185 Ga. 347 | Ga. | 1938
Carrie Haygood brought in the superior court her equitable petition against the Improved Order of Samaritans, alleging substantially as follows: There is pending in the city court of Athens a suit against the petitioner by the defendant, in which suit the defendant is seeking a judgment against petitioner on certain notes executed by petitioner to the defendant, and a special lien on certain described real estate belonging to petitioner and which petitioner had conveyed to defendant to secure the indebtedness evidenced by the notes sued on. Petitioner was unable to pay the notes when they became due, and offered to surrender the real estate to defendant in payment of the debt. An agreement was then entered into between petitioner and the defendant,
1. “While a city court has no jurisdiction to grant affirmative equitable relief, it may entertain jurisdiction of an equitable plea purely defensive in its nature, which upon being sustained would result simply in a general verdict in favor of the defendant.” House v. Oliver, 123 Ga. 784 (51 S. E. 722); Hanesley v. National Park Bank, 147 Ga. 96 (92 S. E. 879).
2. “A verdict and judgment in favor of the defendant in a suit on a note as effectually cancels the note as would a decree in equity; and a suit thereon in a city court will not be enjoined in order that the superior court as a court of equity may decree a cancellation of the note.” House v. Oliver, supra; Norton v. Graham, 130 Ga. 391 (60 S. E. 1049); Clower v. Bryan, 175 Ga. 790 (166 S. E. 194).
3. “A court of equity will not decree specific performance of a contract which requires the discharge of continuous duties over a long period of time, in order to compel obedience to its decrees. See Edwards v. Milledgeville Water Co., 116 Ga. 201, 203 (42 S.
4. Whether or not the facts of the instant case bring it within the rule just stated, if the petitioner should sufficiently allege and prove a valid contract granting her an extension of the indebtedness sued upon in the city court, a judgment would b.e rendered in her favor, which judgment would as effectively grant her an extension of the indebtedness as a decree in equity for specific performance of the alleged new contract.
5. The court did not err in dismissing the petition on the ground that petitioner had an adequate remedy at law by setting up her defenses in the city court.
Judgment affirmed.