THI RD DI VI SI ON
M I LLER, P. J.

, M CFA DDEN, P. J.

, and M C M I LLI A N, 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.

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

M ar ch 9, 2017



# I n th e Co u r t o f

A p p eals o f

G eo r g ia

A1 6 A1 97 7

. THE MASHBURN FAM ILY TRUSTS v

. CITY OF
CUM M ING, GEORGIA et al

.

M C F A D D E N , Pres id i n g J u d g e.

Th i s cas e i n v o l v es a s u p eri o r co u rt o rd er d i s m is s i n g an ap p eal fro m a zo n i n g

b o ard deci s i o n o n m

ul ti p l e g ro u n d s , i n cl u d i ng m o ot n es s. Becau s e th e s u peri o r co u rt

co rrect ly ru l ed t h at t h e u n d erl y i n g m at t er i s m o o t , we affi rm

.

Th i s a c t i o n a r o s e o u t o f a s t o p wo rk o rd er i s s u ed b y t h e ci t y o f Cu m m i n g,

Geo rg i a ag ai n s t t h e M arcu s M as h b u rn , J r. an d Al ice S. M as hb u rn Fam il y Tru s t s

. Th e

t ru s t s h ad o b t ai n ed a l an d d i s t u rb i n g act i v i t y p erm i t fro m t he ci t y t o rem ed i at e an area

wh ere a d am h ad b reach ed

. Th e t ru s t s b eg an d em ol i ti o n wo rk on t h e si te pu rs u an t to

t h e p erm i t o n J u n e 1 6

, 2 0 1 4

. O n J u n e 23

, 2 0 14

, t h ere w as a h eav y rai n at t h e s i t e. Th e

n ex t d ay , J u n e 2 4

, 2 0 1 4, t he ci t y i s s u ed a s to p wo rk o rd er d u e t o t h e rel eas e o fs ed i m en t i n t o t h e wat er. Th e ci t y l i ft ed t h e s t o p wo rk ord er s i x d ay s lat er o n J u n e 3 0,

2 0 1 4 , an d t h e t ru s t s co n ti n u ed an d co m p l et ed t h e d em o li t io n wo rk

.

M o re t h an th ree week s aft er th e s t o p w o rk o rd er h ad b een l i ft ed

, o n J u l y 2 3,

2 0 1 4

, t h e t ru s t s ap p eal ed t h e d eci s i o n t o is s u e t h e s t o p wo rk o rd er t o t h e ci t y ’ s zo n i n g

b o ard

. T h e b oard d en i ed t h e ap p eal an d th e t ru s t s ap p eal ed t h at d en i al t o t he s u p eri o r

co u rt

. Th e ci t y m o v ed to d i s m i s s t h e ap p eal . Aft er a h eari n g o n Au g u s t 7

, 2 0 1 5

, t h e

s u p eri o r co u rt gran t ed t h e m o t i o n t o d i s m i s s o n m u l t i p l e g ro u n ds

, i ncl u d i n g a fi n d i n g

t h at s i n ce t h e s to p w o rk o rd er h ad b een l i ft ed an d t h e d em ol i t i on wo rk co m p l et ed

, t h e

m at t er i s m o o t

. Th i s co u rt g ran t ed t h e t ru s ts ’ ap pl i cat io n fo r d i s cret i on ary rev i ew an d

t h i s ap p eal fo l l owed

. Hav i n g n o w rev i ewed t h e fu l l reco rd

, we fi n d t h at t h e t ri al co u rt

co rrect ly d i s m i s sed t h e ap p eal as m o o t

.

An ap p eal i s s ub

ject t o d i s m i s s al wh en t h e q u es t i o n s p res en ted are m o o t

. See

OCGA § 5 -6 -4 8 (b ) (3 ). M o ot nes s res u l t s “ i f t h e ri g h t s i n si st ed u p o n co u ld n o t b e

en fo rced b y a ju di ci al d et erm i n at i o n .” Ra n d o l p h Co u n t y v. Jo h n s o n , 2 8 2 Ga. 1 6 0 (1 )

(6 4 6 S E 2 d 2 6 1 ) (2 0 0 7 ). A m at t er i s al so m o o t i f a ru l i ng wo u l d h av e n o p ract i cal

effect o n t h e al l eg ed co n t ro v ers y

. Ca r l o ck v. Kma r t Co rp

. , 22 7 Ga. Ap p

. 3 5 6, 3 6 1 (3 )

(a) (4 89 SE2 d 99 ) (1 9 9 7). H ere, t h e s t o p w o rk o rd er was l i ft ed o n J u ne 3 0

, 20 1 4

, an d

t h e d em o l i ti o n wo rk i s co m p l e t e

. M oreo v er, t h e tru s t s d i d n o t s eek d am ag es an d

2i n s t ead s o u g h t t o h av e t h e st o p wo rk o rd er res ci nd ed

, wh ich h as al read y occu rred

t h ro u g h t h e l ift i ng of t h e o rd er. See Co t t o n v. Fi r s t Na t

. Ba n k o

f Gwi n n et t Co u n t

y ,

2 3 5 Ga. 5 1 1

, 5 1 2 (2 2 0 SE2 d 1 3 2) (1 97 5 ) (i s s u e m o o t wh ere rel i ef s o u g h t b y p l ai n t i ffs

h as al read y t ak en p l ace). Al t h o u g h a m at t er wi l l n o t b e d eem ed m o o t i f a p art y wi l l

face ad v ers e co l l at eral co n s eq u en ces t hat wi l l p l ag u e t h e affect ed p art y , t h e t ru s t s

h av e n o t m ad e a s u ffi ci en t s h owi n g t h at t h ey wi l l s u ffer s uch co n seq u en ces fro m t h e

i s su an ce o f t h e s t o p wo rk o rd er. See In t h e In ter es t o f I. S

. , 2 7 8 G a

. 8 5 9

, 8 6 2 (6 0 7

SE2 d 5 46 ) (2 0 0 5 ) (ap p el l an t s fai l ed t o s ho w ad v ers e co l l at eral co n s eq u en ces o n t h e

reco rd ); In t h e In t er es t o

f J. R. P.

, 28 7 Ga. Ap p

. 6 21

, 6 2 3 (1 ) (6 5 2 SE2 d 2 06 ) (2 0 0 7 )

(acco rd ). Becau s e t h e s u p eri o r co u rt co rrect l y fo u n d t hat t h e m at t er i s m o o t

, we m u s t

affi rm i t s o rd er o f d i s m i s s al

. McAu l ey v. W i l l s, 1 6 4 Ga. Ap p

. 8 1 2 (1 ) (2 9 8 SE2 d 5 9 4 )

(1 9 8 2) (“ [I] f th e co u rt i s ri g h t fo r an y reas o n i n i t s o rd er o f d is m i s s al

, we wi l l

affi rm

. ”).

Ju d g men t a f f i r m ed . Mi l l er

, P. J., a n d

McMi l l i a n , J., co n cu r.

3