Court Opinion

ID: 9577180
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-21 21:32:26.912207+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T13:20:04.608581
License: Public Domain

On Motion for Rehearing.
MacIntyre, P. J.
' The defendants in error have filed a motion for rehearing in which they contend that this court overlooked the following evidence: “We had an oral agreement for the use of the property for one year. . . In other words, my testimony is that while this agreement as to personal property called for $90 per month that I had an agreement for the use of the premises without additional rent being paid,” this being testimony by one of the plaintiffs, and also the following testimony by the defendant Cooper: “They were to use the space where the equipment was. The equipment was already there. They did in fact use it four months.” The indicated omitted language is as follows: “We were supposed to pay $90 a month for the use of the property and the equipment.” It is contended that the quoted evidence was sufficient to authorize the trial judge to find that there were two agreements, one for the use of the personal property and another for the use of the premises where it was located. But what was the consideration for the oral lease? It is nowhere contended that it was the writ*342ten contract for the lease of the personal property. The whole tenor of the testimony for the plaintiffs was, as stated in the opinion rendered, that the $90 expressed as the consideration for the lease of the personal property was also for the use of the premises. Thus it is sought by oral testimony to change the terms of a written contract and this can not be done. The quoted testimony of one of the plaintiffs does not show to the contrary. If a written contract does not in fact express the real agreement between the contracting parties, the remedy, if any, is reformation in a proper proceeding for that purpose. It was nowhere shown that Cooper had any authority to lease the premises. A written agreement was entered into at the special request of the plaintiffs, according to his uncontroverted testimony, and this instrument, which related only to the use of the personal property, was then taken to the home of his employer and there signed by him.
In renewing their contention that the parol testimony having been admitted without objection should be taken into consideration, it is pointed out that Cleghorn v. Shields, 165 Ga. 362 (2) (141 S. E. 55), which we cited as showing that the question here is one of substantive law, was rendered with two Justices dissenting, and it is asserted by movants that this court is not bound by it and should follow certain cited cases where it is held that where parol evidence of the kind there under consideration was admitted without objection it is entitled to consideration. We regard the Cleghom case as stating sound law, but in any event it is well settled that this court is bound by such a decision of the Supreme Court. Without discussing the cases decided by this court and cited by the movants, it is sufficient to say that any ruling therein made, if contrary to that in the Cleghom case, must yield thereto. In Walters v. Americas Jewelry Co., 114 Ga. 564 (40 S. E. 803), the parol evidence was admitted, not for the purpose of changing the terms of a written contract, but to determine whether the contract was one of rental or purchase. In Barber v. Housing Authority of Rome, 189 Ga. 155 (5 S. E. 2d, 425), the parol evidence was admitted for the purpose of clarifying a description of property. The inapplicability of these two cases is obvious.
It is further submitted that this court overlooked the fact that *343the parties operated under their parol agreement for four months. As hereinbefore pointed out, it was not shown that Cooper had any authority to lease the premises. It appears that his employer had a lease on the premises, but only an unexpired period of about four months remained, and that he, being ill, was retiring from the chicken business. It further appears that, without objection, Cooper allowed the personal property to remain and be used in the space it had occupied until the true owner of the premises notified the plaintiffs to vacate. Nevertheless Cooper was without authority to lease the premises, and though occupying the space the plaintiffs were not even tenants at will. But as pointed out in the opinion, even if it could be said, as contended by the plaintiffs, that the use of the premises created an obligation to pay reasonable rent, then, since no time was specified, the right of possession ceased at the end of the calendar year, and after that they occupied no better position than tenants by sufferance and were not entitled to any notice to vacate. They were, in fact, given notice by the true owner.
All grounds and matters in the motion having been considered, the motion for rehearing is

Denied.

Gardner and Townsend, JJ., concur.