Court Opinion

ID: 9583507
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-21 22:39:18.990135+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T13:39:03.192976
License: Public Domain

Pannell, Judge,
concurring specially. The majority opinion after stating the law generally applicable states "the case then turns on the question of whether the sale of cattle, presuming the seller possessed guilty knowledge of the fact but the buyer did not, represents an 'illegal consideration’ so as to render it absolutely void.” (Emphasis supplied.) The majority then based upon this presumption decide the case. We cannot decide this case based upon a presumption of what the facts are. We must decide this case based upon the principles applicable to motions for summary judgment, and what is proven or disproven. Since the defendant here has set up the illegality of the transaction as an affirmative defense in his pleadings, the plaintiff must affirmatively disprove an essential element of that defense in order to secure a summary judgment.
Under the old statute, the transaction had to be both immoral and illegal, and if it was made penal by statute the act was illegal and immoral as a matter of law. Perkins v. Rowland, 69 Ga. 661, 664. The present statute only requires illegality of the transaction which renders the obligations of the party a nullity. Whether or not the sale of stolen goods by one who has no knowledge that they are stolen is an illegal transaction and a nullity, it is not necessary to decide. However, assuming without deciding, that such a transaction, in order to be a defense to an action upon a negotiable instrument by a holder in due course for value must be in contravention of the statute, that is, that the sale of the stolen property must be made by one who knows or should know it was stolen property, the plaintiff has still failed to pierce the pleadings or disprove an essential element of the affirmative defense of the defendant. It has failed in this respect because it has not shown that the party who sold the stolen cattle to the defendant lacked knowledge that the cattle were stolen. Where one, not having the burden of proof at the trial, makes a motion for summary judgment, such movant must affirmatively disprove an essential element of the other party’s case. "This is true because the *737burden to show that there is no genuine issue of material fact rests on the party moving for summary judgment, whether he or his opponent would at trial have the burden of proof on the issue concerned; and rests on him whether he is by it required to show the existence or non-existence of facts.” 6 Moore’s Federal Practice, par. 56.15[3], pp. 2342, 2343. Colonial Stores v. Turner, 117 Ga. App. 331, 333 (160 SE2d 672); Sanfrantello v. Sears, Roebuck & Co., 118 Ga. App. 205, 206 (163 SE2d 256); International Brotherhood v. Newman, 116 Ga. App. 590, 592 (158 SE2d 298); Werbin & Tenenbaum v. Heard, 121 Ga. App. 147 (2) (173 SE2d 114); Central of Ga. R. Co. v. Woolfolk Chemical Works, 122 Ga. App. 789, 795 (178 SE2d 710). While the defendant upon the trial of the case, would have the burden of affirmatively proving his defense, he has no such burden here on motion for summary judgment by the plaintiff. There is not one shred of evidence disproving the defendant’s affirmative defense.