Court Opinion

ID: 9592456
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-22 00:14:28.582079+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T12:05:58.302442
License: Public Domain

Andrews, Judge,
dissenting.
I believe this case is controlled by Hardage v. Lewis, 199 Ga. App. 632, 633 (405 SE2d 732) (1991), and that Salmon has failed to show any justifiable reliance upon the certification provided by Pearson or the oral communication by the closing attorney of the flood hazard status. Therefore, I respectfully dissent.
Here, accepting the premise that the property was, in fact, within the 100-year flood plain, does not resolve the issue of Salmon’s responsibilities as a purchaser. She deposed that she had visited the property at least twice and had the opportunity to view all around the premises. She was aware that the town house was located below the grade of Warsaw Road and that across a private drive on the rear of the property was located a creek. This creek was partially contained in a pipe large enough for a person to walk through. The entire property sloped towards the creek. Prior to closing, Salmon made no inquiry of anyone concerning the possibilities of flooding. After the flood at issue here, Salmon obtained a copy of the federal insurance map, upon which she is basing her claim that the property is in a flood hazard area.
*15Decided July 1, 1994
Reconsideration denied July 15, 1994.
Wood & Perry, Jere F. Wood, for appellant.
Steven H. Ballard, for appellee.
This case appears to be on all fours with Copeland v. Home Savings of America, 209 Ga. App. 173, 174 (433 SE2d 327) (1993). There, Copeland purchased a home and noticed a creek adjacent to the lot during one of her property inspections before purchase. She also noticed some dankness in the basement. She asked her real estate agent if there had been any problem with flooding and received a negative response. After a flood, she sued the seller, the real estate broker, and the surveying company, alleging concealment of the fact the house was in a flood hazard area.
In affirming the grant of summary judgment to defendants, this court concluded that “[t]he law does not afford relief to one who suffers by not using the ordinary means of information, whether the neglect is due to indifference or credulity. When the means of knowledge are at hand and equally available to both parties, and the subject of purchase is alike open to their inspection, if the purchaser does not avail himself of these means he will not be heard to say, in impeachment of the contract of sale, that he was deceived by a vendor’s representations.” (Citations and punctuation omitted.) Copeland, supra at 174. Here, the federal insurance map was as available to Salmon before her purchase as it was afterwards. See also Southeast Toyota Distrib. v. Fellton, 212 Ga. App. 23, 26 (2) (440 SE2d 708) (1994).
I am authorized to state that Presiding Judge Birdsong and Judge Blackburn join in this dissent.