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Cornelius v. Nuvell Financial Services Corp.

Citations: 256 Ga. App. 171; 568 S.E.2d 82; 2002 Fulton County D. Rep. 1838; 2002 Ga. App. LEXIS 765Docket: A02A0695

Court: Court of Appeals of Georgia; June 13, 2002; Georgia; State Appellate Court

Narrative Opinion Summary

The case involves an appeal by former spouses against a trial court's decision granting summary judgment to Nuvell Financial Services and other defendants, while denying their motion for default judgment against K&B Unlimited Services. The plaintiffs alleged tortious conduct related to failed vehicle repossession attempts and sought relief for breach of contract and harassment. The court upheld the summary judgment, finding no genuine issue of material fact. It determined that the plaintiffs failed to present evidence of a breach of contract, as the contract explicitly required Brenda to make payments, and there was no written modification of terms. Additionally, the court concluded that no breach of the peace occurred during the repossession attempts, as there was no evidence of violence or intimidation. The court also affirmed the denial of default judgment against K&B due to improper service, as the plaintiffs did not properly notify the necessary corporate representatives. The judgment of the trial court was affirmed, with no relief granted to the plaintiffs.

Legal Issues Addressed

Breach of Contract

Application: The court found no evidence to support a breach of contract claim since the contract required payments from Brenda, and no written agreement was presented to indicate a change in terms.

Reasoning: The plaintiffs did not present evidence sufficient to support a breach of contract or 'quasi tort' claim, as the contract explicitly required Brenda to make payments, contradicting her assertion that James was responsible.

Default Judgment and Proper Service

Application: The court affirmed the denial of the plaintiffs' motion for default judgment due to improper service of K&B Unlimited Services, as the plaintiffs failed to meet the service requirements.

Reasoning: James admitted to improperly serving K&B by only notifying the Secretary of State, without demonstrating an inability to serve the necessary corporate representatives as required by law.

Repossession and Breach of Peace

Application: The court held that there was no breach of peace under Georgia law because there was no evidence of violence or undue intimidation during the repossession attempts.

Reasoning: The court found that since there was no evidence of violence or undue intimidation, and no repossession occurred, the evidence did not meet the standards for establishing a breach of the peace as outlined in case law.

Summary Judgment Standard

Application: The court applied the standard for summary judgment by assessing whether there was a genuine issue of material fact regarding the claims of tortious acts.

Reasoning: They argue that the trial court erred in determining there was no genuine issue of material fact regarding their claims of tortious acts related to unsuccessful vehicle repossession attempts.