Oliver v. Hoffman International Corp.
Oliver v. Hoffman International Corp.
Opinion of the Court
This case involves a foreclosure proceeding under a conditional sale contract brought by Hoffman International Corporation against T. P. Oliver. After the levying of the fi. fa., the defendant filed an affidavit of illegality in which the defenses of failure of consideration and breach of warranty were asserted. Also the defendant in fi. fa. in his affidavit sought damages against the plaintiff for breach of contract. It is conceded by all parties that this initial affidavit of illegality acknowledged that the conditional sale contract was between Hoffman International Corporation as seller and T. P. Oliver as purchaser. However, Oliver later offered a verified amendment to the original affidavit in which in effect he refuted his previous admission that he had contracted with Hoffman by specifically denying that he had done so and by denying that Hoffman had any interest in the contract. In his amendment Oliver asserted that Whit-mire Machinery Co., Inc. was the other party to the agreement and as such held the unassigned rights and duties of performance under it. The trial judge allowed the amended affidavit to be filed subject to demurrer. The plaintiff in fi. fa. filed general and special demurrers to the affidavit as amended, all of which, after hearing, were overruled by the court.
The defendant in fi. fa. filed a motion for new trial on the ground that the court erred in the direction of the verdict, and it is to the overruling of this motion that exceptions are brought. Held:
The trial court erred in directing the jury to return a verdict in favor of Hoffman International Corporation.
Although the initial affidavit of illegality until stricken by amendment was a solemn and binding admission in judicio, it ceased to have this effect when the demurrers to the affidavit as amended were overruled by the trial court. The original affidavit then became a mere matter of evidence which undeniably the defendant had a right to use against the plaintiff in the trial of the case. Stallings v. Britt, 204 Ga. 250, 254 (49 SE2d 517). At this stage of the case it is of no importance whether the amendment was properly or improperly allowed or whether the judgment overruling the demurrers to the amended affidavit was right or wrong. The judg
Judgment reversed.
Case-law data current through December 31, 2025. Source: CourtListener bulk data.