Hall v. Fruehauf Corp.

Decision Date16 June 1986
Docket NumberNo. 71598,71598
Citation179 Ga.App. 362,346 S.E.2d 582
Parties, 2 UCC Rep.Serv.2d 435 HALL v. FRUEHAUF CORPORATION.
CourtGeorgia Court of Appeals

Bruce Berger, Atlanta, for appellant.

James H. Bratton, Jr., John G. Despriet, Atlanta, for appellee.

DEEN, Presiding Judge.

Fruehauf Corporation repaired Hall's trailer on August 3, 1982, in Apopka, Florida. In October it broke down in Dallas, Texas, and was hauled to Atlanta, where it was repaired by Fruehauf at no expense to Hall. The repairs took six weeks to complete. When the truck was taken for repairs in Florida, Hall signed a work order which stated that the order was subject to the terms and conditions on the back. The back of the work order contains a warranty of parts and/or repairs for ninety days and states that defects in materials or workmanship will be replaced or repaired within that period. The warranty further provides that it is in lieu of all other warranties, that repair is the sole remedy for work done under it, that Fruehauf is not liable for incidental or consequential damages due to loss of use, and that if repairs are performed on a no-charge basis, the customer's acceptance thereof is in full settlement of all claims.

Two years later, Hall filed suit against Fruehauf seeking an unstated amount in unspecified "damages" which he claims resulted from the negligent repair of his trailer. Answers to interrogatories revealed that he was seeking six weeks of lost wages. Hall appeals from the grant of summary judgment in favor of Fruehauf, contending that the work order violated the public policy of Georgia and was unconscionable. Held:

From appellant's enumerations of errors it appears he is not contending that there is a material issue of fact requiring jury resolution. Rather, he claims that the court erred in ruling on an issue of law. See OCGA § 11-2-302, unconscionable contract or clause.

"An unconscionable contract is 'such an agreement as no sane man not acting under a delusion would make and that no honest man would take advantage of.' [Cits.]" R.L. Kimsey Cotton Co. v. Ferguson, 233 Ga. 962, 966, 214 S.E.2d 360 (1975). It is well established " 'that contracts will not be avoided by the courts as against public policy, except 'where the case is free from doubt and where an injury to the public interest clearly appears.' [Cit.]' " Cash v. Street & Trail, Inc., 136 Ga.App. 462, 221 S.E.2d 640 (1975). " 'Absent a limiting statute or controlling public policy, parties...

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18 cases
  • Caley v. Gulfstream Aerospace Corp.
    • United States
    • U.S. Court of Appeals — Eleventh Circuit
    • October 31, 2005
    ...as no sane man not acting under a delusion would make and that no honest man would take advantage of." Hall v. Fruehauf Corp., 179 Ga.App. 362, 346 S.E.2d 582, 583 (1986). None of the provisions challenged by the plaintiffs offends this Under the DRP, some claims, many of which would typica......
  • Abdulla v. Klosinski
    • United States
    • U.S. District Court — Southern District of Georgia
    • September 25, 2012
    ...public policy in Georgia void it. To the contrary, a limitation of remedies is not considered unconscionable. Hall v. Fruehauf Corp., 179 Ga.App. 362, 362, 346 S.E.2d 582 (1986). Indeed, waiver-of-defenses clauses similar to that present in this case have been repeatedly enforced in Georgia......
  • Dale v. Comcast Corp.
    • United States
    • U.S. District Court — Northern District of Georgia
    • September 18, 2006
    ...one that "no sane man not acting under a delusion would make and that no honest man would take advantage of." Hall v. Fruehauf Corp., 179 Ga.App. 362, 346 S.E.2d 582, 583 (1986). Plaintiffs contend that the arbitration agreement is procedurally unconscionable because: (1) subscribers had no......
  • Summerville v. Innovative Images, LLC
    • United States
    • Georgia Court of Appeals
    • March 15, 2019
    ...the written contract defines the full extent of their rights and duties.(Citations and punctuation omitted.) Hall v. Fruehauf Corp. , 179 Ga. App. 362, 362, 346 S.E.2d 582 (1986). As to arbitration clauses, "Georgia has ... enacted the [GAC], evidencing the legislature's conclusion that arb......
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