SECOND DI VI SI ON

A NDREWS, P. J.

, M I LLER and BRA NCH, JJ.

N O T IC E : M otions for r e c ons i de r a tion m us t be ph y sic a l ly r e ce iv ed i n our c le r k ’s offic e w ithin te n da y s of the da te of de c is ion to be de e m ed tim e ly file d.

http://w w w .ga a ppe a ls .us /r ule s /

June 26, 2015



# I n th e Co u r t o f

A p p eals o f

G eo r g ia

A1 5 A0 68 3 . ROSS, et al . v . W ATERS

M I LLE R , J u d ge.

Ap ri l e B. W at ers fi l ed a m ed i cal m al p r a c t i ce s u it ag ai n s t D r. W i l l i am A. J

.

Ro s s an d Ro s s Ort h o p aed i c W el l n es s Cen t er, P. C., (co l l ect i v el y t h e “ Defen d an t s ”)

i n DeKal b Co u n ty St at e Co u rt

. Th ereaft er, t h e Defen d an t s fi led a m o t i o n t o d i s m i ss

fo r i m p ro p er v en u e an d a m o ti o n t o d i s m i s s b ecau se t h ey al l eg e th e s t at u t e o f rep o s e

was n o t t o l l ed u n d er t h e Serv i cem em bers Ci v i l Rel i ef Act (SCRA). Th e t r i al co u rt

d en ie d both m o tions. W e gr a n t ed t h e Defen d an t s ’ ap p l i cat i on fo r i n t erl o cu t o ry rev i ew

an d t hi s ap p eal en s u ed

. Aft er a t h o r o u g h r ev i ew, we rev ers e b ecau se v en u e was

i m p ro p er i n DeKal b Co un t y

.

Th e reco rd s h o ws t h a t o n Ju l y 2 6

, 20 0 7

, W at ers recei v ed a left t o t al h ip

art h ro p l as t y b y Dr. Ro s s at Ro s s Ort h o p aed i c W el l nes s Cen t er (“ Ro s s Ort h o p aed i c”)l o cat ed i n Dek al b Co un t y an d h av i n g i t s reg i s t ered offi ce i n Fu l t on Co un t y

. Aft er t h e

s u rg ery , W at ers ex p eri en ced s ev ere p ai n i n h er l eft h i p u n t i l Oct o b er 20 0 8

, wh en s h e

h ad an o t h er d o ct o r p erfo rm a s eco n d s u rg ery o n h er hi p

. W a t ers ’ s ex p ert

, an

o rt h o p aed i c s u rg eo n , o p i n ed th at t h e l eft to t al h i p art h ro p las t y p erfo rm ed by Dr. Ro ss

was n o t m ed i cal l y n eces s ary an d d ev i at ed fro m t h e req u i r ed st an d ard o f care o f

o rt h o p ed i c s u rg eo n s

.

In J u l y 2 0 0 9

, W at ers fi led a co m p lai n t fo r d a m ag es i n Fu l t on Co u nt y St at e

Co u rt ag a i n s t t h e Defen d an t s al l eg i n g a cl ai m o f m ed ical m al pract ice. On M ay 2 5,

2 0 1 0

, t h e cas e w as st ay ed b ecau s e Dr. Ro s s was b eg i n n i n g h i s m i l it ary d u t y wi t h t h e

Un i ted St at es Arm

y

. Th e st ay was l i ft ed i n J u n e 2 0 1 2

, an d t h e cas e was s ch ed u l ed fo r

t ri al o n Sep t em

b er 1 8 , 2 0 12

. On Sep t em b er 1 4

, 20 1 2 , W at ers v o l un t ari l y d i s m i s s ed

h er co m pl ai n t. In t h e s am e m o n t h

, Ro s s Ort h o p aed i c was ad m i n i s t rat i v el y d i s s o l v ed

.

On M arc h 1

, 2 0 1 3

, W at ers fi l ed a ren ewal act i o n ag ai n s t t h e Defen d an t s in

DeKal b Co u n t y St at e Co u rt

. Su b s eq u en t l y , t h e Defen d an ts fi led t h ei r m o t i o n to

d i s m i s s or tran s fer b as ed o n i m p ro p er v en ue, arg u i n g t h at v en u e was p ro p er in Fu l t o n

Co u n t y wh ere D r. Ro s s was d o m i ci l ed an d w h ere Ro s s Ort h o paed i c h ad it s reg i s t ered

o ffi ce p ri o r to i t s ad m i n i s t rat i v e d i s s ol u t i o n

. Th e Defen d an t s al s o fi l ed a m o t i o n to

d i s m i s s arg u i n g t h at W at ers ’ s c o m p l a i n t was barred u n d er t h e fi v e-y ear s t at u t e o f

2rep o s e fo r m ed i cal m al p ract i ce s u i t s an d t h at t h e s t at u t e o f rep o s e was n o t t o l l ed by

Dr. Ro s s ’ s m i l it ary

s erv i ce u n d er t h e SCRA.

Fo l l owi n g a h e a r i n g , t h e t ri al co u rt fo u n d t hat v en u e was pro p er i n DeKal b

Co u n t y b ecau s e Ro s s O rt h o p aed i c h ad i t s p ri nci p al o ffi ce i n DeKal b Co u n t y p ri o r to

i t s d i s so l u t i o n

. Th e t ri al co u rt al s o fo un d th at t he p l ai n an d u nam b i g u o u s t ex t o f § 5 2 6

(a) o f t h e SCRA t o l l ed t h e fi v e-y ear s t a t u t e o f rep o s e fo r m ed i cal m al p ract i ce s u i t s

u n d er OCGA § 9-3 -7 1 (b ).

1

. Th e Defen d an t s co n ten d t h at t he t ri al co u rt erred b y d en y i n g t h ei r m o t i o n to

d i s m i s s / t ran s fer v en u e t o Fu l t o n Co u n t y . W e ag ree.

“ In ru l in g o n a m ot io n t o d i s m i s s , t h e t ri al co u rt m u s t accep t as t ru e al l

wel l -p l ed m at eri al al leg at i o n s i n t h e co m p l ai n t an d m

u s t res ol v e a n y

d o u b t s i n fav o r o f t h e pl ai n t ff. W e rev i ew t he t ri al co u rt ’ s ru li ng de

n o v o .”

(Ci t at i o n s , p un ct u at i on an d fo o t n o t es om it t ed .) Ro b er s o n v. No r t h r u

p

, 3 0 2 G a. Ap p.

4 0 5 (6 91 SE2 d 5 4 7 ) (2 0 1 0 ).

“ Su i t s ag ai n s t jo i n t t ort feas o rs res i d i ng i n d ifferen t co u n t i es m a y b e t ri ed in

ei t h er co u n t y .” (Fo o t n ot e om i t t e d

. ) Co l on y B a nk W

or t h v. Ca ter

p i l l a r Fi n

. S

er vs

.

Co r p

., 2 8 1 Ga. Ap p

. 3 9 7

, 39 8 (6 3 6 SE2 d 1 1 9) (2 0 0 6 ). Here, Dr. Ro s s i s a res i d en t o f

Fu l t o n Co u n t y , s o t h e q u es t i o n o f wh et h er v en u e i s ap p ro p ri at e i n DeKal b Co u n t y

3req u i res t h i s Co urt to l o o k t o t h e rel ev an t s tat u t o ry au th o ri t y an d cas e l aw i nv o l v i n g

v en ue fo r d o m es t ic co rp o rat i on s

.

Un d er Geo rg ia l aw, fo r t he p u rp o s e o f v en u e, a d o m es t i c co rp o rat i on i s d eem ed

t o res i d e i n t h e co u n t y wh ere i t s reg i s t ered o ffi ce o r p ri n ci p al o ffi ce is m ai n t ai n ed

, as

s h o wn b y t h e reco rd s o f th e Secret ary o f St at e. OCGA § 1 4 -2 -5 1 0 (b ) (1 ). In to rt

act i on s , v en u e w i l l al so l i e i n th e co u n t y wh ere t h e cau se o f act io n aro s e, p ro v i d ed t h e

co rp o rat i o n h as an o ffi ce an d tran s act s b u s i n es s in th at co u n ty

. OCGA § 1 4 -2 -5 1 0 (b )

(3 ). “ [T] h e d et erm i n at io n o f v en u e m u s t b e b as ed u p o n t h e fact s as t hey ex i s t at t h e

t i m e t h at s u i t i s i n i t iat ed

, n o t as t h e fact s m ay h av e ex is t ed at so m e p rev i o u s p o i n t in

t i m e.” (Ci t at i on s o m i t t ed .) Sa va n n ah La u n d r y & Ma ch in er

y Co

. v. Owen b

y, 1 8 6 Ga.

Ap p . 1 3 0 , 1 3 1 (3 6 6 SE2 d 7 8 7 ) (1 9 8 8 ).

Here, wh i l e i t i s u n di s pu t ed t h at t h e cau se o f act i o n aro s e i n DeKal b Co u n t y ,

b y M arch 20 1 3

, w h en W at ers fi l ed h e r r e n e w al s u it

, Ro s s Ort h o p aed ic h ad b een

ad m i n is t rat i v el y d i s s o l v ed an d n o l o n g er h ad an o ffi c e o r t ran s act ed b u s i n es s in

DeKal b Co u n t y . Co n s eq u en t l y , v en u e l ies wh ere Ro s s Ort h op aed i c l as t m ai n t ai n ed

i t s reg i st ered o ffi ce p ri o r t o d i ss o l u t i o n , wh i ch was in Fu l t o n Co u n t y

. See S a va n n a h

L a u n d r y, s u p ra, 1 8 6 Ga. A p p. at 1 3 2 (p ro p er v en u e i n s u i t ag ai ns t d i s s o l v e d

4co rp o rat i o n was co un t y wh erei n d i ss o l v ed co rp o rat i o n h ad it s las t reg is t ered o ffi ce);

s ee al so OCGA § 1 4 -2 -5 1 0 (b ) (3 ).

In i t s ru l i n g o n v en u e, t h e t ri al co u rt rel i ed u p o n fo rm er O C GA § 1 4 -2 -2 9 3,

n o w am en d ed as O CGA § 1 4-2 -1 4 10

, w h i ch p ro vi d es fo r t h e p o s t -d i s s o l u t i o n

s u rv i v al o f p re-d i ss o l u t i o n cl ai m s ag ai n s t a co rp o rat i o n. T he t ri al co u rt ’ s rel i an ce o n

fo rm er OCGA § 14 -2 -2 9 3 i s m i s p l aced

, h owev er, b ecau s e th at s tat u t e d i d n ot

s p eci fi cal l y a d d r e s s t h e is s u e o f v en u e fo r a s u rv i v al act i o n ag ai n st a d i s s o l v ed

co rp o rat i o n. See S

a va n n a h La un d

r y, su p ra, 1 8 6 Ga. A p p

. at 1 3 1. Th erefo re, t h e t ri al

co u rt erred i n d en y i n g t h e Def e n d an t s ’ m ot i o n t o d i sm i s s an d i n fi n d in g t h at v en u e

was p ro p er i n DeKal b Co u nt y

.

Si n ce ven u e d i d n o t l i e i n DeKal b Co u n t y , t h e t ri al co u rt d i d n o t h av e t h e

au t h o ri t y t o ru l e o n t he Defen d an t s ’ m o t i o n t o d is m i ss b as ed o n an ex p i rat i o n o f t h e

s t at u te o f rep o se. See Ch u n g v. Ha ir Tr en d US

A

, 3 2 2 Ga. Ap p

. 4 2 9, 4 3 2 (7 4 5 SE2 d

6 8 1 ) (2 0 1 3 ) (“ A t ri al co u r t w i t h o u t v en u e lack s au t ho ri t y t o i s s ue an o rd er o r

ju d g m e n t

, an d an y s u ch o rd er o r ju dg m en t i s v o id .”) (ci t at i on o m i tt ed ). Th u s , we

rem an d t h i s cas e t o t h e Dek al b Co u n t y t ri al co u rt wi t h d i rect i on t o tran s fer t h i s cas e

t o Fu l to n Co u n t y t o ad dres s t h e m eri t s o f t h e Defen d an t s ’ s t at u t e o f rep o s e arg u m en t

.

See Co a st a l Tr a ns

p

., In c. v. Ti l l er

y , 2 7 0 Ga. Ap p. 1 3 5

, 1 40 (3 ) (6 0 5 SE2 d 8 6 5 )

5(2 0 0 4) (“ Geo rg i a’ s Co n st i t ut i o n req u i res a co u rt to t ran s fer t o t h e ap p ro p ri at e co u rt

i n t h e s t at e an y ci v i l cas e i n wh i ch i t d et erm i n es t h at ju ri s di ct i o n o r v en u e l i e s

el s ewh ere.”).

2

. Bas ed on ou r h o ld i n g i n Di v i s i o n 1

, w e n eed n o t ad d res s t h e D e f e n d a n t s ’

s eco n d cl ai m o f erro r.

J u d g m en t r ever

s ed a n d ca s e r ema n d

ed wi t h d i rect i o n

. A n d

r ews

, P. J., a n d

Br a nch , J., co n cu r

.

6