Court Opinion

ID: 9578491
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-21 21:45:45.565393+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T13:27:57.813160
License: Public Domain

Felton, Chief Judge,
dissenting in part. I concur in all of the rulings except the ruling in Division 3 (a), and I dissent from that ruling and the judgment of affirmance. Demurrer number 2, filed by the defendant, is as follows: “2. Defendant demurs specially to said petition on the ground that plaintiff does not state therein whether the contract declared upon was in writing or in parol, and on the further ground that if said contract was in writing plaintiff has failed to attach a copy to said petition.” Special demurrer number 3 filed by the defendant is as follows: “3. Defendant demurs specially to said petition on the ground that it does not appear from said petition that the contract declared upon was in writing, and for that reason it affirmatively appears from said petition that said alleged contract is void and unenforceable under the statute of frauds.” There is a serious question whether the services allegedly contracted for could not possibly be performed within one year, but the demurrers reach the point that the defendant is entitled to have a copy of the contract attached to the petition whether the alleged contract came within the Statute of Frauds or not. If the contract was not within the Statute, the defendant is entitled to have the contract attached if it is in writing. If the contract is within the Statute of Frauds, the defendant is also entitled to have a copy of the contract sued on attached to the petition. Code § 81-105 provides: “Copies of contracts, obligations to pay, or other writings should be incorporated in or attached to the petition in all cases in which they constitute the cause of action, or the relief prayed for must be based thereon. In suits to recover money on an insurance policy it shall be necessary to *203attach a copy of only what appears upon the face or in the body of the policy. In suits on account a bill of particulars should be attached. In actions for the recovery of land the plaintiff must attach an abstract of his title. (Acts 1887, p. 64.) ” The cases cited in the majority opinion are not authority for the ruling by the majority. It is true that where a contract is required to be in writing it is not a ground of demurrer that the petition does not allege whether it is in writing or not for the reason that the law presumes that it is in writing, but an objection that there is no allegation that a contract is in writing is not the same thing as an objection that a copy of the contract is not attached to the petition. I think the majority is confused by the rulings of both of the appellate courts to the effect that a written contract, admittedly sued upon, need not be attached if it is sufficiently set out in the petition. Code § 81-105, catchword “Contract.” In this case the petition does not show that it is the intention of the plaintiff to sue upon an admitted contract in writing, the substance of which is alleged in the petition. Kiser Co. v. Padrick, 30 Ga. App. 642 (15), supra, holds that it is not a good ground of demurrer that no copy of the contract was attached to the petition. This case cites Lynah v. Citizens &c. Bank, 136 Ga. 344 (2) (71 SE 469) and Dotson v. Savannah &c. Canning Co., 140 Ga. 161 (1) (78 SE 8011. The Lynah case, supra, involved an action which admittedly relied upon writings as a basis for recovery which is not true in the Kiser case. The Dotson case, supra, also involves an action based on an admitted written contract. Since the ruling in the Kiser case, supra, is in conflict with Code § 81-105, the Code section must prevail. The question in this case seems to me to be conclusively settled in principle, at least, by the ruling of the Supreme Court in Beecher v. Carter, 189 Ga. 234 (4) (5 SE2d 648).
The cases holding that in the field of pleading the law presumes that a contract within the Statute of Frauds is in writing is unsound because often they are not in writing. Such a presumption is not conclusive and often prolongs litigation which could have been ended by the requirement of proper pleading. If Kiser Co. v. Padrick, 30 Ga. App. 642, supra, is the law we may as well tear section 81-105 out of the Code. How can a *204defendant obtain his rights under this Code section unless he can ascertain whether the contract sued on is in writing or not?