Court Opinion

ID: 9584250
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-21 22:45:54.611186+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T15:07:16.799898
License: Public Domain

Pannell, Judge,
dissenting. The majority erroneously state that "LaSalle National filed a suit for declaratory judgment in DeKalb Superior Court June 6, 1969, seeking to have the issue of coverage vel non resolved, and thus the issue of whether it must afford defenses in the pending actions, making the executor, Mrs. Mitchell’s children and Popham parties defendant,” and that "All parties defendant answered the suit for declaratory judgment, urging that because of the pendency of the third-party complaint the suit for declaratory judgment could not be maintained, and asking that the suit be dismissed.” There was no allegation or phrase in the petition for declaratory judgment that LaSalle National was uncertain as to whether or not it should defend the tort action, nor was there any evidence to this effect; on the contrary, the evidence is undisputed that LaSalle National refused to defend the tort action on the ground there was no coverage in the policy. The only allegation of uncertainty in the petition is as follows: "By reason of these conflicting claims, petitioner is in doubt as to its rights and legal relations in the premises, and will remain in doubt unless the question of insurance coverage has been litigated and finally determined in a proceeding binding on all parties.” The answer of the defendants to the declaratory judgment action denied this allegation and raised the question that petitioner, LaSalle National, is not in doubt as to its rights and legal relations in the premises because petitioner had already denied coverage and failed and refused to defend the tort action, and was not entitled to a declaratory judgment. This defense and the proof of it, without contradiction, is entirely ignored by the majority and the majority decide the case and render a declaratory judgment based on the erroneous assumption that LaSalle National is uncertain as to whether it should defend the tort action and that it needs instruction thereon, when it has already refused to defend.
My views are as follows: 1. (a) "The Act of the General *737Assembly (Ga. L. 1959, p. 236) amending Code § 110-1101, providing 'Relief by declaratory judgment shall be available notwithstanding the fact that the complaining party has any other adequate legal or equitable remedy or remedies’ does not mean that a declaratory judgment will lie to have just any justiciable controversy decided. The ruling by the Supreme Court in McCallum v. Quarles, 214 Ga. 192 (104 SE2d 105) brings this matter to a clear and unequivocal conclusion.” Reliance Ins. Co. v. Brooks Lumber Co., 101 Ga. App. 620, 621 (115 SE2d 271); Phoenix Assurance Co. v. Glens Falls Ins. Co., 101 Ga. App. 530, 532 (114 SE2d 389).
(b) And where the rights of the parties have already accrued and there are no circumstances showing any necessity for a determination of the dispute to guide and protect the plaintiff from uncertainty and insecurity with regard to the propriety of some future act or conduct, which is properly incident to his alleged rights and which if taken without direction might reasonably jeopardize his interest, the plaintiff is not entitled to a declaratory judgment. See State of Ga. v. Hospital Authority, 213 Ga. 894, 898 (102 SE2d 543). The declaratory judgment action makes no provision for a judgment which is advisory. Liner v. City of Rossville, 212 Ga. 664 (94 SE2d 862). Therefore, when no such uncertainty and necessity is shown, there is no ground for a declaration of rights under the Act. Brown v. Cobb County, 212 Ga. 172, 175 (91 SE2d 516); McCallum v. Quarles, 214 Ga. 192, supra; Rowan v. Herring, 214 Ga. 370, 374 (105 SE2d 29); Pinkard v. Mendel, 216 Ga. 487, 490 (117 SE2d 336); Henderson v. Alverson, 217 Ga. 541, 542 (123 SE2d 721); Dunn v. Campbell, 219 Ga. 412, 415 (134 SE2d 20); Milton Frank Allen Pubs. v. Ga. Assn. of Petroleum Retailers, 219 Ga. 665, 671 (135 SE2d 330); Salomon v. Central of Ga. R. Co., 220 Ga. 671, 672 (141 SE2d 424); Womble v. State Board of Examiners in Optometry, 221 Ga. 457, 459 (145 SE2d 485).
The case of Gant v. State Farm Auto. Ins. Co., 109 Ga. App. 41 (134 SE2d 886) written by Judge Eberhardt for this court, conclusively demonstrates that under the facts of *738this case the existence of a mere justiciable controversy is not sufficient. As was stated in that case (p. 42), "The salient issue in this appeal is whether the rights of the petitioning insurance company have already accrued”; and as was further said in that case "Notwithstanding the remedial nature of the Declaratory Judgments Act and the 1959 liberalizing amendment (Ga. L. 1959, p. 236), the rule is that a petition does not state a cause of action for a declaratory judgment where 'the rights of the parties have already accrued’ and there is no necessity to protect and guide petitioner 'from uncertainty and insecurity with respect to the propriety of some future act or conduct.’ Holcomb v. Bivens, 103 Ga. App. 86 (118 SE2d 840) and citations.” In interpreting this ruling and applying it to the facts of that case it was said: "if [the insurer] has failed or refused to afford a defense to the damage action because it has made the determination that no coverage was afforded under its policy the rights, if any, of the parties had accrued before the declaratory judgment action was filed and the insurer needs no declaration to guide it as to any future action.” P. 43'.
(c) Where a declaration is sought as to matters or claims already pending between the parties in a court of competent jurisdiction, a declaratory judgment will be denied, where such declaration will be in nature and effect an advisory opinion to such other court. Darnell v. Tate, 206 Ga. 576 (2) (58 SE2d 160); Staub v. Mayor &c. of Baxley, 211 Ga. 1 (1) (83 SE2d 606); Ulmer v. State Hwy. Dept., 90 Ga. App. 833 (84 SE2d 583); Kiker v. Hefner, 119 Ga. App. 629, 631 (168 SE2d 637); Employers Liability Assur. Corp. v. Berryman, 123 Ga. App. 71 (1) (179 SE2d 646).
2. Where, as in the present case, an action for declaratory judgment by an insurer, it appears that two death actions claiming damages for tort arising out of an automobile collision are brought against the holder of a policy of automobile liability insurance, one action being brought by the legal representative of the deceased and the other action being brought by the children of the deceased, and upon *739demand by the policyholder the insurer refused to defend both actions and denied liability under the policy on the ground that no coverage was provided under the facts of the case for the reason that the automobile driven by the policyholder was not one insured under the policy, and the policyholder thereafter, in an action brought by the legal representative of the deceased, filed a third-party complaint against the insurer, and the insurer then brought the action for declaratory judgment in the present case for the purpose of determining whether there was coverage and liability under the policy, naming as defendants in the action the legal representative, the children and the policyholder, and among the defenses set forth by the defendants was that there was no proper case for declaratory judgment, and upon the hearing no contention or claim was made by the insurer that it was uncertain as to any future act or conduct but only that there was a justiciable dispute between the parties and its contention that there was no coverage under the policy, we should, in accordance with the above rulings hold the trial court was correct in directing a verdict for the defendants, even though he may have done so for erroneous reasons. We should accordingly affirm the judgment with direction that it be amended to show it is a judgment of dismissal of the declaratory judgment action, rather than any ruling upon the merits of the questions therein sought to be adjudicated.
I am authorized to state that Judges Quillian and Evans concur in this dissent.