Court Opinion

ID: 9575989
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-21 21:19:21.783531+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T12:53:58.581226
License: Public Domain

Deen, Presiding Judge,
dissenting.
I find the third division of the majority opinion highly disturbing, and dissent therefrom, because as written it is an invitation to any litigant to file sham defenses and ambush the court into granting a jury trial because the opposing party failed to negate an alleged defense which is itself so conclusory, and so vague, that its purport cannot be determined from the pleadings. This makes shambles of the concept of the legal purpose of motions for summary judgment, and defeats the intent of a just, speedy and inexpensive determination of every action. Code § 81A-101.
(a) The sixth defense to this suit on a note is that the plaintiff "refused to comply with the Georgia law governing suits on such instruments.” So far as the record shows the note is good, the petition is good, and all legal requirements have been complied with. Whatever issue was intended to be raised by this defense does not appear. The defendant filed nothing to oppose the motion for summary judgment, not even an affidavit denying liability. The rule as to notice pleading is correctly stated *540in Woods v. Canady, 126 Ga. App. 389 (190 SE2d 920): "It now suffices to plead conclusions, whether of fact or of law, provided the pleading is sufficiently definite so as to give fair notice to the opposite party of the precise nature of the matters thereby raised and sufficiently inform the court to determine the question presented.” (Emphasis supplied.) In other words, and this is particularly applicable where the question arises on motion for summary judgment, there must be some fair notice given of the matters, raised so as to sufficiently inform the court, so that he can determine the question presented. This is precisely what was not done. The suit on this note so far as can be determined complies with Georgia negotiable instrument law. Now the defendant in this court seeks to produce new facts and to contend that the plaintiff wilfully failed to list certain property for taxation in contravention of Code § 92-125 relating to taxation of property. Nothing indicates that this issue was ever raised in the trial court. At the very least, notice pleading is not notice unless the parties are aware of what the point at issue may be. Nowhere does the defendant attempt to show that this was his argument below. Nothing in the record supports the proposition that the plaintiff wilfully failed to pay anything, or, if so, what bearing it would have on this litigation. Nothing gives notice of this so-called defense so that it would occur to the trial judge to consider it or the opposing party to disprove it. If this is the rule, we should abandon summary judgment as a legal tool altogether.
(b) The fourth defense was the unsworn statement "that there has been a total failure of consideration upon said note.” The record itself conclusively shows this conclusion is untrue, since it is recognized by both parties that the note was a purchase money note on a house purchased and received by the defendant. This statement, again, means nothing unless the defendant on the summary judgment hearing gives some indication that there is a jury issue regarding failure of consideration. As Judge Clark stated in Carlton Co. v. Allen, 135 Ga. App. 658 (1) (218 SE2d 666): " 'The defense of failure of .consideration (whether total or partial) is an affirmative one ...’ Coast Scopitone, Inc. v. Self, 127 Ga. App. 124 (192 SE2d 513).” The mere unsworn conclusory statement is *541again disproved by the record unless it is backed up by affidavit or otherwise. "Ultimate or conclusory facts and conclusions of law . . . cannot be utilized on a summary judgment motion.” Cel-Ko Builders &c., Inc. v. BX Corp., 136 Ga. App. 777, 781 (222 SE2d 94).
Code § 81A-156 (e) provides that the party opposing a motion for summary judgment "may not rest upon the mere allegations or denials of his pleading, but. . . must set forth specific facts showing that there is a genuine issue for trial. If he does not so respond, summary judgment, if appropriate, shall be entered against him.” This statute was quoted in Summer-Minter & Assoc. v. Giordano, 231 Ga. 601, 604 (203 SE2d 173) with the following comment: "It is thus seen that it is the duty of each party at the hearing on the motion for summary judgment to present his case in full. Crutcher v. Crawford Land Co. [220 Ga. 298, 303 (138 SE2d 580)]; Studstill v. Aetna Cas. &c. Co., 101 Ga. App. 766 (115 SE2d 374).” That case further stated: "When viewed in proper perspective under present practice in Georgia, summary judgment under our law is just what the name implies. It is an abbreviated trial, but of no less importance than any other trial on the merits of the case. One must prepare for a summary judgment hearing with the same thoroughness and expectation of finality one must contemplate for any trial.”
I am authorized to state that Presiding Judge Quillian and Judges Stolz and Marshall join in this dissent.