The First Baptist Church of Roswell appeals from the grant of a motion to set aside a judgment and then grant of summary judgment to Charles N. King III. The record shows that King sold residential property to the church for $375,000 and that in the contract of sale promised to donate “to pay or contribute” to the church $5,000 a year for five years for a total of $25,000. The applicable provision in the contract of purchase and sale recited that this promise was additional consideration for the church’s purchase of the property from King. When the money was not received from King, as provided in the contract, the church sued for breach of contract. King answered admitting the essentials of the contract, but denying the enforceability of the promise to pay or contribute the $25,000 because of lack of consideration for his promise.
The church served requests for admission on King, and he failed to respond. Later the church moved for summary judgment using
On May 7, 1991, King filed a motion to set aside the judgment and on July 9, 1991, the motion was granted. Later, King moved for summary judgment based upon his assertion there was no consideration for his promise to pay or contribute the money, and later moved to withdraw the admissions. On March 17, 1992, King’s motion for summary judgment was granted.
The church now appeals contending generally the trial court erred by granting King’s motion to set aside the judgment and the trial court erred by granting summary judgment to King. Held:
1. Under our law, a judgment not based upon a jury verdict is considered within the breast of the court during the term of court in which it is entered (Whitlock v. Wilson,
Under this Code section, “[a] motion to set aside may be brought to set aside a judgment based upon: (1) Lack of jurisdiction over the person or the subject matter; (2) Fraud, accident, or mistake or the acts of the adverse party unmixed with the negligence or fault of the movant; or (3) A nonamendable defect which appears upon the face of the record or pleadings. Under this paragraph, it is not sufficient that the complaint or other pleading fails to state a claim upon which relief can be granted; but the pleadings must affirmatively show no claim in fact existed.” OCGA § 9-11-60 (d), as amended.
King, an attorney, personally filed a motion to set aside asking the court to exercise its discretion to set aside the judgment; he set forth as reasons for the trial court to exercise its discretion the failure of King’s attorney to respond to the motion and good and valid defenses King wished to assert. Although the trial court may have been authorized to grant the motion on those bases if the motion had been filed before May 6, 1991, the date the parties agree the term ended, since the motion was not filed until May 7, 1991, the court lost the
While clearly judgments may be set aside for nonamendable defects (see, e.g., Wasden v. Rusco Industries,
Further, King’s reliance on Gilham v. Stamm & Co.,
2. In view of our disposition in Division 1, we need not address the church’s other enumerations of error.
Therefore, the judgment of the trial court is reversed, and the case remanded to the trial court. The trial court is directed to rein
Judgment reversed with direction.
