Wimberly v. Jones
Wimberly v. Jones
Opinion of the Court
This case originated as an action for the legal partition of a tract of land known as 817 Park St., S. W., in the City of Atlanta, and was brought by Beatrice W. Jones against Mattie Belle Wimberly; it being alleged that the plaintiff and the defendant were tenants in common, each owning an undivided one-half interest in the described property. After partitioned had been appointed, they reported to the court that' the property could not be equitably divided in kind by metes and bounds, and recommended that it be sold and the proceeds be divided. Thereupon the plaintiff filed an amendment to her petition, praying that three commissioners be appointed to conduct a sale of the property, and for an order of the court directing the defendant to show cause why the prayers of the plaintiff should not be granted. The defendant filed her objections, on the grounds that the plaintiff did not have a legal title, right, or interest to any part of the tract sought to be partitioned, and that two described deeds executed by the defendant to the plaintiff, one in 1945 and one in 1946, purporting to convey an interest in the property in question, were void, because at the time the' 1945 deed was made the defendant was incompetent to execute the same, having been adjudged to be a person of unsound mind, and because both deeds were executed in consideration of false and fraudulent promises and representations made by the grantee to the grantor. She further set out an agreement between the plaintiff, the defendant, and others as heirs of Mrs. Callie B. Wimberly, all of whom owned undivided interests in the property which is the subject matter of this suit. She prayed that the plaintiff be denied the right to have the return of the partitioners made the judgment of court; that said two deeds be surrendered and canceled; and that the agreement referred to, and a decree of court based thereon, be reformed and amended to
The case came on for trial before a court and jury, and at the conclusion of the introduction of evidence by both parties the court withdrew from the jury the prayers of the defendant’s cross-action, and directed a verdict for the plaintiff on the prayers of her petition as amended, for partition by sale and division of the proceeds. The verdict returned found that the plaintiff and the defendant each owned an undivided one-half interest in the described property. Thereupon the court entered a decree, directing the commissioners to sell the property at public outcry and divide the proceeds equally, between the plaintiff and the defendant. The defendant’s motion for a new trial, on the general grounds and as amended, was overruled, and the case is here on exceptions assigning error on that order.
In the two special grounds of the motion for a new trial, it is charged that the court erred in directing a verdict because there was evidence on one or more issues in the case, as made by the cross-bill, which should have been submitted to the jury. These will be considered in connection with the general grounds of the motion. In our opinion, the verdict directed by the court was the only one that could legally have been returned.
As we view the case, it is unnecessary to determine whether the warranty deeds executed by the defendant to the plaintiff sought to be canceled, one dated in 1945 and one in 1946, were null and void, either by reason of the defendant not having mental capacity to execute them at the time they were dated, or because, they were made in consideration of false and fraudulent promises made by the grantee, to the grantor. We are of the opinion that the agreement dated April 7, 1947, and the decree of court based .thereon entered on May 6, 1947, along with another agreement dated December 22, 1947, and a deed dated January 6, 1948, determine the respective interests of the parties to this case in the land in question. These agreements, the decree of court, and the deed just referred to, clearly show that at the time the petition for partition was filed in this case, the
The defendant insists that the agreement of April 7, and the decree of court based thereon of May 6, 1947, should be amended and reformed because of certain fraudulent and false promises and agreements made by the plaintiff, which caused the defendant to be lulled into a false sense of security and to acquiesce in said decree. The defendant claims that there was sufficient evidence in the record in this regard to go to the jury.
The record is entirely silent as to anyone making any representations to the defendant about the cash proceeds at the time the defendant signed the agreement of April 7, 1947, or at the time the decree was entered on May 6, thereafter, and according to the record none were made at the time the agreement of December 22, 1947, was made. It is apparent from the testimony of the defendant that any representations referred to by her were made in 1946 or earlier. In the agreement which she signed on December 22, 1947, the defendant agreed that, upon payment to her of $2800, and upon her receipt of the deed from Bennett M. Wimberly and Susan Everett Jones, she would not have any claim or demand of any kind whatever against the plaintiff, and that the agreement would operate as a release and discharge by all the parties of all claims or demands that each might have against the other. Even if it be conceded that the defendant was entitled to a reformation of the agreement of April 7, and of the decree of May 6, 1947, in the absence of Bennett M. Wimberly and Susan Everett Jones as parties, the evidence in this regard was totally insufficient for the jury to pass upon the defendant’s prayer for reformation.
It is further contended that the court erred in refusing to allow the jury to pass on the defendant’s prayers for a money judgment in the sum of $2100.50. The defendant in effect alleged that, on the division of the cash of the estate, the plaintiff not only received her share, but also the share of the defendant. It appears from the evidence without dispute that Bennett M. Wimberly, who was acting in the nature of a trustee for the
Therefore, the court did not err in directing a verdict for the plaintiff, and in subsequently overruling the motion for a new trial as amended.
Judgment affirmed.
Case-law data current through December 31, 2025. Source: CourtListener bulk data.