98 Ga. 527 | Ga. | 1896
' It appears that Gordy, an insolvent trader, had executed mortgages to the Fourth National Bank of Columbus, to-Peabody, Brannon, Hatcher & Martin, to O. O. Bullock, and to L. A. Scarborough. The Cortland Wagon Company and others, creditors of Gordy,- filed an equitable petition against him and all of the above mentioned mortgagees except Scarborough, for the purpose of having the assets-of Gordy administered under the insolvent trader’s act. The petition also contained certain allegations and prayers-for discovery, the apparent purpose of which was to- attack the validity of the mortgages held by the three mortgagees-who were parties to the proceeding.
The attack upon the mortgage given to Peabody, Brannon, Hatcher & Martin, who were a firm of practicing-attorneys, really amounted to- nothing, the only charge against their mortgage being, in effect, that it was given to secure them a fee for their services to be rendered in the-litigation which Gordy anticipated would arise over the winding up of his affairs — the debtor’s anticipation of which appears to have been realized. It was certainly his right to employ attorneys, and we can conceive of no- reason why it was not perfectly legitimate and proper for him to secure to them adequate compensation for their services in this manner. See Drucker & Bro. v. Wellhouse & Sons, 82 Ga. 129.
The attacks upon the mortgages given to the bank and to-Bullock were not direct and unequivocal. The petition nowhere distinctly averred that these mortgages were without adequate consideration. It merely charged in general terms, and upon information and belief, certain things which, if true, would show that Gordy was not really ever originally indebted to these parties the full amounts set-