Kelley v. First Real Estate Corp. of Alabama
Kelley v. First Real Estate Corp. of Alabama
Dissenting Opinion
(dissenting).
This Court granted certiorari review to consider whether the Court of Civil Appeals erred in reversing the summary judgment entered by the trial court in favor of the defendants Linda Nelson; Lupee Desmond, d/b/a North Bibb Realty; and First Real Estate Corporation of Alabama. The Court of Civil Appeals reversed the summary judgment with an opinion by Judge Monroe stating that the plaintiffs had presented substantial evidence creating genuine issues of material fact as to whether the defendants had committed a fraud, the nature of any fraud committed, and whether the statute of limitations barred the plaintiffs’ action. This Court now quashes the writ as having been improvidently granted. I dissent.
The facts and legal issues presented in this case are adequately stated in Judge Monroe’s opinion and Judge Crawley’s dissenting opinion. Kelley v. First Real Estate Corp. of Alabama, 706 So.2d 1201 (Ala.Civ.App. 1997).
In dissent, Judge Crawley and .Judge Thompson "wrote that they believed that the evidence showed that the alleged misrepresentation fell into the category of “promissory fraud”; that the plaintiffs presented no evidence indicating that the defendants had intended to deceive them; and that the summary judgment was therefore proper and should be affirmed. After reviewing the rec
In this case, the alleged misrepresentations related to acts that were to be performed in the future, specifically, the paving of subdivision roads by Bibb County; therefore, it appears to me, this case involves a claim of promissory fraud, as did Ballew. The evidence in this case is undisputed that the selling agent, Linda Nelson, believed that the county was going to pave the roads. Consequently, the plaintiffs were required to present sufficient evidence that the defendants had intended to deceive them; they did not present such evidence. Therefore, the plaintiffs failed to supply a necessary element of their claim of promissory fraud.
HOOPER, C.J., and SEE, J., concur.
Opinion of the Court
WRIT QUASHED AS IMPROVIDENTLY GRANTED.
Dissenting Opinion
(dissenting).
As to Donna Smelcer and Tracy Smelcer, I would reverse the judgment of the Court of Civil Appeals; as to Tom Kelley and Meza Kelley, I would affirm that judgment.
Reference
- Full Case Name
- Ex Parte Lupee Desmond, D/B/A North Bibb Realty. (Re Tom Kelley, Meza Kelley, Tracy Smelcer, and Donna Smelcer v. First Real Estate Corporation of Alabama). Ex Parte First Real Estate Corporation of Alabama and Linda Nelson. (Re Tom Kelley, Meza Kelley, Tracy Smelcer, and Donna Smelcer v. First Real Estate Corporation of Alabama).
- Status
- Published