FI FTH DI VI SI ON
RI CKM A N, C. J.

, M CFA DDEN, P. J.

, and SENI OR A PPELLA TE JUDGE PHI PPS

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D ecem ber 8, 2021



# I n th e Co u r t o f

A p p eals o f

G eo r g ia

A2 1 A1 27 6 . M cW ILLIAM S v . PARKER.

P H I P P S , Sen i o r Ap p el l at e J u d g e.

Ni ch o l as M cW i l l iam s ap p eal s th e t ri al co u rt ’ s d i s m is s al of h i s ren ewal act i o n

i n t h i s au t o m o bi le co ll i si o n cas e. 1 He arg u es t h e co urt i m p ro p erl y ru l ed t hat hi s act i o n

was n o t ren ewab l e u n d er OCGA § 9-2 -6 1 (a) (t h e “ ren ewal s t at u t e”) becau s e h e fai l ed

t o s erv e t he d efen d an t b efo re h is o ri g i n al co m p l ai n t was d is m i ss ed

. W e fi n d n o erro r

an d affi rm

.

Th e rel ev an t fact s are n o t i n d i s p u te. On Sep t em b er 1 4

, 2 0 1 7, M cW i ll i am s s u ed

M ari an Park er fo r p ers o nal i n ju ri es al l eg ed l y res ul t i n g fro m a Sep t e m b e r 1 6

, 2 0 1 5

1 Th e co m

p l ai n t d o es n o t s p eci fi cal l y s t at e t h at t h i s i s a ren ewal act io n u n d er OCGA § 9 -2 -6 1 , b u t n ei t h er p art y co n t en ds o t h erwi s e.co l l i s i o n

. 2 At a p erem p t o ry cal en d ar cal l o n J u l y 1

, 2 01 9

, th e t ri al co u rt d i s m i s s ed t h e

act i on wi t h o u t p reju di ce b as ed o n M c Wi l l i am s’ s fai l u re to s erv e Park er. On

Decem b er 1 1

, 2 0 1 9

, les s t h a n s i x m o nt h s aft er d i s m i s sal o f th e o ri g i n al act i o n,

M cW i ll i am s fi l ed t h e p res en t ren ewal act i o n , s erv i n g Park er l at er t hat m o n t h

.

Park er s u b s eq u en tl y m o v ed to d i s m i s s t he co m p l ai n t

, arg u i n g t h at th e ren ewal

act i on was i n v al i d b ecau s e t h e o ri g i n al act i on was v o i d d u e t o M cW i l li am s’ s fai l u re

t o p erfect serv i ce o f p ro ces s

. McW i l l i am s co u n t ered th a t t he co m pl ai n t was fi l ed

wi t h i n t h e s i x -m o nt h ren ewal p eri o d al lo wed b y OCGA § 9 -2 -6 1 (a ). Fo l l o wi n g a

h eari n g , t h e t ri al co u rt di s m is s ed t h e ren e w al act io n , fi n d in g t h at t h e o ri g i n al

co m p l ai n t was v o id s i n ce s erv i ce was n o t p erfect ed

, an d

, t h erefo re, OCGA § 9 -2 -6 1

(a) d i d n o t ap p l y . M cW il l iam s ap p eal s t h i s ru li n g.

“ W e rev i ew t h e t ri al co u rt ’ s ru l i n g on a m o ti o n t o d i s m is s u n der t h e d e n o v o

s t an d ard o f rev i ew.” Du r l a n d v. Co l o t l

, 3 59 Ga. A p p

. 1 70

, 1 7 2 (1 ) (8 55 SE2 d 8 3 )

(2 0 2 1) (ci t at io n an d pu nct u at io n o m i t t ed ). A s a t h res h ol d m at t er, O CGA § 9 -2 -6 1 (a)

p ro v id es as fo l l o ws :

2 Th e ap pl i cab le st at u t e o f l i m i t at i o n ex pi red o n Mo n d ay , Sep t em b er 18

, 2 0 1 7.
See OCGA § § 9

- 3

- 3 3 (es t ab l i sh i n g a t wo -y ear s t at u te o f li m i t at i o n fo r act i o n s fo r
p ers o n al i n

ju ri es ); 1 -3 -1 (d ) (3 ) (wh en t h e ex p i rat i o n o f a p eri o d o f ti m e m eas u red in

y ears fal l s o n a week en d

, th e p art y s h al l h av e t h ro u g h t h e fo ll o wi ng M o n d ay t o m eet

t h e d ead li n e).

2W h en an y cas e has been co m m en ced

. . . wi th i n t h e ap pl i cab l e s t at u t e o f

l i m i t at i o n s an d t h e p l ai n ti ff d i s co n t i n u es o r d i s m i s s es t h e s am e, i t m ay

b e reco m m en ced

. . . e i t h er wi th i n th e ori g i n al ap p l i cab l e p eri o d o f

l i m i t at i o n s o r wi t h i n s i x m o n t h s a f t er th e d i s co n t i nu an ce or d is m i s s al

, wh i ch ev er i s l at er

. . . ; p ro vi d ed

, h o wev er, i f t h e d i s m i s s al o r

d i s co n ti n u an ce o ccu rs aft er t h e ex pi rat i on of t h e ap p l i cab l e p eri o d o f

l i m i t at i o n , t h i s p ri v i l eg e o f ren ewal s h al l b e ex erci s ed o n l y o n ce. 3

A c co rd i n g t o McW i l l i am s , th e ren ewal s tat u t e ap p l i es i n t h i s cas e beca u s e e v e n

t h o u g h Park er was n o t s erv ed i n t h e o ri g i n a l act i o n , th e o ri g i nal act i o n was

“ co m m en ced ” wi t h i n t h e ap p l i cab l e s t at u t e o f l i m i t at i o n

. He po i n t s t o OCGA § 9 -1 1

-

3 (a), wh i ch p ro vi d es t h at “ [a] ci v i l act i o n i s co m m en ced b y fi l i ng a co m

p l ai n t wi th

t h e co u rt .” M cW il l iam s ’ s arg u m en t , h o wev er, i s u n av ai l i n g

.

It i s wel l s et t led t hat “ [a] s u i t co m m en ces o nl y aft er t h e fi l i ng o f a p et it i o n an d

t h e p ro p er s erv i ce o f p ro ces s u po n t h e d efen d an t as req u ired an d au t h o ri zed b y l aw.”

Th o r bu r n Co

. v. A l l i ed M e d i a o f Ga

. , 2 3 7 Ga. Ap p

. 80 0

, 8 0 2 (1 ) (5 1 6 SE2 d 8 3 3 )

( 1 9 9 9 ). See al s o O CGA § § 9-1 1 -3 (co m m en cem en t o f act io n ), 9 -1 1-4 (c), (d ), (e)

3 Al t h o u g h th e s t at u t e s p eak s i n t e r m s o f t h e p l ai n t i ff d i sco n t in u i n g o r d i s m i s s i n g t h e o ri g i n al act i o n , t h i s Co u rt al s o h as ap p l i ed t h e ren ewal s t at u t e t o cas es i d en t i cal t o t h i s o n e – wh ere t h e t ri al co u rt d i s m is sed t h e o ri g in al act i o n b as ed o n a fai l u re t o p erfect s erv i ce. See, e.g ., Ba xl ey v. Ba l d wi n , 2 8 7 Ga. A p p

. 2 4 5

, 2 4 5 (1 ) (6 5 1
SE2 d 1 7 2 ) (2 0 07 ); McCl en d o n v. Kr o g er Co

. , 27 9 Ga. Ap p

. 4 1 7

, 4 1 7 -4 1 9 (6 3 1 SE2 d
4 6 1 ) (2 0 0 6 ).

3(s erv i ce o f p ro ces s ). O nce s erv i ce h as b een p erfect ed

, t h e s erv ice rel at es b ack t o t h e

d a t e o f fi l i n g , w h ich es t ab l i s h es t h e d at e t h e act io n i s co m m en ced

. McCa l l i s t er v

.

Kn o wl es , 3 0 2 G a

. Ap p

. 3 92

, 3 9 3 (6 9 1 SE2 d 28 0 ) (2 0 10 ). “ If s erv i ce i s n ev er

p erfect ed an d i s n o t wai v ed

, t h e co u rt d o es n ot acq u i re ju ri s d i ct i o n o ver t he d efen d an t

an d t he s u i t i s v o i d

, si n ce t h e fi l in g of a co m p l ai n t wi t h o u t p erfect i n g s erv i ce d o es n ot

co n st i t u t e a p en d i n g s u i t

. ” Th o r b u r n , 2 37 Ga. Ap p

. at 8 0 2 (1 ) (ci t at i o n s an d

p u n ct u at i o n o m it t ed ).

Sp eci fi cal l y reg ard i n g t h e ren ewal s t at u t e, OCGA § 9

- 2

- 6 1 (a), t he Su p rem e

Co u rt of Geo rg i a h as h el d t h at a s u i t i s i n cap ab l e o f ren ewal i f s erv i ce was n ev er

p erfect ed i n th e ori gi nal s ui t becau s e, as m en t i o n ed ab o v e, “ t he fi l i ng o f a co m p l ai nt

wi t h o u t p erfect i n g serv i ce d o es n o t co n s t i t u te a p en d i n g s u i t .” Ho b b s v. Ar t h u r , 2 6 4

Ga. 35 9

, 3 6 0 ( 4 4 4 SE2 d 3 2 2 ) (1 9 9 4 ). Li k ewi se, t h is Co u rt rep eat ed l y h as h el d t h at

t h e ren ewal s t at u t e “ ap pl i es o nl y t o act io n s t h at are v al i d p ri or t o di s m i s s al ” an d t h at

an act i o n i s n o t v al i d i f s erv i ce was n ev er p erfect ed

. Al s t o n v. O wn er

s In s

. Co

. ,

_

_ Ga.

Ap p

.

_ _,

_ _ (8 6 3 SE2 d 3 9 7 ) (2 0 2 1 ) (ci t at i o n an d p u n ct u at i on o m i t t ed ); acco rd

Du r la n d

, 3 5 9 Ga. Ap p

. at 1 72 (1 ); Jen ki ns v. Keo wn , 3 5 1 G a. Ap p

. 42 8

, 4 30 -4 3 1 (1 )

(8 3 0 SE2 d 4 9 8 ) (2 0 1 9); S t ep h en s v. S h iel d s , 2 7 1 Ga. Ap p

. 1 4 1

, 1 4 2 (6 0 8 SE2 d 7 3 6 )

(2 0 0 4). Th u s , co n trary t o M cW i l l i am s ’ s arg u m e n t t h at th i s Co u rt ’ s d eci s i on s

4c onstr

uing th e ren ewal st at u te were wro n gl y d eci d ed b ecau s e t h ey co n trad i ct t h e pla in

l an g u ag e o f OCGA § 9 -1 1 -3 (a), we are b ou n d b y t h e Su p rem e Co u rt ’ s l an g u ag e in

Ho b b s t o t h e effect t h at “ [t ] h e p ri v i l eg e o f d i s m is s al an d r e n e w a l do es n o t ap p l y to

. . . v o i d cas es ” an d t h at an “ o ri g i n al s u it i s v o i d i f s erv i ce was n ev er perfect ed .” 2 6 4

Ga. at 3 60 . In fact

, t h i s Co u rt i m p o s ed a fri v o l o u s ap peal p en al t y ag ai n s t a p l ai n t i ff

m ak i n g a s i m i l ar arg u m en t i n Ba xl ey , n o ti n g t h at Geo rg i a l aw “ is i n d is p u tab l y cl ear”

o n t h i s i s s u e. 2 8 7 Ga. Ap p. at 2 4 6 (2 ).

In d eed

, t h e cas e l aw i s cl ear: b e c a u s e M cW i l l i am s “ d id n o t s erv e [Park er] in

t h e o ri gi n al s ui t p ri o r t o d i sm i s s al

, [h e] can no t u t i l i ze t h e ren ewal s t at u t e t o av o i d t h e

s t at u te o f l im i t at i on b ar to [h i s ] s eco n d su i t .” Hu d s o n v. Meh a

f f ey , 2 39 G a. Ap p

. 7 0 5,

7 0 6 (5 2 1 SE2 d 8 38 ) (1 9 9 9 ); acco rd Al st o n ,

__ Ga. Ap p. at

_

_ ; S t ep hen s , 2 7 1 Ga.

Ap p

. at 14 2. Acco rd i n g ly

, “ t he t ri al co u rt co rrect l y ru l ed t hat [t h i s ] cas e[] co u l d n ot

b e ren ewed u n der O C G A § 9

- 2

- 6 1 (a) o u t s id e t h e s tat u t e o f l i m i t at i o n b ecau s e t h e

act i on [ was ] n o t m ad e ‘ v al i d ’ t h r o u g h s erv i ce b efo re [i t w as ] d is m i s s ed .” A l s t o n ,

_
Ga. Ap p . at

_

_ . See S t ep h en s , 2 7 1 Ga. Ap p . at 1 42

.

Ju d g men t a f f i r m ed . Ri ckma n , C. J., a n d McFa d d en , P. J., co n cu r

.

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