Court Opinion

ID: 9585566
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-21 23:01:40.004548+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T16:41:33.476498
License: Public Domain

Carley, Judge,
concurring specially.
I concur fully in the majority’s reversal of the grant of summary judgment in favor of the defendant in this case and agree completely with the reasoning of the majority in Divisions 1, 2 and 3 of its opinion. I also agree with the holding of the majority in Division 4 that "we are not authorized to go further [in analyzing affidavits of respective parties] by way of qualitative comparison.” However, I cannot agree totally with the majority’s analysis as contained in Division 4 of the opinion.
In Burnette Ford, Inc. v. Hayes, 124 Ga. App. 65 (183 SE2d 78) (1971), this court relied upon the Supreme Court’s answer to a certified question in that case. Burnette Ford, Inc. v. Hayes, 227 Ga. 551 (181 SE2d 866) (1971). By answering affirmatively this court’s certified question, the Supreme Court approved the ultimate ruling of this court that all of the evidence adduced on a motion for summary judgment including the testimony of the party opposing the motion is construed most strongly against the movant. The majority perceives the Supreme Court’s ruling in Burnette Ford, Inc. to be in conflict with the case of Chambers v. C. & S. Nat. Bank, 242 Ga. 498 *495(249 SE2d 214) (1978). I see no such conflict since I read Chambers as requiring a construction of a respondent’s testimony against him only when it is "intentionally or deliberately self-contradictory.” Furthermore, I see nothing in Chambers requiring or authorizing appellate qualitative comparison of opposing affidavits, which comparison the majority correctly refuses to undertake in this case. I am constrained to point out, however, that were Chambers and Burnette Ford in conflict as to a material issue before this court, I believe that we would be compelled to follow Chambers in view of the Supreme Court’s holding in Hall v. Hopper, 234 Ga. 625 (216 SE2d 839) (1975). Thus if Chambers were to be indicative of the "trend” asserted by appellee, I do not think that this court would be authorized to disavow it.