Mitchell v. Southern Dairies Inc.

Mitchell v. Southern Dairies Inc., 49 S.E.2d 912 (Ga. Ct. App. 1948)

Court: Court of Appeals of Georgia · State Appellate Courts
Decided: October 14, 1948
Docket: No. 32175.
Judges: Felton, Sutton, Parker
Citations: 49 S.E.2d 91277 Ga. App. 7711948 Ga. App. LEXIS 640

Cited by 6

Opinion of the Court — Felton

Felton, J.

Where a person, is employed by a corporation for wages and, after the employee has earned wages under the contract of employment, the employer refuses to pay the employee the wages earned without legal process and in wanton disregard of the employee’s rights and against his will, the only recourse available to the employee is an action for a breach of the contract of employment, as the only duty placed upon the employer arises solely by reason of the contract. Code, § 105-101. See Manley v. Exposition Cotton Mills, 47

Ga. App.

496 ( 170 S. E. 711 );

Milledgeville Water Co.

v. Fowler, 129 Ga.

111 ( 58 S. E. 643 );

Briarcliff Inc.

v. Kelley, 198 Ga.

390 ( 31 S. E. 2d, 586 );

Louisville & Nashville R. Co.

v. Spinks, 104 Ga.

692 ( 30 S. E. 968 );

Georgia Kaolin Co.

v. Walker, 54

Ga. App.

742 ( 189 S. E. 88 );

City & Suburban Ry.

v. Brauss, 70

Ga.

368 ;

Fain v. Wilkerson, 22

Ga. App.

193 (2) ( 95 S. E. 752 );

American Oil Co.

v. Roper, 64

Ga. App.

743 ( 14 S. E. 2d, 145 );

Howard v. Central of Ga. Ry. Co., 9

Ga. App.

617, 619 ( 71 S. E. 1017 ). Code §§ 66-102 and 66-9901, making it a criminal offense for an employer to fail to make the payments therein specified a penal offense, is solely and exclusively a penal statute and does not create a private or public duty outside of the contract. The mere refusal to pay wages by the employer does not deprive the employee of his property or -the right to earn a livelihood without due process of law.

Since this action sounded solely in tort for the amount of wages withheld and punitive damages in the amount of 85000, the court did not err in sustaining the general demurrer to the petition and dismissing the action.

Judgment affirmed.

Sutton, C. J., and Parker, J., concur.

How later courts describe this case

No later court has written an explanatory parenthetical about this case yet.

Cited by 6 cases

View all citing references →

Relies on it most ⓘ

Leonard v. Firemen's Insurance111 S.E.2d 773 (Ga. Ct. App. 1959)
Rhine v. Sanders110 S.E.2d 128 (Ga. Ct. App. 1959)
Willis v. City of Atlanta595 S.E.2d 339 (Ga. Ct. App. 2004)
Calhoun v. Federal National Mortgage Ass'n823 F.2d 451 (11th Cir. 1987)
44 Fair empl.prac.cas. 761, 44 Empl. Prac. Dec. P 37,396 Walter W. Calhoun v. Federal National Mortgage Association, George H. Kasper, Jr.823 F.2d 451 (11th Cir. 1987)
The PURE OIL COMPANY v. Dukes115 S.E.2d 449 (Ga. Ct. App. 1960)

Most recent

Willis v. City of Atlanta595 S.E.2d 339 (Ga. Ct. App. 2004)
44 Fair empl.prac.cas. 761, 44 Empl. Prac. Dec. P 37,396 Walter W. Calhoun v. Federal National Mortgage Association, George H. Kasper, Jr.823 F.2d 451 (11th Cir. 1987)
Calhoun v. Federal National Mortgage Ass'n823 F.2d 451 (11th Cir. 1987)
The PURE OIL COMPANY v. Dukes115 S.E.2d 449 (Ga. Ct. App. 1960)
Leonard v. Firemen's Insurance111 S.E.2d 773 (Ga. Ct. App. 1959)
Rhine v. Sanders110 S.E.2d 128 (Ga. Ct. App. 1959)

Citing references are not a citator: they show that a later opinion cites this case, not whether it followed, distinguished, or overruled it. Check negative history before relying on this case.

Authorities cited 9

Depth	Case	Cited by
	Louisville & Nashville R. R. v. Spinks, 30 S.E. 968 (Ga. 1898)	37
	Fain v. Wilkerson, 95 S.E. 752 (Ga. Ct. App. 1918)	34
	Manley v. Exposition Cotton Mills, 170 S.E. 711 (Ga. Ct. App. 1933)	23
	Milledgeville Water Co. v. Fowler, 58 S.E. 643 (Ga. 1907)	21
	Howard v. Cent. of Ga. Ry. Co., 71 S.E. 1017 (Ga. Ct. App. 1911)	18
	Am. Oil Co. v. Roper, 14 S.E.2d 145 (Ga. Ct. App. 1941)	11
	Ga. Kaolin Co. v. Walker, 189 S.E. 88 (Ga. Ct. App. 1936)	10
	Briarcliff Inc. v. Kelley, 31 S.E.2d 586 (Ga. 1944)	6
	City & Suburban Ry. v. Brauss, 70 Ga. 368 (1883)	47

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