Court Opinion

ID: 9603440
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-22 02:06:18.732631+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T18:02:11.581062
License: Public Domain

Carley, Judge,
dissenting.
I respectfully dissent from that portion of Division 2 of the majority opinion which finds no error in the trial court’s failure to charge, upon written request, that “acquiescence or silence, when the circumstances require an answer, a denial, or other conduct, may amount to an admission.” OCGA § 24-3-36 (Code Ann. § 38-409). The majority finds no error in the refusal to charge appellant’s written request, because, in the opinion of the majority, “the circumstances, ... did not require an answer or denial, where the appellee understood the arrangement to be for tax purposes.” Thus the majority holds that the charge requested was not adjusted to the evidence.
On the contrary, while the charge may not have been adjusted to appellee’s evidence, there was certainly clear evidence that the appellee was silent at the time she became aware of the placement of the vehicle’s title in the appellant’s name. This “acquiescence or silence” is amply demonstrated by the following portion of appellee’s testimony on cross-examination:
“Q Okay. Now, you knew at the time that the title was made out that Mr. McCord who was the president of Timber Equipment asked that it be put in Timber Equipment Company, Inc., is that right?
A Yes, he did.
Q All right. And you knew that the title to this automobile was not in your name, is that right?
A I thought we were to get married, so, yes, sir.
*760Q Yes, Ma’am. If you would please answer the question, then you can offer any explanation you want to, but please answer the question.
A Yes, I knew that.
Q You did? Okay. And you never asked Mr. McCord to put the title of the car into your name, did you?
A No.
Q All right. And you were present during the transaction, and you did not voice any objection to the title being placed in the name of Timber Equipment, Inc.?
A No.”
Earlier, on direct examination, appellant had “explained” her silence by saying “. . . I didn’t object to [the taking of title in the company name] because I had assumed that we were getting married ... and I saw no need for the title to be in my name.” It is true that, when asked if the deceased “ever made mention to you of why he put this car in the name of Timber Equipment Company,” she responded: “To keep from having to pay taxes; as a business write-off.” However, she did not state when the deceased so informed her of his reason for having the title in the corporate name. In any event, this was merely her explanation for her silence and it is for the jury — not the trial court or this Court — to accept or reject that explanation. Thus, the jury should have been charged in the language of the code section so that the jury could determine whether appellant’s “acquiescence or silence” was satisfactorily explained or amounted to an admission. Since the trial court refused to give this written request, it is my opinion that this was reversible error requiring a new trial.
I am authorized to state that Judge Sognier joins in this dissent.