Court Opinion

ID: 9578354
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-21 21:44:25.848007+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T13:26:32.527836
License: Public Domain

Gregory, Justice,
dissenting.
The majority opinion seeks to distinguish this case from Goodman v. Lewis, 247 Ga. 605 (277 SE2d 908) (1981) where we said, “[i]t is well established that whether a deed was made with the intent to delay or defraud creditors is a question of fact for the jury to decide from all the circumstances of the case. [Cits.]” The basis for this distinction is the majority’s conclusion that this record is devoid of any suggestion that the transfer here was made for any reason other than to delay or defraud appellee’s creditors. With this I cannot agree and must, therefore, respectfully dissent.
The record before us contains evidence from which the jury was authorized to find that appellee’s son from a prior marriage bought a jewelry business from Crawford, giving Crawford a promissory note which was co-signed by appellée and secured by inventory. At the time appellee co-signed the promissory note, Crawford orally promised him that in the event the business failed he [Crawford] would try to satisfy the debt from the inventory prior to seeking to enforce the note against appellee. The business failed and appellee attempted to get Crawford to honor his promise by accepting the inventory in satisfaction of the debt but Crawford refused. On the advice of counsel, appellee transferred all of his real property including that upon which his business offices stood to appellant to force Crawford to honor his promise. (The record is silent as to whether or not this transfer rendered appellee insolvent.) The evidence is undisputed that even though the appellee transferred his real estate, appellee paid the debt in full to Crawford without a suit ever having been filed. Appellee did *549not defraud anyone. This is at least circumstantial evidence that appellee never intended to delay or defraud his creditors. This evidence was properly submitted to the jury which determined the transfer was not made with the intent to delay or defraud creditors. Since the jury was authorized to find as it did, the trial court was correct in denying appellant’s motion for judgment notwithstanding the verdict.