Court Opinion

ID: 9568609
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-21 20:05:40.433148+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T10:50:37.449905
License: Public Domain

Deen, Judge,
dissenting. The majority opinion treats this case as though evidence had been introduced, which is not the fact. The statement in Code Ann. § 109A-3— 307 (2, 3) that admission of the execution of the note establishes a prima facie case with the burden on the defendant "of establishing any defense” refers to what is to be done at the trial stage, not the pleading stage. Crosby v. Jordan, 123 Ga. App. 83 (179 SE2d 537), is not relevant because that was a motion for summary judgment with evidence in the form of affidavits. Code Ann. §81A-108 (c) is not relevant because (a) it does not require more than that certain defenses "be set forth affirmatively,” without indicating what degree of specificity is involved and without requiring a showing as to the evidence to be used on the trial, and (b) this Code section is limited to certain named defenses, of which that involved here is not one. "Cases should generally be tried on proofs rather than on pleadings.” Travelers Ins. Co. v. Johnson, 118 Ga. App. 616 (2) (164 SE2d 926).
As between parties to commercial paper, the terms of the instrument may be modified or affected by any other written agreement executed as a part of the same transaction. Code Ann. § 109A-3 — 119. These defendants answer positively that they are not indebted because the notes sued on constituted only a "part of a series of actions dealing with stock of the two companies.” The answer thus gives notice that the defendants deny indebtedness based on the overall effect of the transaction of which the execution of the notes was a part. It fails to allege that this transaction was in writing, and would, under our former pleading rules, have been subject to special demurrer for that reason, but under notice pleading (where motions for more definite statement, interrogatories, depositions, and pre-trial orders are all at hand to surface the true issues and establish the legal validity or otherwise of the proposed defense) and construed as it should be in favor of the defendant opposing judgment *770on the pleadings, and absent any information whatever which would lead to the conclusion that the obligation of the instrument was not modified by the overall transaction as alleged, I do not think judgment should be granted on the pleadings alone.
I am authorized to state that Judge Pannell concurs in this dissent.