Whisenhunt v. Allen Parker Co.

168 S.E.2d 827, 119 Ga. App. 813, 6 U.C.C. Rep. Serv. (West) 969, 1969 Ga. App. LEXIS 1263
CourtCourt of Appeals of Georgia
DecidedJune 18, 1969
Docket44304
StatusPublished
Cited by49 cases

This text of 168 S.E.2d 827 (Whisenhunt v. Allen Parker 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
Whisenhunt v. Allen Parker Co., 168 S.E.2d 827, 119 Ga. App. 813, 6 U.C.C. Rep. Serv. (West) 969, 1969 Ga. App. LEXIS 1263 (Ga. Ct. App. 1969).

Opinions

Quillian, Judge.

The appellee moves to dismiss the appeal on the ground that it is premature since a counterclaim is still undisposed of.

It is true that ordinarily an appeal is premature where the case remains pending. However, the Civil Practice Act now provides with regard to summary judgments: “An order granting summary judgment on any issue, or as to any party, shall be subject to review by appeal.” Code Ann. § 81A-156 (h) (Ga. L. 1966, pp. 609, 660; 1967, pp. 226, .238). “Review of orders and judgments with respect to motions for summary judgment shall be governed by Section 56 (h), as amended, of the Georgia Civil Practice Act [§ 81A-156 (h) ]Code Ann. § 6-701 (a, 4) (Ga. L. 1965, p. 18; 1968, pp. 1072, 1073).

Thus, it is apparent that the grant of a summary judgment is an exception to the rule requiring a final judgment in order to appeal. One may appeal the grant of a summary judgment on any issue or as to any party. See McLeod v. Westmoreland, 117 Ga. App. 659, 660 (161 SE2d 335); Levy v. G. E. C. Corp., 117 Ga. App. 673, 676 (161 SE2d 339. The motion to dismiss the appeal is denied.

Any issue regarding Count 5 of the amended complaint is neither supported by argument and citation of authority nor is it supported by specific reference to the record. Hence, it is deemed to be abandoned. Court of Appeals Rule 17 (c) (2, 3).

[817]*817We now consider the proof submitted with reference to Counts 1, 3 and 6 of the amended complaint.

The trial judge in his order granting the defendant’s motion for summary judgment stated: “It is further ordered and adjudged that consideration of the evidence presented by the parties to which objections were filed being unnecessary to reach the conclusion and judgment hereby rendered it is unnecessary to rule upon such objections. The admission or exclusion of the evidence offered over objection would not change or vary the judgment hereby rendered.”

Although the defendant relies on the provisions of a confidential financial statement, the plaintiff filed his written objections to such statement. Since the trial judge by the express terms of his order did not consider the statement and since it was objected to, we do not consider it in ruling upon the motion. The rule that a judgment right for any reason will be sustained is not applicable in these circumstances. For, in order to consider such evidence, we would have to pass upon its admissibility where there was no ruling in the lower court and act in direct contravention of the lower court’s determination that the evidence need not be considered.

Without the financial statement, each individual contract was determinative of the defendant’s, and the deceased’s rights, in repossessing the property. Though there were several different forms used, we point out two pertinent examples, styled exhibits “N” and “Q” respectively. “N” was a contract of conditional sale for a 1967 Mascot; “Q” a contract of conditional sale for a 1966 Pontiac. Both provided: “Time is of the essence of this contract, and if purchaser default in complying with any of the terms hereof, seller, at his option, and without notice to purchaser, may declare the whole amount unpaid hereunder immediately due and payable, or seller may take immediate possession of said property without demand (possession after default being unlawful), including any equipment or accessories thereto; and for this purpose seller may enter upon the premises where said property may be and remove same. . . Seller may take possession of any other property in above described -motor [818]*818vehicle at time of repossession and hold same temporarily for purchaser without liability on the part of seller.”

Payments on “N” were due the 20th of a month, while those on “Q” were due on the 10th. The plaintiff introduced canceled checks and the defendant’s business records showing that the December 10th and 20th payments on each contract had been made and the next payments due were on January 10 and 20, after the January 6, 1968, repossession by the defendant.

The defendant contends that the December 25th death of plaintiff’s intestate constituted a default within the meaning of the contracts. With this contention we cannot agree. As was held in Borochoff Properties v. Howard Lumber Co., 115 Ga. App. 691, 696 (155 SE2d 651), the Commercial Code does not specifically define a “default” under a security agreement. “For the most part, the security agreement itself must define the standards for determining whether a default occurs.” Yol. 1, Secured Transactions under UCC § 8.02.

While death, among many other contingencies, may be included as a basis for default, it is not automatically so included. Absent a specific inclusion in the document, we give to the abstract term default as here utilized only its generally accepted meaning of failing to perform or pay. Thus, in these two examples a default did not necessarily occur at the deceased’s death but only when the instalment payments were not met. Whether the defendant repossessed the items before such default would be for the jury’s determination.

There was proof submitted by affidavits on behalf of the plaintiff that the defendant’s agents, in seizing various items of property, severed and disconnected the electric lines and sewer lines, tore up and destroyed a portion of the office trailer on the establishment, damaged an “add-a-room,” and removed records of the business.

Under the contractual provisions, “the seller may enter upon the premises where said property may be and remove same.” However, Code Ann. § 109A-9—503 (Ga. L. 1962, pp. 156, 422), provides: “Unless otherwise agreed a secured party has on default the right to take possession of the collateral. In taking possession a secured party may proceed without judicial process [819]*819if this can be done without breach of the peace or may proceed by action.” It is therefore apparent that, while the defendant, through its agents, had the right to peacefully enter the premises and obtain its property, the defendant would be responsible for any tortious acts committed during the repossession. See Vol. 1, Secured Transactions under UCC § 8.03; 3 ULA UCC § 9-503. Furthermore, although the defendant, under the terms of the contract, had the right to hold property temporarily there is no conclusive showing that this is all that the defendant did.

Thus, the defendant failed to pierce the allegations of the complaint and a jury question was presented as to whether the defendant was guilty of tortious conduct when the repossession took place.

The defendant correctly argues that in actions under 'Code § 113-1102, the rule is: “If the act or conduct which is alleged to charge the person as executor de son tort be of such a character that it clearly appears that he was acting in good faith in attempting to protect his own rights, under color of authority, and not solely to prejudice the rights of those interested in the estate of the deceased, then, as a general rule, such act or conduct will not charge a person as executor de son tort.” Willingham v. Rushing, 105 Ga. 72, 80 (31 SE 130).

However, there is nothing to indicate that the plaintiff sought relief exclusively under that section. For, instead of praying for the double damages provided for in Code § 113-1102, the plaintiff sought damages for trespass and various tortious conduct, and punitive damages under Code § 105-2002 for wilful and tortious misconduct.

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Bluebook (online)
168 S.E.2d 827, 119 Ga. App. 813, 6 U.C.C. Rep. Serv. (West) 969, 1969 Ga. App. LEXIS 1263, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/whisenhunt-v-allen-parker-co-gactapp-1969.