Royal Crown Bottling Co. v. Stiles

60 S.E.2d 815, 82 Ga. App. 254, 1950 Ga. App. LEXIS 1093
CourtCourt of Appeals of Georgia
DecidedJuly 14, 1950
Docket33052
StatusPublished
Cited by21 cases

This text of 60 S.E.2d 815 (Royal Crown Bottling Co. v. Stiles) 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
Royal Crown Bottling Co. v. Stiles, 60 S.E.2d 815, 82 Ga. App. 254, 1950 Ga. App. LEXIS 1093 (Ga. Ct. App. 1950).

Opinions

Sutton, C. J.

After the defendants demurred to the original petition, but before any ruling was made thereon, the plaintiff amended his petition materially, by substituting a completely revised petition in many respects. Thereafter each defendant filed a demurrer, identical in substance, in the following language: “Comes now Walter L. Bruce, and renews his demurrer [‘Comes now Royal Crown Bottling Company of Gainesville, Georgia, the party served with a copy of the petition, process and amendment in the above styled case, and renews its demurrer’] heretofore filed to the petition as amended and for grounds thereof says: 1. The amendment filed in said case adds a new and distinct cause of action and a new and distinct party and makes an entirely new and different case from that made in the original bill. 2. It affirmatively appears that the pleading did not contain a statement of any transaction or subject-matter upon which a cause of action could be based or upon which said amendment could amplify Or perfect allegations relied on by the plaintiff as the basis of his suit. 3. Plaintiff’s original petition did not contain sufficient allegations to indicate and specify any particular fact or transaction which could be made the basis of a cause of action or facts essential to raise any duty or obligation to the plaintiff as set forth in the amendment. 4. The original petition failed to set forth a cause of action and there was not enough to amend by.” In addition to the quoted paragraphs each demurrer contained six additional paragraphs in the form of objections to and motions to strike certain language used in the amended petition, as being vague, indefinite, or a mere conclusion of the pleader.

The defendant in error contends that the plaintiffs in error, by not objecting to the allowance of the amendment to the petition and by not moving to strike the same, and by demurring to the petition as actually amended, acquisced in the allowance of the amendment to the petition and were limited to such issues on demurrer as actually related to the petition [259]*259as amended; and, consequently, the grounds of demurrer to the petition as amended, to the effect that the amendment added a new and distinct cause of action and a new and distinct party and made a new and different case, and that the original petition failed to state a cause of action and did not contain enough to amend by, being issues relating to the sufficiency of the petition prior to amendment and to the right of the plaintiff to amend, as he had already done, and not relating to the petition as actually amended, were properly overruled. In this connection see Dyson v. Southern Ry. Co. 113 Ga. 327, 329 (38 S. E. 749); Laslie v. Gragg Lumber Co., 184 Ga. 794, 803 (193 S. E. 763, 113 A. L. R. 932); Aycock v. Williams, 185 Ga. 585, 588 (196 S. E. 54); Whitaker v. Magruder, 60 Ga. App. 811, (5 S. E. 2d, 273); Weathers v. Owen, 78 Ga. App. 505, 509 (51 S. E. 2d, 584). But conceding that the demurrers to the petition as amended on the ground that the amendment added a new and distinct cause of action and a new and distinct party are sufficient to raise the question, we are of the opinion and so hold that the amendment did not add a new and different cause of action or a new and distinct party. See Williams v. Grier, 196 Ga. 327, 339 (3) (26 S. E. 2d, 698); Donaldson v. Great Atlantic & Pacific Tea Co., 186 Ga. 870, 873 (199 S. E. 213, 128 A. L. R. 456); Johnson v. Central Railroad, 74 Ga. 397. Also, see Code, § 81-1206. We further hold that the original petition contained enough to amend by. See Code, § 81-1302; Southern Bell Tel. & Tel. Co. v. Ellis, 16 Ga. App. 864 (1) (87 S. E. 766); Brinson Ry. Co. v. Green, 20 Ga. App. 397 (1) (93 S. E. 38). The trial judge did not err in overruling the demurrers to the petition as amended in the above respects.

The special demurrers to certain language in the petition, as being vague and indefinite or conclusions of the pleader, are without merit and the trial judge did not err in overruling the same.

While counsel for the defendants were cross-examining the' plaintiff, Stiles, who appeared as a witness in his own behalf, he testified that after the collision he sold the damaged truck for $475. Counsel for the defendants then asked, “Was that all you have been paid for it?” Before the plaintiff could answer his counsel stated that he had something to bring to [260]*260the judge’s attention out of the presence of the jury, and the jury was retired. Counsel for the plaintiff then told the judge that the question could only call for an answer with reference to the collection of insurance. The trial judge then stated that if counsel for either side elicited an answer from any witness in reference to insurance he would hold such counsel in contempt of court. Counsel for the plaintiff stated that if the witness gave a truthful answer to the question propounded he would state that he did get other money for the truck from an insurance company. Thereafter, in the course of discussion, the warning of the trial judge was repeated. During further discussion out of the presence of the jury, in connection with another matter, it was shown that the Travelers Fire Insurance Company had paid the plaintiff $1400 on the truck, and that, certain agreements had been made by Stiles and the insurance company, permitting him to pursue an action in his own name for damage to the truck. After first asking the question as to whether the $475 was all that the plaintiff received, counsel for the defendants did not at any time, either in or out of the presence of the jury, attempt to question the plaintiff any further in this respect, so as to elicit from him any information as to what he received from the insurance company on the truck, or to determine what his expected answer to the first question would have been. In special ground 1 of the motion error is assigned on the action or rulings of the trial judge in respect to the question propounded, and as reasons therefor it is asserted that the trial judge limited the right of cross-examination, that the question could have been answered without mentioning insurance, that if the plaintiff did have collision insurance and the amount agreed upon for payment was less than the amount sued for, this information would be germane in determining the value of the truck, and that the announcement of the trial judge placed in the hands of the plaintiff a decision as to whether counsel for the defendants would be in contempt of court.

In City of Rome v. Rhodes, 134 Ga. 650 (68 S. E. 330), where the city was being sued for the depreciation in the value of a building occasioned by the raising of the grade of a street and sidewalk, and where subsequently to the changing of the [261]

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Royal Crown Bottling Co. v. Stiles
60 S.E.2d 815 (Court of Appeals of Georgia, 1950)

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Bluebook (online)
60 S.E.2d 815, 82 Ga. App. 254, 1950 Ga. App. LEXIS 1093, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/royal-crown-bottling-co-v-stiles-gactapp-1950.