Opinion ID: 1715464
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: Transfer to chancery

Text: O'Neal argues it was error for the court not to grant its motion to transfer to chancery. The motion was made on the basis that Davie had signed a contract acknowledging that O'Neal sold the car as is with no warranty, and that by contending O'Neal had a duty beyond the contract Davie was seeking reformation of the contract which is an equitable remedy. O'Neal cites Ray Dodge, Inc. v. Moore, 251 Ark. 1036, 479 S.W.2d 518 (1972), in which we noted that evidence of fraud as a basis for reformation of a solemn instrument must be clear and convincing. There, the odometer on the vehicle sold by the dealer had been rolled back. We wrote that the contract in that case by which the plaintiff purchased the vehicle contained an acknowledgment by him that there were no warranties and thus the standard of proof of misrepresentation was preponderance of the evidence, rather than the reformation standard. O'Neal argues that in this case there was a statement in the contract about damage to the vehicle which controls this tort action. We cannot agree. Although Davie was told there was paint and body work on the car, and although he signed a statement acknowledging paint and frame work in an unspecified amount, that does not refute his statement that he was also told the car had not been wrecked. While we can imagine how paint and body work or even frame work might be required because of a manufacturing defect or might otherwise become necessary on a car which had not been involved in a collision, we need not speculate. It is enough to point out that the writing did not address the question whether the car had been wrecked, and thus, as in the Ray Dodge case, we do not apply the reformation or clear and convincing standard here, and we can think of no reason for transferring this case to the chancery court.