Court Opinion

ID: 9562960
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-21 18:35:25.735405+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T09:17:38.058528
License: Public Domain

*91Dben, Judge,
concurring specially,
(a) I reach the conclusion that the judgment in this case should be affirmed but for different reasons.
In the first place, I am inclined to agree that Code § 24-1302 which requires the justice of the peace to continue the case in the absence of the plaintiff is a rule for the benefit of the plaintiff. The defendant should not be allowed to profit by his own laches on the basis of a statute, however illogical, which grants a right only to the plaintiff. However, I think that part of Code § 24-1302 relating to the duty to continue the case in the absence of the plaintiff is irrelevant to this discussion, because the verdict in the amount rendered cannot be supported. Code § 24-1302 specifically requires that: “nevertheless, if the defendant shall file his affidavit denying the justice and fairness of the whole or any part of such account, the court shall not give judgment in favor of the plaintiff for that part of the account so denied and controverted unless supported by other proof.” Whether or not we consider the detailed allegations of the plea of usury (which was filed after such pleas were abolished by the Civil Practice Act) as an addendum to the answer, the answer itself contends that $1.75 of the amount sued for constitutes usury. We cannot sweep this amount under the rug by directing that it be written off, simply because it is small. In the first place it constitutes a part of the account, so such action is forbidden by Code § 24-1302. In the second place-, $1.75 may be a small amount, but the question involved, which is whether the practice of Gulf Oil and similar companies in assessing so-called “handling charges” which may run up to 20% a year, is a violation of the usury laws is indubitably both important and productive of very large sums of income, and this court should not dodge a test case because it is framed in miniature. This case must in any event be reversed because the verified pleadings are controverted by a verified answer, unless the defendant has in some other way waived his right to an adjudication of the issue.
This I think he has done. The total amount sued on was $47.89. The defendant stated in his answer that he “admits owing the plaintiff the sum of $46.14”; therefore, he cannot *92complain if judgment is entered against him for this amount. Does the remaining alleged indebtedness constitute matter of law or of fact? If the latter, the certiorari should have been dismissed as premature in the absence of a prior appeal to a jury. See Code § 6-401; Toole v. Edmondson & Seay, 104 Ga. 776, 783 (31 SE 25); White v. Homecraft Spread Co., 64 Ga. App. 715, 716 (13 SE2d 912). Since the summons and account in the justice court show only amounts for articles apparently charged at purchase price, and the answer and plea of usury break down the figures given as purchase price plus interest, there is obviously a question of fact involved as to how much is being charged for what. On this issue the defendant is out of court because he did not take an appeal to a jury.
(b) I have now come full circle. While an amount in a justice court less than $50 which involves a question of fact must be appealed to a jury, certiorari will lie to correct an error of law regardless of the amount. McKay v. Rowland & Co., 20 Ga. App. 403 (1) (93 SE, 36). The enumerations of error Nos. 2 and 3, which refer to evidence, cannot be considered by this court. The first enumeration of error contends that “the court below erred as a matter of law by overruling the defendant-appellant’s petition for certiorari,” and one of the errors assigned in the petition is that the justice of the peace erred “in entering judgment against petitioner on said suit upon open account.” Code § 19-204 requires that a petition for certiorari shall “plainly and distinctly set forth the errors complained of,” and in my opinion the question of whether the justice of the peace should have continued the case in the absence of the plaintiff is not raised with the required specificity and was therefore not before the superior court judge on hearing the application for certiorari. Chan v. Judge, 36 Ga. App. 13 (134 SE 925); Code § 19-203, annotations under catchword “Assignment of error.”
In summary: (1) The question of whether the justice of the peace should have continued the case is not raised by the petition for certiorari and cannot be considered here. (If it should be considered, then I think the statute is for the benefit of the plaintiff only and offers the defendant no basis for error.)
*93(2) The justice of the peace erroneously entered up a judgment where no evidence was presented.
(3) But the defendant cannot complain of the ruling, since as to a part of the amount sued for the debt is admitted, and as to the remaining part a question of fact is presented which cannot be reviewed on certiorari absent an intermediate appeal to a jury.
I would therefore affirm.