FI RST DI VI SI ON DOYLE, C. J.

, A NDREWS, P. J.

, and RA Y, J.

N O T IC E : M otions for r e c ons i de r a tion m us t be ph y sic a l ly r e ce iv ed i n our c le r k ’s offic e w ithin te n da y s of the da te of de c is ion to be de e m ed tim e ly file d.

http://w w w .ga a ppe a l s .us /r ule s

Jul y 14, 2016



# I n th e Co u r t o f

A p p eals o f

G eo r g ia

A 1 5 A 1 9 3 3

. L I N C O L N & K A T H E R I N E W I L L I A M S
IRREVOCABLE TRUS T et al

. v

. D E LIVERANCE TEM PLE
CHURCH OF GOD IN CHRIST OF ATLANTA.

A N D R E W S , Pres i d in g J u d g e.

Th i s ap p eal i s fro m t h e g ran t o f ju d g m en t o n t h e p l ead in gs fo r t h e p l ai n t i ff in

a d ecl arat o ry ju d g m en t act i on o v er t h e o wn ers h i p o f a ch u rch p ro p ert y

.

T he p lai nt i ff/ ap p el l ee, Del i v eran ce Tem p l e Ch urch o f G o d i n Ch ri s t o f At l anta

,

co m m en ced t h i s act i o n s eek i n g a d ecl arat i o n t h at i t o wn ed t h e p ro p ert y u p o n wh i ch

i t i s s i t u at ed

. In an s weri ng t h e co m p l ai nt

, t h e d efen d an t s / ap p el lan t s , t h e Li n co ln &

Kat h eri n e W i l l i am s Irrev o cab l e Tru s t an d t ru s t ee Dary l W i l l i am s , al s o cl ai m ed

o wn ers hi p o f t h e s ub

ject p ro p ert y an d b y co u nt ercl ai m , li k ewi s e s o u g h t a decl arat i o n

o f i t s o wn ers h i p an d an o rd er eject i n g t h e ap pel l ee fro m t h e p ro p ert y

.Th e ap p el l ee’ s p l ead in gs s et fo rt h t h e fo l l o w i n g

. In M ay 1 9 9 7

, t he Great er Li fe

Pen teco st al Ch u rch

, In c. an d i t s t ru s tee ex ecu ted a w arran t y deed fo r t h e p ro p ert y to

Cal v in Dard en , Pat ri ci a Dard en , an d L in co l n W i l l i am s , Sr., as co -t ru s t ees o f t h e

Del i v eran ce Tem

p l e Ch u rch o f Go d in Ch ri s t

, In c., a New Y o rk Co rp o rat i o n, as jo i nt

t en an t s wi t h a ri g h t o f s urv iv o rs h i p. On Feb ru ary 13

, 1 99 8

, t h e Dard en s an d W i l l i am s

as co -t ru st ees ex ecu ted a d eed t o s ecu re deb t o n t h e p ro p ert y

. A ft er t h e ap p el l ee

ch u rch was es t ab l i s hed

, t h e Rev

. Li n co ln W i l l i am s , Sr., an d h i s s o n , D ary l W i l l i am s ,

s erv ed as co -p as t o rs an d co n d u ct ed t h e ch u rch ’ s m i ni s t ry o n t h e s u b

ject p ro p ert y

.

Su b s eq uen t l y , D ary l W i l l i am s l eft t h e ch u rch t o fo rm h is o w n , an d Ro n ey Hal l

t o o k h is pl ace as co -p as t o r. Hal l b ecam e fu l l p as to r i n 2 0 0 8 w h en t h e Rev

. Li n co ln

W i ll i am s b ecam e u nab l e t o serv e du e t o il l n es s

. On M ay 5

, 2 0 1 1

, Cal vi n Dard en ,

Pat ri ci a Dard en , an d Li n co ln W i l l i am s , Sr., as in d iv i du al s , ex ecu t ed a q u i t cl ai m d eed

f o r t h e p ro p ert y to t h e Li nco l n & K at h eri ne W i ll i am s Irrev o cab l e Tru s t

. Sh o rt l y

aft erward s , Dary l W i l l i am s , as t ru st ee of tha t i rrev o cab le tru s t

, d em an d ed t he ap p el l ee

ch u rch t o v acat e t h e p rem i s es

. Two s ep arat e d i s p o s s es s ory p ro ceed i ng s b ro u g h t by

Dary l W i l l i am s an d t h e i rrev o cab l e t ru st were ev en tu al l y fi l ed

, b u t b o t h were

u l t i m at el y

d i s m i s sed

.

2Th e ap p el lee ch urch su b m i tt ed t h e co nt ro v ers y ov er t h e p ro p ert y o wn ers h i p to

t h e Ch u rch o f Go d i n Ch ri s t

, In c., J u d i ci al Rev i ew Co m m i t t ee/ E ccl es i as t i cal Ap p eal s

Co u r t o n Ju l y 1 5

, 2 0 1 1

. On No v em b er 2 9

, 2 0 1 2

, t h at en t i t y is s u ed i ts d eci s i o n

ex p lai n i n g t h at t h e n at i on al ch u rch o rg an i zat i o n req u i red w arran t y d eed s fo r p ro p ert y

p u rch as ed o n beh al f of a m em b er ch u rch t o i n cl u d e a t ru s t cl au se s t at i n g t h e p ro p ert y

was h el d i n t ru s t fo r t h e ben efi t o f t h e m em b er ch urch

. Th e 1 99 7 deed i n t h e i n s t an t

cas e d id no t co m

p l y , an d s o t h e eccl es i as t i cal ap p eal s co u rt o r d e r e d t h e ap p el l ee to

am en d t he warran ty d eed to ad d s u ch a t ru s t cl au s e. Th e ap p eal s co u rt al s o no t ed t h at

t h e ap p el l ee ch u rch was n o t as s o ci at ed wi th t h e Del i v eran ce Tem p l e Ch u rch o f Go d

i n Ch ri s t

, In c, a New Yo rk Co rp o rat i o n , an d t h at t he ap p el l an ts fai l ed t o res p o n d t o

i t s req ues t s fo r d o cu m en t at io n t o s u p p ort t h ei r cl ai m fo r t h e p ro p ert y

.

In an s weri n g t he co m

p l ai n t

, t h e ap pe l l a n t s ad m i t t ed t h e 1 9 97 w arran t y d eed

i d e n t i f i e d th e Dard en s an d t h e Rev

. Li n co l n W i l l i am s , Sr. as co -t ru s tees o f t h e

Del i v eran ce T e m

p l e C h u rch o f Go d i n Ch ri s t

, In c., a N ew Yo rk Co rp o rat i o n , b ut

o t h erwi s e d en i ed al l o t h er s u b s t an t i ve al l eg at i o n s

.

On Sep t em

b er 3 0

, 2 0 1 4

, t h e t ri al co urt g ran t ed t h e ap p el l ee ch u rch ’ s m o t i o n

fo r ju d g m en t o n t he p l ead i n g s ; d ecl ared t h e M ay 2 0 1 1 qu i t cl ai m deed n u l l an d v o i d;

an d o rd ered th e ap p el l ee t o fi l e a co rrect i v e d eed s h o wi ng i ts el f as t h e p ro per o wn er.

3Fi n d in g t h e ap p el l an t s fai l ed t o d efen d t h e act io n t h ro u g h o u t t h e co u rs e o f t h e

l i ti g at i o n an d t h ereb y cau s ed t h e ap p el l ee un n eces s ary ex p en s e an d t ro u bl e, t h e t ri al

co u rt al s o award ed t h e ap p el lee $ 5 0 0 0 at t orn ey fees . Th i s ap p eal fo ll o wed

. 1

1

. Th e ap p el lan t s co nt en d t h e t r i a l co urt erred in g ran t i n g j u d gm en t o n t h e

p l ead i n g s fo r t h e a p p e l l e e , b ecau s e t h e p lead i ng s di d n o t co m p l et el y fai l t o s t at e a

d efen s e, o r a cau s e o f act i o n i n t h e co u n t ercl ai m . W e ag ree.

“ [T] h e g ran t i n g o f a m o t i o n fo r ju d gm en t o n t h e pl ead i n gs u n d er OCGA § 9

-

1 1 -1 2 (c) i s p ro p er o n l y w here t h ere i s a co m p l et e fai l ure t o st at e a cau s e o f act i o n o r

d efen s e.” (Ci t at io n an d p u n ct u at i o n o m i t t ed .) Ho l l a nd In s

. Gr ou p
, LLC v. S

en i o r Li f e

In s

. Co

. , 3 2 9 Ga. Ap p

. 8 3 4

, 8 3 6 (1 ) (7 66 SE2 d 1 8 7 ) ( 2 0 1 4 )

. “ Fo r p u rp o s es o f t h e

m o ti o n , al l wel l -p l ead ed m at eri al al l eg at i o ns o f t h e o p p o s i ng p art y ’ s p l ead i n g are to

b e t ak en as t ru e, an d al l al leg at i o n s o f t h e m o vi n g p art y wh i ch h av e b een d en i ed are

t ak en as fal s e.” (Ci t at i o n s o m i t t ed .) Pr es sl ey v. Ma xwel l

, 2 42 Ga. 36 0 (2 4 9 SE2 d 4 9 )

(1 9 7 8).

1 Th i s Co u rt o ri g i n al ly

t ran s ferred t h e ap peal t o t h e Su p rem e Co u rt

, as a cas e i n v o l v i n g t i t l e t o l an d

. Ho wev er, t h e Su p rem e Co u rt t ran s ferred t he cas e back t o t h i s Co u rt

, ex p l ai n i n g t h at th e cas e d i d no t i n v o l v e t it l e t o l an d b ecau s e t he “ ap p e l l ee’ s

s u i t b el o w d i d n o t s eek reco v ery o f t h e p ro p ert y

fro m ap p el l an t s ’ p o s s es s i o n .”

4In t h e i n s t an t cas e, o th er t h a n ad m i t t i n g t h e 19 9 7 warran t y d eed fo r t h e

p ro p ert y id en t i fi ed t h e Dard en s an d t h e Rev

. Li n co ln W il l iam s, Sr. as co -t ru s t ees fo r

t h e Del i v eran ce Tem

pl e Ch urch o f Go d i n Ch ri s t

, In c., a New Yo rk Co rp o rat i o n , t h e

ap p el l an t s d en i ed al l o t h er m at e r i a l al l eg at i o n s set fo rt h in t he co m p l ai n t

. Th e

ap p el l ee arg u es t h at ad m i s s i o n t o t al l y d efeat s t h e cl ai m o f o wn ers h i p as s ert ed b y t h e

Li n co l n & Kat h eri ne W i l l i am s Irrev o cab l e Tru s t an d Dar yl Wi ll i am s as t ru s t ee.

Ho wev er, th e ad m i s s i o n d o es n’ t co m p l et el y es t ab l is h t h e ap p el l ee as own er ei t h er.

Th e deci s i o n o f t h e eccl es ias t i cal ap p eal s c o u r t

, r el i ed u p on b y t h e ap p el l ee i t s el f,

co n cl u d ed th e ap p el l ee Del iv eran ce Tem p l e Ch u rch o f Go d i n Ch ri s t o f At l an t a was

n o t as s o ci at ed wi t h t h e Del i v eran ce Tem p l e Ch ur c h o f G o d i n Ch ri s t

, In c., a New

Yo rk Co rp o rat io n , w h i ch was t h e g ran tee o n t h e 1 9 97 warran t y d eed

. In s h o rt

, n ei t h er

t h e ap p el l ee n o r t h e ap p el l an t s h av e p lead ed an u n as sai l ab l e cl a i m o f own ers h i p.

Acco rd in g ly

, ap pl y i n g t h e p ri n ci p l e s t at ed i n Pr es s l ey v. Ma xwel l

, s u p ra, i t d o es n ot

ap p ear t h e i n s t an t cas e was a p ro p er o n e fo r ju d g m en t o n t h e p l ead i n g s

.

2

. In l i g h t o f o u r rev ers al o f t h e ju dg m en t o n t h e p l ead i n gs , th e at to rn ey f e e s

award u nd er OCGA § 1 3-6 -1 1 m u s t b e v acat ed

. See S

ca rb o ro u g h v. Hu n ter
, 2 9 3 Ga.

4 3 1 , 4 3 9 (3 ) (7 4 6 SE2 d 1 19 ) (2 0 1 3 ).

Ju d g men t r ever sed . Do yl e, C. J., a n d Ra

y, J., co n cu r

.

5