FI RST DI VI SI ON

BA RNES, P. J.

, GOBEI L, J.

, and SENI OR A PPELLA TE JUDGE PHI PPS

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 l s .us /r ule s

A pr i l 2, 2020



# I n th e Co u r t o f

A p p eals o f

G eo r g ia

A2 0 A0 16 7 . CARRUTHERS v . CHAN.

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

In t h i s act i o n t o d o m es t i cat e a fo rei g n ju d g m en t ap p oi n t i n g a g uard i an fo r an

ad u lt ward

, th e w ar d ’s ad u lt d au g h t er ap p eal s fro m t h e Sp al d in g Co u n t y Su p eri o r

Co u rt o rd er d o m es t i cat i n g t h e fo rei g n ju d g m en t an d o rd er i n g t h e d au g h ter t o p ay

$ 7 ,5 0 0 i n at to rn ey fees t o t h e p et i t i o n er. Fo r t h e f o l l o wi n g reas on s

, w e rev ers e t h e

t ri al co u rt ’ s award of at t o rn ey fees an d affi rm t h e t ri al co u rt ’ s ord er d o m es t i cat i n g a

fo rei gn ju d g m en t

.

On M ay 1

, 2 0 1 9

, a M ary l an d s t at e co u rt en t ered an o rd er ap p oi n t i n g p et i t i o n er

Al an Ch an a s t h e t em

p o rary g u ard i an o f t h e p ers o n an d p ro p ert y o f h i s wi fe Kat hy

Ch an o n t h e g ro u n d th at Kat h y “ l ack s s u ffi ci en t u nd ers t an d i n g o r cap aci t y t o m ak eo r co m

m un i c a t e res p o ns i b l e d eci s i on s co n cern i n g [h er] p ers on an d p ro pert y .” (t h e

“ M ary l an d Gu ard i an sh i p Ord er”).

On M ay 1 4, 2 0 19

, Al an Ch an fi led an “ Em erg en cy Pet i ti o n fo r t h e Reg i s t rat i o n

o f Ord er Ap p o i n t i ng Tem po rary Gu ard i an o f t h e p ers o n an d pro p ert y of Kat h y Ch an ”

i n t h e Su p eri o r Co urt o f Sp al d i n g Co u n t y

. Th e p et i t i o n s o ug h t t o d o m es t i cat e t h e

M ary l an d Gu ard ia n s h i p Ord er, an d al l eg ed th at Kat hy i s a res i d en t of Bal t i m o re

Co u n t y

, M ary lan d wh o i s a d i s a bl ed ad u lt w i t h sev ere d em en ti a th at h ad b een

rem o v ed fro m her M ary l an d h o m e t o l i v e w i th h er ad u l t d au g h t er, Ch ri s t i Carru t h ers

,

i n Sp al d i n g C o u n t y, Geo rg i a. Lat er t h at day

, t h e Sp al d i n g Co u nt y Su p eri o r Co u rt

g ran t ed Al an Ch an ’ s em erg en cy p et i t i o n t o m ak e Al an Ch an tem po rary g u ard i an o f

Kat h y . Th e reco rd d o es n o t s h o w t hat Carru t h ers was s erv ed wi t h t h e p et it i o n

.

Kat h y Ch an

, th ro u gh her a t t orn ey

, fi l ed an an swer an d co u n tercl ai m t o t h e

p et i t i o n

. An affi dav i t b y Carru t h ers was at t ach ed t o t h e an swer. On M ay 20

, 2 0 1 9

, t h e

t ri al c o u rt h el d a h eari n g o n th e em erg en cy p et i t i o n fo r reg i st rat i o n o f t h e o rd er

ap p oi n t i n g t em

p o rary g u ard ian s h i p o v er Kat h y Ch an

. Carru t h ers was n ot s erv ed wi th

n o t i ce o f t h e h eari n g an d d i d no t ap p ear. T he t ri al co u rt t h en v acat ed i t s M ay 1 4,

2 0 1 9

, o rd er an d o rd ered “ [a] l l p art i es

, t h e W ard

, an d al l co u n sel ” to ap p ear at a

h eari n g on M ay 2 9, 2 0 19

, i n an o rd er d at ed M ay 2 0

, 2 0 19

. Carru th ers was s t i l l n o t a

2p art y t o th e p ro ceed in g s b ecau s e s h e h ad n o t vo l u n t ari ly m ad e an ap pearan ce an d h ad

n o t b een s erv ed

.

Th e t ri al co u rt t h en h el d a h eari n g o n M ay 2 9

, 2 01 9

, at w h i ch A l an Ch an

, h i s

co u ns el

, an d Kat hy Ch an ’ s co u n s el ap p eared

. 1 Th e t ri al co u rt ’ s o rd er refl ect s t h at

n ei t h er Kat h y Ch an n o r Carru t h ers were p res en t

. Th e tri al co u rt g ran ted Al an Ch an ’ s

p et i t i o n to d o m es t i c a t e t h e M ary l an d Gu ard i an sh i p Ord er. Th e t ri al co u rt ’ s o rd er

refl ect s t h at Al an Ch an ’ s co u n s el “ m ad e a v erb al m o t i o n fo r At t o rn ey ’ s Fees u n d er

OCGA § 9 -1 5 -1 4 s ee k i n g t o h av e fees as s es s ed ag ai n s t Carru t h ers fo r fai l i n g to

ap p ear o r cau s i n g Kat h y Ch an t o ap p ear.” Th e t ri al co u rt t hen o rd ered Carru t h ers to

p ay Al an Ch an $ 7 ,5 0 0 i n at t o rn ey fees

. Th i s Co u rt g ran t ed Carru t h ers ’ s ap p l i cat i o n

fo r d i s cret i o n ary

ap p eal fro m

t h e t ri al co u rt ’ s o rd er.

1

. C a r r u t h e rs fi rs t arg u es t h at t h e t ri al co u rt erred by en t eri n g an award o f

at t o rn ey fees ag ai n s t h er p u rs u an t t o OCGA § 9 -1 5 -1 4 . W e ag ree.

Carru t h ers was no t m ad e a p art y to th i s act i on

. Sh e was n o t s erv ed wi t h t h e

p et i t i o n

, n o r di d s he arg u ab l y wai v e s erv i ce b y p art i ci p at i n g i n t h e cas e b y fi l i n g an

an s wer o r ap peari n g at t h e h eari n g. Fu rt h er, th e t ri al co u rt ’ s o rd er d i rect i n g “ [a] l l

1 Th e at t o rn ey rep res en t i n g Kat hy Ch an ap p eared at t h e heari ng

, b u t h ad fi l ed

a m ot i o n t o wi t h d raw rep res en tat i o n. Th e t ri al co u rt g ran t ed t h e m ot i on

.

3p art i es

, th e Wa rd

, an d al l co u n s el ” t o ap p ear d id no t s p eci fy th at Carru t h ers s h o u ld

ap p ear at th e h eari n g b ecau s e s h e was n o t p ro perl y m ad e a pa r t y t o t h e cas e.

“ [G] en eral l y

, on ly a p art y t o a ci v il cas e, o r o n e wh o h as s o u g ht t o b eco m e a p art y by

way o f i n t erv en t i o n an d h as b een d en i ed t h e r i g h t t o d o s o

, can ap p eal fro m a

ju d g m en t

. Ho wev er, w h ere j u d gm en t i s en tered ag ai n st a n o n p art y

, t h at no n p art y h as

s t an d i n g t o ap peal

. ” (Pu n ct u at i o n an d fo o t n o t e o m i t t ed .) W el l S t a r Hea l t h S

ys t ems

,

In c. v. Kemp

, 3 2 4 Ga. Ap p

. 6 2 9

, 6 3 2 -6 33 (1 ) (a) (7 5 1 SE2 d 4 45 ) (2 0 1 3). Th erefo re,

al t h o u g h Carru t h ers was n o t a p art y t o t h e l o w e r co urt act io n

, w e fi n d t h at s h e h as

s t an d i n g t o ch al l en g e t h e award o f at t o rn ey s fees becau s e s h e was “ d irect l y ag g ri ev ed

b y t h e d eci s i o n” t o award at t orn ey fees ag ai ns t h er. (Fo ot n o t e o m i t t ed .) Id

.

Ho wev er, b ecau se Carru t h ers was n o t p ro p erl y m ad e a p art y t o t h e p et i t i o n to

d o m es t i c a t e t h e g uard i an s h i p o rd er, t h e t ri al co u rt h ad n o au t h o ri ty u n d er OCGA §

9 -1 5 -1 4 t o i m

p os e t he at t o rn ey fees an d ex p en s e s a g a i n s t h er. See S wa f f o r d v.

Br a df o r d

, 2 2 5 G a. Ap p

. 48 6

, 4 8 8 (2 ) (4 8 4 SE2 d 3 0 0 ) (1 9 97 ); W a t ki n s v. M & M Cl a ys

,

In c.

, 19 9 Ga. Ap p

. 54

, 5 7 (3 ) (a) (4 0 4 SE2 d 1 4 1 ) (1 9 91 ). Acco rd i ng l y

, we rev ers e t h e

t ri al co u rt ’ s award o f at t o rn ey fees ag ai ns t Carru t h ers

.

2

. Carru t h ers arg u es t h at t h e tri al co u rt erred b y do m es t i cat i n g t h e M ary l an d

Gu ard i an s h i p Ord er. Sh e was n o t p ro p erl y m ad e a p art y t o t h i s cas e h o wev er, an d s h e

4i s n o t di rect l y ag g ri ev ed b y t h e t ri al co u rt ’ s ru l i n g on t h e d o m es t i cat i o n o f t h e

M ary l an d Gu ard i an s h ip Ord er. It fo ll o w s th at Carru t h ers d o es n o t h av e s t an d i n g to

ap p eal fro m t h e t ri al co u rt ’ s o rd er o n t h i s i s s ue. See In r e J. R. P.

, 2 87 Ga. A p p

. 6 2 1,

6 2 2 (1 ) (6 5 2 SE2 d 20 6 ) (2 0 0 7 ) (“ It i s wel l -s et t l ed t h at a p ers o n m ay on l y ch al l en g e

a ru l i n g wh i ch h as ad v ers el y affect ed h i s o r h er o wn ri g h t s

. An d a p ers o n wh o h as n ot

b een ag g ri ev ed b y a l o w e r c o u rt ju d g m en t can n o t ch al l en g e t h at ru l i ng on ap p eal ”

(Pu n ct u at i on an d fo o t n o t e o m i tt ed )).

Ju d g men t a f f i r med i n p a r t a n d rever

s ed i n p ar t

. Ba r n es

, P. J., a n d G o b ei l

, J.,

co n cu r

.

5