Williford v. Swint
Williford v. Swint
Opinion of the Court
The plaintiff, Mrs. Myrtle Williford, was ” the owner of a tract of land in Glascock County, subject to an outstanding deed to secure a debt of $75. She deeded the land to E. A. Newsome, the father of her eighteen-year illegitimate son. Newsome paid off the outstanding indebtedness. In March, 1934, Newsome conveyed the land to the defendant, Mrs. May B. Swint, who later had Mrs. Williford evicted from possession of the land. Thereupon the plaintiff brought this suit to have her deed to Néwsome and Newsome’s deed to Mrs. Swint canceled, claiming that the conveyance from her was procured by fraud, charging notice of the fraud to Mrs. Swint. By amendment she charged that Newsome, at the time he executed the conveyance to Mrs. Swint, had been adjudged to be a lunatic. The case has been tried four times, each trial resulting in a verdict for the defendants. It has twice been before this court. Williford v. Swint, 181 Ga. 44 (181 5. E. 227); Williford v. Swint, 183 Ga. 375 (188 S. E. 685). After the last of the trials, the plaintiff’s motion for a new trial was overruled, and we now have for review the question as to the correctness of this ruling. Error is assigned: (1) that the court erroneously failed to give in charge to the jury the principle of law that possession of land is notice of the rights of the person in possession; (2) that the court failed to give in charge to the jury the law with reference to contracts executed by a lunatic; (3) that the plaintiff’s case was prejudiced by reference in the charge of the court to the fact that there was no evidence as to mesne profits, whereas the plaintiff in the petition as amended did not claim mesne profits; (4) that the judge erred in giving to the jury a statement of a contention of defendants which it is contended was not made by them; to wit, that Newsome contended that he had made no fraudulent statement to the plaintiff, but that he had carried out any agreement made by him at the time of the execution of the deed.
The plaintiff further objects to the charge of the court wherein it was stated that the defendant Newsome “contends not only that he made no fraudulent statement to the plaintiff; on the other hand contends that he carried out any statement made by him at the time of the execution of the deed.” The objection is that such a contention was not set up in the pleadings, and therefore was not such an issue as to invoke a charge upon it. The plaintiff alleged that she was induced by fraud to deed the land to Newsome, supporting this by an allegation that she executed the deed in consideration of his promise to pay off the indebtedness and deed the property to her son, subject to a life-estate in herself. The defendant denied all the material allegations of the peti
The court’s charge that the plaintiff had failed to introduce evidence to support her prayer for an award of mesne profits, and that the jury would not consider that question, can not be said to constitute harmful error, although the claim for mesne profits had been stricken by amendment. If error, we think it was harmless and insufficient to justify the grant of a new trial.
There was evidence to support the verdict.
Judgment affirmed.
Reference
- Full Case Name
- WILLIFORD v. SWINT
- Status
- Published