In th e S u p re m e Co u rt o f Ge o rg ia

De c id e d: Oc to b e r 5 , 2 0 15

S 1 5 A0 7 2 5 . LAYER v . BARROW COUNTY e t a l.

B L ACKW EL L , Ju stic e

. Mik e La y e r b u ilt a se we r p u m pin g s t a tio n fo r Ba rro w Co u n ty , a n d h e

a lle g e dly e n te re d in to a n a g re e m e n t with th e C o un ty pu rsu a n t to wh ic h h e wo u ld

re ta in a n in t e r e st in a p o rtio n o f th e p u m pin g c a p a c ity a t th e sta tio n. La y e r,
h o we v e r, fa ile d to g e t th is a lle g e d a g re e m e n t in w ritin g. A fte r h e wa s re fu se d h is

a lle g e d in te re st in th e pu m p in g c a p a c ity , La y e r su e d Ba rro w Co u n ty , th e C ity

o f Au bu rn , a n d a h o st o f c o u n ty a n d c i t y o f f i ci a ls (in b o th th e ir o ffic ia l a n d

in d iv id u a l c a

p a c itie s), a sse rtin g b re a c h o f c o n tra c t, u n ju st e n ric h m e nt, b re a c h

o f th e im p lie d c o v e n a n t o f g o o d fa ith a nd fa ir d e a lin g , p ro m isso ry e sto p p e l, a n d

a n u n c o n stitu tio n a l ta k in g o f h is p ro p e rty with o u t ju st c o m p e n sa tio n

. Fo r th e se

a lle g e d wro n gs, La y e r so u gh t a n a wa rd o f m o n e ta ry d a m a g e s an d ju st

c o m p e nsa tio n , a s we ll a s p ro sp e c tiv e re lie f in th e n at u r e o f s p e c ific p e rfo rm a n c e ,b u t in th e fo rm o f a n in ju n c tio n a n d wri t o f ma n d a m u s. 1 Th e tria l c o urt
d ism isse d h is la wsu it, a nd La y e r a p p e a ls. We a ffirm

. 1

. We be g in with th e d ism issa l o f th e c la im s so u n d in g in b r e a c h o f

c o n tra c t a n d v a rio u s qu a si-c o n tra c tu a l t h e o rie s o f liability

. As a g e n e ra l ru le ,

c o u n tie s e n

j o y so v e re ig n im m

u nity

. S e e To o m

b s Co un ty v
. O’Ne a l, 2 5 4 Ga

. 3 9 0 , 3 9 1 (1 ) (3 3 0 S E2 d 9 5) (1 9 8 5) (“ [Th e ] c o n stitu tio n a l re se rv a tio n o f

so v e re ig n im m

un ity to ‘th e S ta te ’ is a c o n s t i t u t io n a l re se rv a tio n o f so v e re ig n
im m u n ity to th e c o u n tie s o f th e S ta te o f G e o rg ia .” ). An d c ou n ty o f f i c e rs su e d

in th e ir o ffic ia l c a

p a c itie s — sin c e a su it a g a in st a c o u n ty o ffic e r in h e r o ffic ia l

c a p a c ity is a su it a g a in st th e c o u n ty itse lf — e n jo y th e sa me s o v e r e ig n
im m u n ity

. Gilb e rt v
. Ric h a rd so n , 2 6 4 Ga

. 7 4 4 , 7 4 6 (4 ), n

. 4 (4 5 2 S E2 d 4 7 6 ) ( 1 99 4 ). Alth o u g h so v e re ig n im m u n ity h a s b e e n wa iv e d fo r “ a c tio n [s] e x

c o n tra c tu f

o r t he bre a c h o f a n y writte n c o n tra c t,” Ga

. Co n st. o f 19 8 3 , Art. I,

S e c

. II, P a r. IX (c ) (e m

ph a sis su pp lie d ), so v e re ig n im m u n ity g e ne ra lly will b a r

a la wsu it fo r b re a c h o f a n u n writte n c on tra c t

. B d

. o f Re g e nts o f Un iv

. S y ste m

o f Ga

. v
. Win te r, 3 3 1 Ga

. Ap p

. 5 2 8 , 5 3 2 (2 ) (7 7 1 S E2 d 2 0 1 ) ( 2 0 15 ). An d

1 The request f

or m andam

us brou g h t t h i s m atter within the appellate jurisdiction of this Court. See Ga. Const. of 1983, Art. VI, Sec. VI, Par. III (5).

2so v e re ig n im m u n ity a lso will b a r a la w su it fo r d a m a g e s u p o n q u a si-c o n tra c tu a l

t h e orie s o f liability in th e a b se n c e o f a writte n c o n tra c t. Ca rro ll v
. B d

. o f

Re g e n ts o f Un iv

. Sy ste m o f Ga

. , 3 2 4 G a

. A p p

. 5 9 8 , 6 0 3 (3 ) (7 5 1 S E2 d 4 2 1 ) (2 0 1 3 ). Th e a lle ge d o ra l a g re e m e n t with Ba rr o w Co u n ty is th e b a sis fo r a ll o f
th e c on tra c tu a l a

n d q u a si-c on tra c tu a l c la im s th a t La y e r a sse rts in th is c a se

. With

o n e e x c e p tio n , th ose c o n tra c tu a l a n d q u a si-c on tra c tu a l c la im s a re b a rre d b y

so v e re i g n im m

u n ity a s a g a in st th e Co u nty a n d its o ffic e rs in th e ir o ffic ia l

c a p a c itie s.
S o v e re ig n im m

u n ity is n o b a r to m a n d a m u s re lie f, S JN P ro p e rtie s v
. F u lto n Co u n ty Bd

. o f A sse sso rs, 2 9 6 Ga

. 7 9 3, 7 99 (2 ) (b ) (ii) (7 7 0 S E2 d 8 3 2 ) (2 0 1 5 ), a nd La y e r so u g h t to c o m p e l sp e c ific p e rfo rm a n c e of h i s a l le g e d

a g re e m e n t with th e Co un ty b y writ o f m a n d a m u s. Alth o u gh th is c la im a s a g a in st
th e c o u n ty o ffic e rs is n o t b a rre d b y so v e re ig n im m u n ity , it fa ils n e v e rth e le ss. In
th e first p la c e , it is se ttle d la w th a t “ [m ] a n da m u s will n o t lie to e n fo rc e p riv a te rig h ts u n d e r [a ] c o n tra c t.” Atla n ta & We st P o in t R. v
. City of Atla n ta , 1 5 6 Ga

. 2 5 1 , 2 5 1 (5 ) (1 19 S E 7 1 2 ) (1 9 2 3 ). Mo re ov e r, th a t th e a lle g e d a g re e m e n t a t issu e

wa s n o t re d uc e d to writin g m e a n s n o t o n ly th a t so v e re ig n im m un ity b ars m o st

o f th e c o n tra c tu a l a n d q u a si-c o n tra c tu a l c la im s, b u t it m e a n s a s we ll th a t th e re

3sim

p ly is n o b in d in g c on tra c t b e twe e n La y er an d t he Co u n ty

. S e e City o f

Wa rre n to n v. Jo hn so n , 2 3 5 Ga

. 6 6 5 , 6 6 6 (1 ) (2 2 1 S E 2 d 4 2 9 ) ( 1 9 7 5 ) (“ Ora l

c o n tra c ts on b e h a lf o f a c o u n ty h a v e re p e a te d ly b e e n h e ld to b e v o id

. . ..” ).
With ou t a b in d in g c o n tra c t, th e re is n o b a si s fo r a n y re m e dy in th e n a tu re o f

sp e c ific pe rfo rm a n c e , wh e th e r in th e fo rm o f a writ o f m a n da m u s o r o th e rwise

. S e e Atk in so n v
. Co o k , 27 1 Ga

. 5 7 , 5 8 -5 9 (5 1 8 S E 2 d 4 13 ) (1 9 9 9 ). Th e tria l c o urt

p ro p e rly d ism isse d th e p le a fo r m a n d a m us re lie f be c a

u se it fa ils to sta te a c la im

u p o n wh ic h re lie f m ig ht p ro p e rly b e g ra nte d

. As a g a in st th e c ou n ty offic e rs in th e ir in d i v i d u a l c a p a c itie s, th e City o f

Au b urn , a n d th e v a rio u s m u n ic ip a l o ffic e rs n a m e d a s de fe n d a n ts in th is la wsu it,

La y e r’s c o n tra c tu a l a n d q u a s i -c o ntra c tu a l c la im s fa il fo r y e t a n oth e r re a so n

. La y e r d o e s n ot c o n te n d th a t h e e v e r h a d a n a g re e m e n t ( w r i t t e n o r o th e rwise )
with an y o f th e se d e fe nd a n ts th a t wa s b r e a c h e d

. Th e y in d isp uta b ly we re n o t

p a rtie s to th e a lle g e d o ra l a gre e m e n t b e twe e n La y e r a n d th e Co u n ty

. N o t b e in g

p a rtie s to th a t a g re e m e n t, w e p e rc e iv e n o ba sis in th e p le a d in gs in th is c a se u p o n
wh ic h th e y c o u ld b e h e ld liab le fo r i t s b r ea c h , wh e th e r u n d e r a c o n tra c tu a l o r

q u a si-c o n tra c tu a l th e o ry o f liab ility

. S e e Gre e n v. F la n a g a n , 3 17 Ga

. Ap p

. 1 5 2 , 1 5 6 (2 ) (7 3 0 S E2 d 1 6 1 ) ( 2 0 1 2 ) (“ [G] e n e ra lly sp e a k in g, a pe rso n wh o is n o t a

4p a rt y t o a c o n tra c t is n o t b o u n d b y its te rm s.” (Cita tio n a n d p u n c tu a tio n

o m itte d )). Th e c o n tra c tu a l a n d q u a si-c o n tra c tu a l c la im s a g a i n s t th e c o u n ty

o ffic e rs in th e ir in d iv idu a l c a p a c itie s, th e City , a n d th e m u n ic ip a l o f

fic e rs in
b o th th e ir o ffic ia l a n d in d iv id u a l c a p a c itie s fa il to sta te a c la im up o n wh ic h re lie f

c a n b e g ra n te d

. 2

. We tu rn n o w to th e u n c o n stitu tio n a l ta k in g c la im

. La y e r a lle g e s th a t h e

o wn s a p o rtio n o f th e p u m p in g c a p a c ity of th e sta tio n, a n d h e sa y s th a t Ba rro w
Co u n ty p e rm itte d th e City o f Au b u rn a n d o th e r n o n p a rtie s to u se h is p u m p in g

c a p a c ity with o u t ju st c o m p e n sa tio n

. S o v e re ig n im m u nity is n o b a r to a n

u n c o n stitu tio na l ta k in g c la im fo r ju st c o m pe n sa tio n , S ta te Bd

. of Ed

. v
. Dru ry , 2 6 3 Ga

. 4 2 9 , 4 3 0 (1 ) (4 3 7 S E2 d 2 9 0 ) (1 9 9 3 ), b u t th is c la im fa ils fo r a n o th e r

re a so n. An u n c o n stitu tio n a l ta k in g c la im re q u ire s th e ta k in g o f a v a lid p ro p e rty
in te re st. S e e id

. a t 4 3 1 (1 ). La y e r c la im s a n in te re st in th e p u m p in g c a p a c ity o f

t h e sta tio n o n ly b y v irtu e of h is a lle g e d a gre e m e n t with th e Co u n ty , b u t a s w e
h a v e e x p la in e d a lre a d y , b e c a u se th a t a gre e m e n t wa s n e v e r re d u c e d to writin g , it do e s n o t b in d th e C o u n ty , se e Gra h a m v
. Be a c h a m , 1 8 9 Ga

. 30 4 , 3 0 6 (5 S E2 d

7 7 5 ) (1 9 3 9 ), a n d so , it c on fe rre d u p on La y e r n o v a lid p ro p e rty rig h ts a s a g a in st
th e Co u n ty (o r th o se wh om th e Co u n ty m ig ht pe rm it to u se th e se we r p u m p in g

5sta tio n ). F o r wa n t o f a v a lid p ro p e rty in te re st, th e ta k in g c la im fa ils. S e e Dru ry ,

2 6 3 Ga . a t 4 3 3 (1 ).

Ju d g m e n t a ffirm e d . All th e Ju stic e s c o n c u r.

6