2 9 7 Ga . 3 13

F INAL COP Y

S 1 4 G1 8 6 2

. BAC HOME LOANS S E RVI C I NG, L.P . v . W E D EREI T.

MELTON, Ju stic e

.

Br ia n W e d e r e it s u e d B AC Ho m e Lo a n s S e r v ic in g

, L.P

. f

/k /a Co u n tr y wid e

Ho me Lo a n s S e r

v ic in g ( “ BAC” ) f

o r

, a mo n g o th e r th in g s

, b r e a c h o f c o n tr a c t a n d

wr o n g f u l f o r e c lo s u r e

. BAC mo v e d fo r s u mmar y ju d g me n t, an d th e tr ia l c o u r t

d e n ie d BAC’ s mo tio n o n W e d e r e it’ s c la ims f o r wr o n g f u l f o r e c lo s u r e

, e q

u itab le

r e lie f

, p u n itiv e d a ma g e s a n d a tto r n e y f e e s

. Ho we v e r

, th e tr ia l c o u r t a ls o g r a n te d

s u a s p o n te p a r

tia l s u mmar

y ju d g me n t to W e d e r e it o n h is b r e a c h o f c o n tr a c t c la im

b e c a u s e BAC a lle g e d ly f

a ile d to g iv e p r o p e r p r e

- a c c e le r a tio n n o tic e a s r e q u ir e d

u n d e r P a r a g r a

p h 2 2 o f th e S e c u r ity De e d

. B AC a p p e a le d

, an d

, in Div s io n 1 o f its

o p in io n

, th e Co u r

t o f Ap p e a ls a f

f ir me d th e tr ia l c o u r

t’ s s ua s p o n te g r a n t o f

p a r tia l s u mmar

y ju d g me n t to We de re it. BAC H o me Lo a n s S e r v ic in g

, L.P

. v

.

W e d e r e it, 3 2 8 Ga

. Ap p

. 5 6 6 ( 1 ) ( 7 5 9 S E 2 d 8 6 7 ) ( 2 0 1 4 )

. W e g r a n te d BAC’ s

p e titio nf o r c e r tio r a r i to d e te r

min e wh e th e r

th e Co u rt o f Ap p e a ls e rre d wh e n it

h e ld in its D iv isio n 1 th a t th e issu e s re so lv e d b y th e a w a rd to We d e re it of p a rtia l

su m m ary ju d g m e n t w e re th e sa m e a s th o se ra ise d b y BAC’s m o tio n f o r

su m m ary ju d g m e n t, su c h th a t a n a wa rd o f p a rtia l su m m a ry ju dg m e n t su a sp o n teto a n o n m o v a nt wa s p e rm issib le

. S e e Co v in g to n v

. Co u ntry sid e In v e stm e n t Co

.,

2 6 3 Ga

. 1 2 5

, 12 7 (3 ) (4 28 S E2 d 5 6 2 ) ( 1 9 9 3 ). F o r th e r e a s o n s th a t f o llo w, we

r e v e r s e

.

Un d e r lim ite d c irc u m sta n c e s, a c o u rt ma y g ra n t su m m a ry ju d g m e n t su a

sp o n te in fa v o r o f a

n o n m o v in g p a rty :

Wh ile in m o st c a se s it is be tte r p ra c tic e to a wa it a m o tio n fo r su m m a ry

ju d g m e n t b e fo re e n te rin g it fo r a [n o nm ov in g ] p a r t y

, it m a y n o t b e

e rro ne o us un d e r th e c irc u m s t a n c e s o f a g iv e n c a se

, wh e re th e issu e s a re

th e sa me a s th o se in v o lv e d in th e m o v a n t' s m o tio n

.

(Cita tio n a n d p u n c tu a tio n o m itte d ; e m p h a sis in o rig in a l.) Co v in g to n

, su p ra

, 2 6 3

Ga

. a t 1 2 7 (3 ). In o rd e r to p ro p e rly gra n t su m m ary ju d g m e nt su a sp on te to a

n o n m o v a n t, it is n ot su ffic ie nt th a t th e issu e s u po n wh ic h th e su a sp o n te g ra n t

o f su m m a ry ju d g m e n t is b a se d a re m e re ly sim ila r o r re la te d to th o se ra ise d in th e

m o v an t’s m o tio n fo r su m m a ry ju d g m e n t, o r th a t th e y a re issu e s th a t c ou ld h a v e

o th e rwise b e c om e th e su b

je c t o f a p ro p e r m o tio n fo r su m m a ry ju d g m e n t b e c a use

th e y we re ra ise d in t h e p l e a d in gs. Se e id

. a t 1 2 7 (3 ) (wh e re d e fe n d an t o n ly

m o v e d fo r su m m a ry ju d g m e n t o n p la in tiff’s sp e c ific p e rfo rm an c e a n d d a m a ge s

c la im s, tria l c o u rt e rre d in g ra n tin g su m m a ry ju d g m e n t to d e fe n d a nt su a sp o n te

o n its c ou n te rc la im fo r bre a c h o f c o n tra c t). Th e issu e s m u st b e id e ntic a l to th ose

2ra ise d in th e m o v a n t’s m o tio n

, su c h th a t it w o u ld re n d e r th e n o n m o v a nt’s filin g

o f a se pa ra te m otio n fo r su m m a ry ju d g m e n t o n th o se sa m e issu e s “ a p u re

fo rm a lity .” Cru c e v

. Ra n d a ll, 2 4 5 Ga

. 66 9, 66 9-6 7 0 (2 6 6 S E2 d 4 8 6 ) (1 9 8 0 )

( w h e r e “ two p la in tiffs we re jo in t o b lig e e s o n a p ro m isso ry n o te o n wh ic h t h e

d e fe n d a n ts w e re th e o b lig o rs, a n d [wh e re ] th e issu e s c o n c e rn in g th e d e fe n d a n ts'

liab ility [we re ] id e n ti c a l a s to b o th pla in tiffs,” tria l c o urt p ro p e rly g ra n te d

su m m ary ju d g m e n t su a sp o n te to n o n m o v in g p la in tiff wh e re f i r s t p la in tiff

p re v a ile d o n su m m a ry ju d g m e n t). Ad d itio n a lly , th e su a sp o nte

g ra n t o f su m m a ry ju d g m e n t m u st b e p ro p e r in a ll o th e r re sp e c t s [

,

wh ic h ] m e a n s th a t in a d d itio n to e n su rin g th e re c o rd su p po rts su c h

a ju d g m e n t, th e tria l c o u rt m u st e nsu re th a t th e p a rty a g a in st w h o m

s u m m a ry ju dg m e n t is re n d e re d is g iv e n fu ll a n d fa ir n o tic e an d

o p p o rtu n ity to re sp o n d p rio r to e n try o f su m m a ry ju d g m e n t.

(Cita tio n s a n d p u n c tu a tio n o m i t t e d

. ) A y c o c k v

. Ca lk

, 2 2 2 Ga

. Ap p

. 76 3

, 7 6 4

(4 7 6 S E 2 d 2 7 4 ) (1 9 9 6).

I n W e d e r e it’ s u n v e r if

ie d Ame n d e d Co mp la in t, h e q u o te d th e f

ir s t s e c tio n

3o f

P a r a g r a p h 2 2 o f th e S e c u r ity De e d , wh ic h s ta te s :

Le n d e r s h a ll g iv e n o tic e to Bo r r o we r p r io r to a c c e le r a tio n f o llo win g

Bo r r o we r ' s bre a c h o f a n y c o v e n a n t o r a g r e e me n t in th is S e c u r ity

I n s tr u me n t (b u t n o t p r io r to a c c e le r a tio n u n d e r S e c tio n 1 8 u n le s s Ap p li c a b le La w p r o v id e s o th e r

wis e )

. Th e n o tic e s h a ll s p e c if y : ( a )

th e d e f a u lt; ( b ) th e a c tio n r e q

u ir e d to c u r e th e d e f

a u lt; ( c ) a d a te

, n o t

le s s th a n 3 0 d a y s f r o m th e d a te th e n o tic e is g iv e nto Bo r r o w e r

, b y

wh ic h th e d e f

a u lt mu s t b e c u r e d ; a n d ( d ) th a t f a ilu r e to c ure t h e

d e f a u lt o n o r b e f

o r e th e d a te s p e c if

ie d i n t h e n o tic e ma y r e s u lt in

a c c e le r a tio n o f th e s u ms s e c u r e d b y th is S e c u r ity I n s tr u me n t a n d s a le

o f th e P r o p e r

ty

. Th e n o tic e s h a ll f

u r th e r in f o r m Bo r r o we r o f th e r ig h t

to r e in s ta te a f

te r a c c e le r a tio n a n d th e r ig h t to b r in g a c o u r t a c tio n to

a s s e r t th e n o n e x is te n c e o f a d e f a u lt o r a n y o th e r d e f

e n s e o f Bo r

r o w e r

to a c c e le r a tio na n d

s a le . I f th e d e f

a u lt is n o t c u r e d

o n o r b e f o r e th e

d a t e sp ec i fie d in th e n o tic e

, L e n d e r a t its o p tio n ma y r e q u ir e

imme di at e p a y me n t in f

u ll o f a ll s u m s s e c u r e d b y th is S e c u r ity

I n s tr u m e nt with o u t f

u r th e r d e ma n d a n d m a y in v o k e th e p o we r o f

s a le g r a n te d b y B o r

r o w e r a n d a n y o th e r r e me d ie s p e r m itte d b y Ap p lic a b le La w. Bo r

r o we r a p p o in ts Le n d e r th e a g e n t a n d a tto r n e y

in

- f a c t f o r Bo r r o we r t o e x e r c is e th e p o we r o f s a le

. Le n d e r s h a ll b e

e n title d t o c o l le c t a ll e x p e n s e s in c u r r e d p u r s u in g th e r e me d ie s

p r o v id e d in th is S e c tio n 2 2

, in c lu d in g

, b u t n o t limite d to

, r e a s o n a b le

a tto r n e y s ’ f e e s a n d c o s ts o f title e v id e n c e

.

Alth o u g h W e d e r e it c l a ime d th a t BAC h a d b r e a c h e d th is p a r a g r a p h o f th e

S e c u r ity De e d

, h e d id n o t a lle g e h o w th e b r e a c h o c c u r r e d

. He o n ly st a te d th a t

BAC “ f a ile d to c o mp ly with th e r e q u ir e me n ts o f p a r a g r a

p h 2 2 o f t h e S e c u r ity

De e d a s s e t f

o r th a b o v e wh ic h

th e r e b y c o n s titu te s a

b r e a c h o f th is a g r e e me n t.”

BAC d e n ie d th e a lle g a tio n s in th e c o mp la in t, f ile d an a f f id a v it a s e v id e n c e o f its

c o mp lia n c e with th e te r

m s o f th e S e c u r ity De e d

, s u b mitte d two le tte r s a s

e v id e n c e o f its a lle g e d c o mp lia n c e with P a r a g r a p h 2 2

, a n d mo v e d f

o r s u mmar

y

ju d g me n t o n th e b r e a c h o f c o n tr a c t c la im. W e d e r e it, o n th e o th e r h an d

, s u b mitte d

4n o e v id e n c e to a f f ir m a tiv e ly s h o w th a t h e c o u ld c a r r y h is b u r d e n o f p r o v in g th e

me r its o f h is b r e a c h o f c o n tr a c t c la im. N o r d id h e f u r th e r c la r if y th a t th e b a s is o f

h is c la im u n d e r P a r a g r a

p h 2 2 c o u ld h a v e r e la te d to a lle g e d d e f ic ie n c ie s i n t h e

n o tic e s s e n t to h im b e f

o r e BAC a c c e le r a te d

th e lo a n

.

W h ile th e c a s e wa s in th is p o s tu r e

, th e tr ia l c o u r t c o n c lu d e d th a t th e n o tic e

le tte r s s e n t to W e d e r e it b y BAC a n d c o n ta in e d in th e s u mmar y ju d g me n t r e c o r d

d id n o t c o mp ly with th e p r e

- a c c e le r a tio n r e q u ir e me n ts o f P a r a g r a

p h 2 2 a n d

d e n ie d BAC’ s m o tio n f

o r s u mmar

y ju d g me n t o n W e d e r e it’ s b r e a c h o f c o n tr a c t

c la im. As BAC c o n c e d e s

, th is p o r tio n o f th e tr ia l c o u r

t’ s r u lin g wa s c o r

r e c t,

b e c a u s e B A C f

a ile d to s h o w th a t th e re wa s n o e v id e n c e su ffic ie n t to c re a te a ju ry

issu e o n a t le a st on e e sse n tia l e le m e nt o f We d e re it’s b re a c h o f c o n tra c t c la im

.

S e e La u ' s Co rp

. v

. Ha sk in s, 2 6 1 Ga

. 4 9 1 (4 0 5 S E 2d 4 7 4 ) (1 9 9 1 ). Ho we v e r

, th e

tr ia l c o u r t d id n o t s to p th e r e

. I t th e n we n t o n to g r a n t s u mmar y ju d g me n t s u a

s p o n te to W e d e r e it o n t h i s c l a im. Th is wa s e r r o r

, b e c a u s e

, a s e x p la in e d mo r e

f u lly b e lo w, th e f

a c t th a t a d e f e n d a n t is n o t e n title d

to s u mmar

y ju d g me n t o na

p la i nt i ff’s b r e a c h o f c o n tr a c t c la im d o e s n o t me a n th a t th e p la in tif f is th e n

a u to ma tic a lly e n title d

to s u a s p o n te s u mmar

y ju d g me n t o nth a t c la im.

As a n in itia l m a tte r, it m

u st b e sa id th a t, d e sp ite th e fa c t We de re it c o u ld

h a v e ra ise d th e b re a c h o f c o n tra c t issu e m o re c le a rly in h is c om p la in t, th e issu e

5o f BAC’s c o m p lia n c e o r la c k th e re o f w ith re sp e c t to P a ra g ra ph 2 2 o f th e

S e c u rity De e d wa s in fa c t m a d e a p a rt of th is c a se

. Ac c o rd in g ly

, BAC’s m o tio n

fo r su m m a ry ju d g m e nt o n th is issu e did m a k e it a p ro p e r o n e u p o n wh ic h a c o urt

c o u ld g ra n t su a sp o n te su m m a ry ju d g m e n t u n d e r th e a

p pro pria te c irc u m sta n c e s.

Th e c irc um sta n c e s h e re

, h o we v e r, we re n o t a p p ro p ria te

. A s sta t e d p r e v io u sly

,

e v e n wh e re th e sa m e issu e s a re in v o lv e d with re sp e c t t o a p a r t y ’s m o tio n fo r

su m m ary ju dg m e n t a n d th e issu e s u po n wh ic h a tria l c ou rt c ho o se s to g ra n t

su m m ary ju d g m e n t su a sp o n te to a n on m o v in g p ar t y

, th e su a sp o nte “ g ra n t o f

su m m ary ju d gm e n t mu st [ a lso ] b e p ro p e r in all o th e r re sp e c ts [, wh ic h ] m e an s

th a t[, a m o n g o th e r th in g s, th e c o u rt m u st] e n su r[e ] [th a t] th e r e co r d s u p p o rts

su c h a ju d

gme n t

. ” (Em

p h a sis su p p lie d .) A y c o ck

, s u pra

, 22 2 Ga

. Ap p. a t 7 6 4

.

S u m m a ry ju d g m e nt wa s n o t a p p ro p ria te fo r We d e re it h e re

, b e c a u se th e re c o rd

sim p ly d o e s n o t su p p o rt su c h a ju d g m e nt in h is fa v o r.

Th is re su lt is m a de c le a r b y e x a m in in g t h e r e s p e c tiv e b u rd e n s a t th e

su m m ary ju d g m e n t sta g e fo r d e fe n d a n ts a n d p l a i n t i f f s

. F o r p u r p o s e s o f su m m a ry

ju d g m e n t, a d e fe n d a n t d o e s n o t n e e d to d isp ro v e e v e ry a sp e c t o f a pla in tiff’s

c a se , b ut m a y p re v a il

b y sh o win g th e c o u rt th a t th e d o c u m e n ts, a ffid a v its, de p o sitio n s a n d

6o th e r e vid e n c e in th e re c o rd re v e a l th a t th e re is n o e v id e n c e

su ffic ie nt to c re a te a ju ry issu e o n a t le a st o n e e sse n tia l e le m e n t o f

p la in tiff' s c a se

. If th e re is n o e vid e n c e su ffic ie n t to c re a te a ge n u in e

issu e a s to a n

y e s s e n tia l e le m e n t of p la in tiff' s c la im

, th a t c la im

tu m b le s lik e a h o u se o f c a rd s.

. . . A d e fe n d a n t wh o w ill n o t b e a r th e

b u rd e n o f pro o f a t tria l ne e d n o t a ffirm a tiv e ly d isp ro v e th e

n o n m o v in g pa rty ’s c a se ; in ste a d

, th e b u rd e n o n th e m o v in g pa rty

m a y b e d isc h a rg e d b y p o in tin g ou t by re fe re nc e t o t h e a ffid a v its,

d e p o s i t i o n s a n d oth e r d o c u m e n ts in th e re c ord th a t th e re is a n

a b se n c e o f e v id e n c e to su p p o rt th e n o n m o vin g p a rty ' s c a se

. If th e

m o v in g p a rty d isc h a

rg e s th is b u rd e n , th e n o n m o v in g p a rty c a n n o t

re st o n its p le a d in g s, bu t ra th e r m u st p o in t to sp e c i f

i c e v id e n c e

g iv in g rise to a

tria b le issu e

.

(Em p h a sis su p p lie d .) La

u ' s Co rp

., su p ra

, 2 61 G a

. a t 4 9 1

. A p la in tiff, o n th e o th e r

h a n d

, “ mu s t d e m o n stra te th a t th e re is n o ge n u in e issu e o f m a te ria l fa c t [a s to

e v e ry e le m e n t o f h is o r h e r c la im s] a nd th a t th e u n d isp u te d fa c ts, v ie we d in th e

lig h t m ost fa v o ra

ble to th e [d e fe n d an t]

, wa rra n t ju d gm e n t [in th e pla in tiff’s

fa v o r] a s a m a tte r o f la w.” Id

. S e e a lso OCGA § 9 -1 1 -5 6 (c ). Th e se b u rd e n s a re

c o m p le te ly d iffe re n t, a s it c a n n o t b e sa id th a t, w h e re a d e fe n da n t is u n a b le to

sh o w th a t “ th e re is no e vid e n c e su ffi c i e n t to c re a te a ju ry issu e o n a t le a st o n e

e sse n tia l e le m e n t o f [a ] p la in tiff' s c a se ,” a p la in tiff h a s a u to m a tic a lly c arrie d h is

o r h e r b u rd e n o f p ro v in g e v e ry e le m e n t of h is o r h e r c a se su c h th a t h e o r sh e is

e n title d to ju d g m e n t a s a m a tte r of la w. In th is se n se

, a de fe n d a n t’s in a b ility to

sh o w a t th e su m m a ry ju d g m e n t sta ge th a t a pla in tiff c a n n o t pre v a il a s a m a tte r

7o f la w h a s n oth in g to d o with a p la in tiff’s e n tire ly se p ara te b u rd e n of sh o win g

th a t h e o r sh e is e n title d

to p re v a il a s a

m a tte r o f la w

.

In lig ht o f th e s e co mp l e te ly d iffe re n t bu rd e ns a t th e su m m a ry ju d g m e n t

sta g e

, th e m o st th a t c a n b e sa id with re s p e c t t o B AC’s fa ile d m o tio n fo r

su m m ary ju d g me n t is th a t issu e s o f fa c t re m a in with re sp e c t to We d e re it’s

b re a c h o f c o n tra c t c la im a g a in st it, n o t th a t We d e re it h a s m e t h is own b u rd e n o f

p r o v i n g h i s b re a c h o f c o n tra c t c la im

. T his is e sp e c ia lly tru e w h e re

, a s h e re

,

We d e re it p o in te d t o n o e v id e nc e to su p p ort h is b re a c h o f c on tra c t c la im

,

wh e th e r p ro d u c e d b y h im o r b y BAC. To h o ld oth e rwise w o u ld im pe rm issib ly

sh ift to BAC th e b u rd e n o f “ a ffirm a tiv e ly d isp ro v [in g ] th e n on m o v in g p a rty ' s

c a se ” (se e La

u ' s Co rp

., su p ra ), ra th e r th a n le a v e th e b u rd e n wh e re it b e lo n g s,

with We d e re it, to p ro v e h i s c a s e

. W o rse still, BAC’s fa ilu re to m e e t th is

im p e rm issib ly sh ifte d b u rd e n re su lte d in We de re it b e in g im p ro p e rly a wa rd e d

su m m ary ju d g m e n t a

u to m a tic a lly with o u t p o in tin g to a n y e v id e nc e to su p p ort

h is c la im

. S m ith v

. Atla n tic Mu t. Co s., 2 8 3 Ga

. Ap p. 34 9, 3 5 1 (6 41 S E 2 d 5 8 6 )

(2 0 0 7 ) (In o rd e r fo r a pla in tiff t o b e a w a r d e d su m m a ry ju d g m e n t, “ [i] t is

in c u m b e n t u p o n [th a t] p la in tiff to p ro v e its c a se a nd

, u n til it d oe s, a d e fe n d a n t

8is u n d e r n o o blig a tio n to d isp ro v e it.” ). 1

He re

, We de re it’s filin g o f h is own se p a ra te m o tio n fo r su m m a ry ju d g m e n t

wo u ld n o t h a ve b e e n a “ m e re fo rm a lity ,” (se e Cru c e

, su p r a ), b u t wo u ld h a v e

b e e n a n e c e ssa ry ste p fo r We d e re it to ta k e to wa rd s m e e tin g h is o w n b u rd e n o f

p ro v in g th a t h e wa s e n title d to ju d g m e nt a s a m a tte r o f la w. Be c a u se th e re c o rd

d o e s n o t su p p o rt th e c o n c lu sio n th a t We de re it c arrie d his b u rd e n o f p ro vin g th a t

h e wa s e n title d to su m m a ry ju d g me n t a s a m a tte r of la w on h is b re a c h o f

c o n tra c t c la im

, th e tria l c o u rt e rre d in a wa rd in g su m m a ry ju d g m e n t su a sp o n te

to We d e re it. We m

u st th e re fo re re v e rse th e Co u rt o f A p p e a ls’ d e c isio n to u p h o ld

th e tria l c o u rt’s ru lin g

.

Ju d g m e n t re ve rse d . All th e Ju stic e s c o nc u r.

De c id e d Ju n e 1 5 , 2 0 1 5

.

1 I t i s wo rth n o tin g h e re th a t th e fa c t th a t a m ov in g p a rty h a s fa ile d to

p re v a il a t th e su m m a

ry ju d g m e n t sta g e d o e s n o t n e c e ssa rily m e a n th a t th e p a rty

will n o t la te r b e a

b le to p re v a il a t tria l.

9Ce rtio ra ri to th e Co u rt o f Ap p e a ls o f Ge o rg ia

– 3 2 8 Ga . Ap p . 5 6 6

.

Dic k e n so n Gilro y

, Mo nic a K

. G ilro y

, Ta nia T. T ru m b le

, E m ily H. Co b b

,

Aim e e D. La To u re tte , fo r a p p e lla n t.

Nic h o lso n Re v e ll, S a m

G. Nic h o lso n, Ad a m

W. Kin g , fo r a

pp e lle e

.

10