.E. 295, 41 Ga. App. 124, 1930 Ga. App. LEXIS 478
CourtCourt of Appeals of Georgia
DecidedFebruary 15, 1930
Docket19628
StatusPublished
Cited by13 cases

This text of 152 S.E. 295 (Reliance Realty Co. v. Mitchell) 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
Reliance Realty Co. v. Mitchell, 152 S.E. 295, 41 Ga. App. 124, 1930 Ga. App. LEXIS 478 (Ga. Ct. App. 1930).

Opinion

Bell, J.

(After stating the foregoing facts.) While it is true that if the writings sued on in the instant case should be treated as Florida contracts, the laws of Florida should govern in determining the validity and effect of the agreements, yet, since no law of that State has been pleaded, the contracts are to be interpreted by the applicable principles of law of force in this State. Civil Code (1910), § 8; Massachusetts Benefit Life Assn. v. Robinson, 104 Ga. 256 (8) (30 S. E. 918, 42 L. R. A. 261); Bailey v. Devine, 123 Ga. [126]*126653 (1) (51 S. E. 603, 107 Am. St. R. 153); Post v. Atlantic Coast Line R. Co., 138 Ga. 763 (5) (76 S. E. 45); Slaton v. Hall, 168 Ga. 710 (148 S. E. 741).

The conclusion just stated will hold true irrespective of whether there exists a presumption that the common law is the prevailing law of the State of Florida. If this is not the presumption to be indulged (Florida not being of the territory of the original colonies), then it must be presumed that the applicable law of such foreign State is identical with the lex fori; and since Georgia is a common-law State, it follows that whether we apply the one or the other of these presumptions, we reach the same result; which is, that in the absence of anything to show what is the law of Florida, 'the contracts will be construed and enforced by the laws applicable thereto which are of force in the State of Georgia. See in this connection, Minor’s Conflict of Laws, pp. 531, 533. We would apply the same law, of course, if the contracts were intended to be .performed in the State of Georgia. In these circumstances it is unnecessary to determine in which of the two States the contracts were intended to be performed, or whether the laws of the one State rather than the laws of the other should be applied in the construction of the agreements.

In an executory contract for the purchase and sale of land, where it was agreed that the purchase-money should be paid in specified installments and that if the purchasers should “first make the payments” undertaken by them, the seller would convey and assure to them “in fee simple, clear of all incumbrances whatever, by a good and sufficient deed,” the tract of land sold, the covenants of the purchasers as to paying the several installments of the purchase-money except as to the last one might have been independent of the seller’s covenant with regard to making title, if they had been enforced as made; but where the seller took no action to recover the several installments as they became due, and' allowed all installments to mature before bringing suit therefor, and where in the suit then brought for the entire purchase-money it does not appear that the defendants had entered into possession of the land (although they might have done so under the contract), such respective covenants of the parties must then be construed as dependent, and the plaintiff seller, in order to recover the purchase-price, should offer performance upon its part in accordance with the terms of the [127]*127contract. The stipulation that the purchasers should “first make the payments” was evidently intended to have reference only to installments other than the last one; while as to such final installment the parties must have contemplated that the payment by the purchasers and the conveyance by the seller were to be performed dependently and concurrently. Morris v. McKee, 96 Ga. 611 (2) (24 S. E. 142); Chastain v. Platt, 166 Ga. 307 (143 S. E. 378); Brenard Mfg. Co. v. Kingston Supply Co., 22 Ga. App. 280 (95 S. E. 1028); Crim v. Southern Realty & Trust Co., 38 Ga. App. 502 (144 S. E. 342); Beecher v. Conradt, 13 N. Y. (3 Kernan) 108 (64 Am. D. 535); Hogan v. Kyle, 7 Wash. 595 (38 A. S. R. 910); Smith v. Henry, 2 Eng. (Arkansas) 207 (44 Am. D. 540); Runkle v. Johnson, 30 Ill. 328 (83 Am. D. 191); Boone v. Templeman, 158 Cal. 290 (110 Pac. 947, 139 A. S. R. 126); Robinson v. Harbour, 42 Miss. 795 (97 Am. D. 501, 2 Am. R. 671); Bean v. Atwater, 4 Conn. 3 (10 Am. D. 91); Shinn v. Roberts, 1 Spencer (N. J.) 435 (43 Am. D. 636); Bank of Columbia v. Hagner, 1 Peters (U. S.) 455 (7 L. ed. 219); 27 R. C. L. 454.

In view of the special terms of the agreement under consideration, the above ruling is not inconsistent with the decision of the Supreme Court of the United States in the case of Loud v. Pomona Land & Water Co., 153 U. S. 564 (38 L. ed. 822), as explained in Michigan Home Colony Co. v. Tabor, 141 Fed. 332.

The plaintiff having contracted to convey and assure to the defendants, by a good and sufficient deed, the tract, of land in fee simple, clear of all incumbrances whatever, an allegation in the petition that “petitioner is'able and willing to make title to the defendants herein to the property contracted to be purchased by them on recovery of judgment and the satisfaction of the same by the defendants,” was not an offer of performance by the plaintiff in accordance with the terms of the contract. Michigan Home Colony Co. v. Tabor, supra.

Since the allegations did not show such a tender as would “ripen and make absolute obligation” of the vendees (Crim v. Southern Realty & Trust Corp., supra) to pay the balance of the purchase-money, the petition failed to set forth a cause of action, and the general demurrer thereto was properly sustained.

The petition in the instant case did not allege a refusal to pay, as did the petition in Chastain v. Platt, supra; nor did it appear, as [128]*128in that case, that the defendants were in possession of the property.

Judgment affirmed.

J enltins, P. J., and Stephens, J., concur.

ON MOTION TOR DIRECTION.

'After this court had affirmed the judgment of the court below sustaining the demurrer and dismissing the petition, counsel for plaintiff in error filed in this court a motion that “the opinion of the Court of Appeals be so moulded that it direct” that a certain specific “ amendment be allowed and filed in the court below, and when done . . that the general demurrer . . be overruled.” The amendment which plaintiff in error would now make to the petition, and which is set forth in the motion, is as follows:

“1. Plaintiff now tenders in court a deed in fee simple to the land sold under the contracts in controversy clear of all incumbrances whatever.

“2. That demand for the payment of the balance of the purchase-price of the lands sold under said contracts has been made by the Reliance Realty Company Inc. on E. B. Mitchell and H. S. Redding, and said payment has been refused.

“3. That said E. B. Mitchell and H. S. Redding were in possession of the lands sold them under said contracts.

“4. That all conditions embraced in said contracts have been fully complied with and performed by the said Reliance Realty Company Inc.”

“5. That the contracts sued on were made and to be performed in the State of Florida and are Florida contracts and governed by the laws of that State.”

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Bluebook (online)
152 S.E. 295, 41 Ga. App. 124, 1930 Ga. App. LEXIS 478, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/reliance-realty-co-v-mitchell-gactapp-1930.