Court Opinion

ID: 9580929
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-21 22:10:16.627304+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T13:36:36.299327
License: Public Domain

Jordan, Presiding Judge,
dissenting.
Division 1 (a) criticizes the form of the plaintiff’s affidavit in that it does not contain a jurat or “affirmatively” show that it was made on the personal knowledge of the affiant. It was made clear in Holland v. Sanfax Corp., 106 Ga. App. 1 (126 SE2d 442), that courts will look to the affidavit and its contents as a whole in determining whether or not it meets the requirement as to personal knowledge of the affiant. In my opinion Mrs. Gately’s affidavit, even absent a jurat, meets this basic test in that it is clear that at least certain material portions of her affidavit affirmatively show such to be positive statements of fact based on her personal knowledge. An examination of the record shows that the defendant’s affidavit is in exactly the same form as that of the plaintiff and should not be given weight where plaintiff’s affidavit is discarded on a technical objection.-
Even omitting that portion of the plaintiff’s affidavit referred to in Division 1 (b) of the opinion scienter is alleged elsewhere in Mrs. Gately’s affidavit when she affirmatively states that the defendant was present at the Thomas stable where the horse suddenly threw his granddaughter to the ground, after which he approached the plaintiff and asked her to ride and try to gentle the horse. This is in direct conflict with the defendant’s affidavit that “Mr. Bee was a gentle, good-natured, well mannered horse.” In my opinion, such conflict between plaintiff’s and defendant’s affidavits is sufficient to create a genuine issue both as to the animal’s dangerous propensity and as to the defendant’s knowledge of such. Scienter can be shown by circumstantial as well as direct evidence and is generally a question for the jury except in plain and palpable cases.
I dissent to the ruling made in Division 3 of the opinion as the holding there conflicts with the long line of cases both *527in this court and in the Supreme Court to the effect that the evidence must be construed most favorably to the party opposing the motion.
I would affirm the denial of the defendant’s motion for summary judgment in both cases.
I am authorized to state that Judge Pannell concurs in this dissent.