Court Opinion

ID: 9584498
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-21 22:49:00.476382+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T15:08:02.526634
License: Public Domain

Nichols, Chief Justice,
dissenting.
I must disagree with the majority’s reasoning and judgment regarding the second covenant. The second covenant provides: "No building shall be constructed which does not contain a minimum of 1,600 square feet of heated living area.” The trial court held as a matter of law that "living area” means an area in which someone resides and found as a matter of fact that the proposed church would not contain the requisite number of square feet of area in which someone would reside. The majority affirms, holding that the trial court did not abuse its discretion as to the finding of fact and that the trial court’s construction of the covenant is binding upon the appellant because the appellant has not argued that it is erroneous.
The appellant’s brief cites legal authorities, makes *452legal arguments, then concludes that, "In view of the foregoing we respectfully submit that the lower court erred in the following particulars: (a) in over ruling [sic] appellants [sic] motion to dismiss; . . . (d) in misinterpreting the restrictive covenants concerned . . .” (Emphasis supplied.)
I am of the opinion that the appellant’s brief is minimally sufficient to assert that the second covenant as well as the seventh covenant was misconstrued as a matter of law by the trial court. Hence, I reach the issue of the legal construction by the trial court of the second covenant.
We must construe all, not just part, of the words used by the grantor. Davis v. Miller, 212 Ga. 836, 837 (96 SE2d 498) (1957). The second covenant requires that a building contain a certain amount of "heated living area.” The trial court merely construed the last two of those three words. The grantor did not use the word "home,” "house,” "residence,” or such similar term denoting a place where people reside. He used the word "building.” As the majority concedes, a church is as much a "building” as is a house. Neither did the grantor expressly require that someone reside in the 1,600 square feet of area. The trial court and the majority of this court read into the words "living area” two requirements: first, that the area be residential in nature, and second, that someone reside there. The grantor imposed no such limitations. The words "heated living area” used in reference to a church building just as readily can mean heated area occupied by persons, such as the pastor and members of the church, as distinguished from heated area occupied by inanimate objects, such as the building’s heating, cooling and electrical systems. The words "heated living area” when applied to a church building reasonably can be used to differentiate between the sanctuary, the education and recreation rooms, and the pastor’s office, for examples, on the one hand, and the heated storage and furnace rooms, on the other hand, since few church buildings in Georgia have residential apartments containing 1,600 square feet of area.
This court should resolve in favor of the grantee (Voyles v. Knight, 220 Ga. 305 (138 SE2d 565) (1964)) all *453doubt as to the uses permitted since it is by no means "clearly established” by the language used by the grantor when it is "strictly construed” against him (Davis v. Miller, supra) that he meant to permit use of the subdivision land by a church only if the church building contained 1,600 square feet of heated area in which someone resides. The result of the majority’s decision is to turn the rules of construction upside down by construing the language strictly against the grantee rather than in its favor. Accordingly, I must dissent.
I am authorized to state that Justice Hall and Justice Hill join me in this dissent.