THI RD DI VI SI ON

M C FA DDEN, C. J.

, D OYLE, P. J.

, and HODGES, J.

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.

https ://w w w

. ga a ppe a ls .us /r ule s

D E A D LIN E S A R E N O LO N G E R TO LLE D IN T

H I S

C O U R T. A LL FILIN G S M U ST B E S U B M I TTE D WITH IN

TH E TIM E S S E T B Y

O U R C O U R T R U LE S

.

October 13, 2020



# I n th e Co u r t o f

A p p eals o f

G eo r g ia

A2 0 A1 51 7 . W H EELER v . BEST.

M C F A D D E N , Ch i ef J u d g e.

Th i s ap p eal co n t es t s t h e d i s m i s sal o f a pet i ti o n fo r cert i o rari t o s u p eri o r co u rt

fro m a m u n i ci p al co u rt d eci s i o n

. Th e s u peri or co u rt d i s m i s s ed t h e p et it i on fo r fai l u re

t o co m p l y wi t h t h e b on d req u i rem en t

.

A b o n d fo r s um s s o u g ht fo r reco v ery an d al l fu t u re co s ts m u s t b e fi l ed wi t h a

p et i t i o n fo r cert io rari t o s u p eri o r co u rt , an d s u ch b on d m u s t h av e been ap pro v ed b y

t h e ju d i ci al o ffi cer b efo re wh o m t h e cas e was t ri ed i n t h e fi rs t i n s t a n c e a n d w h o s e

d eci s i o n i s b ei n g ch al l en ged

. In t h e ab s en ce o f s u ch a b on d

, an affi d av i t o f in d i g en ce

m ay i n st ead b e fi l ed wi t h t h e pet i t i o n fo r cert i o rari

. Becau s e t he req u i red b o n d o r

affi d av i t o f i n d i g en ce was no t fi l ed wi t h t he p et i t i o n i n t h is cas e, t h e s u p eri o r co u rt

d i d n o t err i n d i sm i s s i n g t h e p et i t i o n . So we affi rm

.1

. Fa ct s a n d p r o ced

ur a l p o s t u r e.

Th e M un i ci p al Co u rt o f t h e Ci t y o f Du bl i n i s s ued an o rd er fi n d i n g t h at p ro p ert y

o wn ed b y Th o m as W h eel er was b e i n g m a i n t ai n ed in a b l i g h t ed co n d i t i o n an d was

s u b ject to a b l ig h t tax u nd er ci t y o rd i nan ces

. W h eel e r f i l e d a pet i ti o n fo r a wri t o f

cert io rari i n th e Su p eri o r Co u rt o f Lau ren s Co u n t y

, s eek i n g rev i ew o f t h e m u n i ci p al

co u rt d eci s i o n

. Th e s up eri or co u rt d i s m i s s ed th e p et i t i o n b ecau s e n o b o n d o r affi d av i t

o f in d i gen ce w a s f

i l e d wi t h t h e pet i t i o n

. W h eel er’ s ap p l i cat i o n fo r d i s cret i o n ary

ap p eal t o t hi s co u rt was g ran t ed , an d t h i s ap p eal fo l lo wed

.

2

. Di s mi s s a l

o f cer t i o r a r i p et i t i o n

.

W h eel er co n t en ds th at th e s up eri o r co u rt erred i n d i s m i ss i n g hi s cert i o rari

p et i t i o n b as ed o n t h e ab s en ce o f a b o n d o r affi d av it o f i n di g en ce. W e d i s ag ree.

“ OCGA § 5 -4 -1 et s eq

. g o v ern s cert i o rari t o s u p eri or co u rt

. OCGA § 5 -4 -1 (a)

p ro v id es t h at a wri t o f cert i o rari s h al l l i e fo r t h e co rrect i o n of erro rs co m m it t ed b y an y

i n feri o r j u d i c at o ry o r an y p ers o n ex erci si n g ju d i ci al p owers .” W i l li a ms v. Ci t

y of

Do u g l a s vi ll e

, 35 4 Ga. A p p. 3 1 3, 3 1 5 (8 4 0 SE2 d 7 1 5 ) (2 0 2 0 ) (p u n ct uat i on o m i t t ed ).

OCGA § 5 -4 -3 p ro v i d es , i n p ert i n en t p art , t h at “ [o ] n t h e fi l i n g o f t he p et i t io n i n t h e

o ffi ce o f t h e cl erk o f t h e s u p eri o r co u rt

, wi t h t h e s an ct i o n o f th e ap p ro p ri at e ju d g e

en d ors ed t h ereo n

, t o g et h er wi t h t h e b o n d o r a f f i d a vi t

, a s p r o vi d

ed i n Co d e S ect i o n

25 -4 -5

, it s h al l b e t h e d u t y o f t h e cl erk t o i s s u e a wri t o f cert i o rari [.] ” (Em p h as i s

s u p p li ed .) “ OCGA § 5 -4 -5 (a) p l ai n ly st at es t h at b efo re a w ri t o f cert i o rari m ay b e

i s su ed

, t h e p art y ap p l y in g fo r t he wri t m u s t fi l e a b o nd wi th t h e p et i t i o n .” Du t y Fr ee

Ai r & S h i p S u p p l y v. At l an t a Du t

y Fr ee

, 2 7 5 Ga. Ap p. 38 1

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

(2 0 0 5). OCGA § 5-4 -5 (a) p ro vi d es :

Befo re an y w ri t of cert i o rari sh al l i s s u e, ex cep t as p ro v i d ed i n s u b s ect i o n

(c) o f t hi s Co de sect i o n

, t h e p art y ap p l y i n g fo r t h e s am e, hi s ag en t

, or h i s

at t o rn ey s h a l l g i ve b o n d a n d g o o d secu r i t y

, co n d i t i on ed t o p a y th e

ad v ers e p art y

i n t h e cas e t h e s u m s s o u g h t as an award t o b e reco v ered

,

t o g et h er wi th al l fu tu re co s t s, an d s hal l al s o p ro d u ce a cert i fi cat e fro m

t h e o ffi cer wh os e d eci s i o n o r j u d gm en t i s th e s u bject m at t e r o f

co m p lai n t t h at al l co s t s wh i ch m ay h av e accru ed o n t h e t ri al b el ow h av e

b een p ai d

. Th e b o n d a n d cer t i f i ca t e s ha l l b e f

i led wi th t h e p et i t i o n f

o r

cer t i o r a r i

, an d s ecu ri t y o n t h e b o n d s h al l b e l i ab le as s ecu ri t ies o n

ap p eal

.

(Em p h as i s s up p l i ed ). “ [T] h e b o n d g i v en b y t h e p l ai n t i ff i n cert i o rari as a co n d i t i o n

p reced en t t o t he i s s u an ce o f t h e wri t s h o u l d b e ap p ro v ed b y t he m ag i s t rat e o r ju d g e

wh o s e deci s i on i s co m

p lai n ed o f.” Bu t t er

s Mf g

. Co

. v. Fr a l ey

, 46 Ga. Ap p

. 7 1 2

, 7 1 5

(1 6 9 SE 5 5 ) (1 93 3 ). Acco rd Ro b er t s v. Ci t i z en s Ba n k

, 6 2 Ga. Ap p

. 5 8 4 (8 SE2 d 9 0 0 )

(1 9 4 0) (“ [I] t m

u s t ap p ear fro m t h e reco rd t h at th e b on d req u ired by [OCGA § 5 -4 -5 ]

h as been d u l y ap p ro v ed by t h e ju d i ci al offi cer b efo re wh o m t he cas e was t ri ed i n t h e

fi rs t i n s t an ce.”) (ci t at i o n s an d p u n ct u at i o n o m i t t ed ).

3OCGA § 5 -4 -5 (a) “ refers t o j u s t o n e ex cep t i o n to t h e bo n d req u i rem en t [,

wh i ch ] i s s et fo rt h i n s u b s ect i o n (c), an d ap p l ies on l y wh ere th e p art y s eek i n g t h e wri t

fi les an affi d av i t o f i n d i g en ce.” Du t y Fr ee Ai r & S

h i p S u pp l y , s u p ra.

If t h e part y ap p l y i n g f

o r t h e wri t of cert i orari m ak es an d fi l es wi th h i s

p et i t i o n a wri t t en affi d av i t t hat h e i s ad v i s ed an d b el i ev es t h a t h e h as

g o o d cau s e fo r cert i o rar i t o t h e s u peri o r co u rt an d t h at b ecau s e of h i s

i n d i gen ce h e i s u n ab l e to p ay t h e co s ts o r g iv e s ecu ri ty

, as th e cas e m ay

b e, t he affi dav i t s hal l i n ev ery res p ect an s wer i n st ead of t h e cert ifi cat e

an d b o n d ab o v e-m en t i o ned

.

OCGA § 5 -4 -5 (c). Co n s eq u en t ly

, “ [p ] urs u an t t o OCGA § 5 -4 -5

, [W h eel er’ s ] p et i t i o n

was req u ired t o b e fi l ed wi t h a b o n d ap p ro v ed b y t h e ju d i ci al o ffi cer wh o h eard t h e

cas e, u n l es s t h e p et i ti o n was f i l e d wi t h an affi d av i t fro m [W h eel er] s t at i n g t h at [h e

was ] i n d ig en t an d u n ab l e t o p ay co s t s o r g iv e s ecu ri t y .” Bu ckl er v. DeKa l b Co u n t

y

,

2 9 0 Ga. Ap p

. 1 9 0

, 1 9 1 (1 ) (6 5 9 SE2 d 3 9 8 ) (2 0 0 8 ). Bu t i t is u nd i s p u t ed th at W h eel er

d i d n o t fi le s u ch a b on d o r affi d av i t of i n d i g en ce co n t em p oran eo u s l y w i t h hi s p et i t i o n

fo r cert i o rari

.

Nev ert h el es s

, W h eel er cl ai m s t h at h e s h o u ld h av e b een al lo w ed b y t h e s u p eri o r

co u rt t o p o s t a v al i d b o n d b y am en d m en t . W e n ot e t h at t h e ap p el l ee h as ci t ed Co b b

Co u n t y v. Her r en

, 2 3 0 Ga. Ap p

. 4 8 2 (4 96 SE2 d 5 5 8 ) (1 9 9 8 ), fo r t h e p ro p os i t i o n t h at

t h e fai lu re t o fi le th e req u is i t e b o n d o r affi d av i t i s n o t an am en d ab l e d efect i f t h e t i m e

4fo r p et i t i on i ng fo r cert i o rari ha s e x p i red

. Bu t Co b b Co u n t y d oes n o t s t an d fo r t h at

p ro p os i t i on reg ard i n g a bo n d or affi d av i t

, an d i n s tead i t h el d t h at t he fai l u re t o o b t ai n

t h e req u i s i te s a n ct i on o f t h e ap pro p ri at e ju d g e was n ot an am en d ab l e d efect b ecau s e

i t was n o t ex p res s ly l i s ted as su ch i n OCGA § 5 -4 -1 0

. Id

. at 4 8 5

. (“ [T] h e l an g u ag e o f

t h e l eg i s l at u re i n O CGA § 5 -4 -1 0 i s cl ear an d un am bi gu o u s as t o wh a t defect s are

am en d ab l e, an d s an ct i o n i n g i s n o t l i s t ed .”) OCGA § 5-4 -1 0 ex p res s l y l i s t s a m i s s i n g

o r v o i d b o n d as an a men d a b l e d efect

. “ In d eed

, cert io rari p ro ceed in g s are am en d ab l e

at an y st ag e an d a v al i d b o n d m ay by am en d m en t b e su b s t i t u t ed fo r a v oi d bo n d o r n o

b o n d at al l .” Du t

y Fr ee Ai r & S

hi p S up p l y

, s u p ra at 3 83 (1 ) (ci tat i o n an d pu n ct u at i o n

o m it t ed ).

Bu t co n trary t o W heel er’ s cl ai m

, h e h as n o t s h o wn t hat th e s u p eri o r d en i ed h i m

t h e op p o rt un i t y t o fi l e a v al i d b o n d b y am en d m en t

. Rat her, W h eel er p oi n t s t o a

m o ti o n t o set as i d e t h at h e fi l ed aft er th e cert io rari p et i t i o n h ad b een d i s m i s s ed a n d

t h at t h e s u p eri o r co urt d i d no t ru l e u p o n pri o r t o t h e fi l i n g o f t hi s ap p eal

. See Cr i p p en

v. O u t b a ck S t ea kh o u s e In t l

. , 3 2 1 Ga. Ap p

. 1 6 7

, 17 0 (1 ) (7 4 1 SE2 d 2 80 ) (2 0 1 3 ) (t h i s

i s a co u rt fo r t h e co rrect io n o f erro rs of l aw co m m it t ed b y t h e t ri al co urt

, s o we d o n ot

co n si d er i s s u es n o t y et ru led o n b y t h e t ri al co urt ). Un d er t h es e ci rcu m s t a n ces

,

W h eel er h as fai l ed t o s h o w t hat t h e s u p eri o r co u rt co m m i t t ed rev ers i b le erro r.

5Th e fai l u re t o g i v e a v al i d b o n d [o r affi d av i t o f i nd i g en ce] u nd er

OCGA § 5 -4 -5 ren d ers t h e p et i t i o n fo r cert io rari v oi d

. An d u n t i l a v al i d

b o n d b y am en dm en t i s m ad e, t h e p et i t i o n i s li fel es s

. Becau se [W h eel er]

d i d n o t fi le a v al i d b on d [o r affi d av i t o f i n d i g en ce] co n tem p o ran eo us l y

wi t h [h i s ] p e t i t i o n o r a v al i d b on d b y am en d m en t [p ri o r t o t he t ri al

co u rt ’ s d i s m i s s al ]

, t he p et i t io n was l i fel es s an d th e s u p eri o r co u rt

[p ro perl y ] d i s m i s sed i t

.

Du t y Fr ee Ai r & S

h i p S u p p l y

, s u p ra at 3 8 3 -3 8 4 (ci t at i o n s o m i t t ed ). Up o n t he ret u rn

o f t h e cas e t o t he s u p eri o r co u rt , an y ru l i n g reg ard i n g t h e m o t i o n t o s et as i d e wo u ld

b e a m at ter fo r t h e t ri al co u rt t o d eci d e i n t h e fi rs t i n st an ce.

Ju d g men t a f f i r m ed . Do yl e, P. J., a n d

Ho d g es , J., co n cu r

.

6