Jim Walter Homes, Inc. v. Spraggins

The primary issue presented on appeal is whether the trial court properly denied the defendants' motion to compel arbitration on the ground that the plaintiffs presented substantial evidence indicating that they had been fraudulently induced into signing the arbitration agreement. The facts are largely undisputed. On September 30, 1997, Brian Spraggins and Jennifer Spraggins entered into a contract for the purchase of a house from Jim Walter Homes, Inc. (""JWH""), to be constructed on property the Spragginses owned. A.L. Richardson, an agent and employee of JWH, conducted most of the transaction on behalf of JWH. The contract of purchase includes a paragraph that provides, as follows: