Court Opinion

ID: 9846853
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-09-24 03:49:31.154315+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T09:16:55.905029
License: Public Domain

On Motion for Rehearing.
The evidence was undisputed that appellant rebuilt the subject Corvette from several sources. Nevertheless, appellant obtained *279merely a replacement title under Code Ann. § 68-414a. Because the Corvette had been rebuilt, appellant was required to have obtained a salvage title under Code Ann. § 68-420a. In Division 1 of this opinion we held that, because appellant obtained an improper title for the Corvette, the jury was authorized to conclude that he had knowingly concealed or misrepresented the identity thereof. In his motion for rehearing appellant contends that he was unable to obtain a salvage title for the subject Corvette because the insurance company that had sold the Satterfield wreckage to the used auto parts dealer had failed to deliver the title thereto to the State Revenue Commissioner for cancellation in compliance with Code Ann. § 68-420a (a). Indeed, the record in this case established that title to the Corvette had never been cancelled. Appellant asserts that his efforts to obtain a replacement title, rather than a salvage title, were necessitated by the insurance company’s failure to comply with the law.
Failure to fully comply with the provisions of the Motor Vehicle Certificate of Title Act (Code Ann. Ch. 68-4a) would make an insurance company subject to prosecution thereunder. Code Ann. § 68-431a. Nevertheless, the insurance company’s apparent violation of the Act in this case provides no justification for appellant’s failure to comply therewith. See Code Ann. § 26-901. Moreover, there is no evidence in the record which indicates that appellant made any effort whatsoever to obtain a salvage title rather than a replacement title.

Judgment adhered to.