58 Ga. App. 44 | Ga. Ct. App. | 1938
Where the owner of personal property orally authorizes his agent to lease it to another for a period of three months, and orally authorizes him to give to the sublessee an option to buy, where the option price of the property is more than $50, the option so given by the agent is not binding on the owner in the absence of facts sufficient to work an estoppel or show ratification of a completed sale. Code, § 20-401(7); Neely v. Sheppard, 185 Ga. 771 (196 S. E. 452); Code, § 4-105; Kennington v. Small, 36 Ga. App. 176 (136 S. E. 326); Robinson v. Odom, 35 Ga. App. 262 (133 S. E. 53); City Drug Co. v. American Soda
In a trover suit by the owner against the agent, for a conversion of the property, wherein the defendant answered that the owner had authorized the giving of the option and the sale, without alleging whether or not the authority was in writing, presumably it was, and by failure to demur to the answer the plaintiff did not waive his right to attack the validity of parol authority to give an option on the property, the sale price of which was more than $50, by objection to evidence, Code, § 81-311; Walker v. Edmundson, 111 Ga. 454 (36 S. E. 800); Willis v. Sutton, 116 Ga. 283 (42 S. E. 526); Harrington v. Neese, 52 Ga. App. 643 (184 S. E. 329); Metropolitan Life Insurance Co. v. Hale, 47 Ga. App. 674 (171 S. E. 306); Smith v. Hodges, 8 Ga. App. 785 (70 S. E. 195).
It was error to admit testimony showing parol authority to execute the option and purchase, over timely objection.
In view of these rulings it is unnecessary to pass upon the other assignments of error. The court erred in overruling the motion for new trial.
Judgment reversed.