FI FTH DI VI SI ON

RI CKM A N, C. J.

, M CFA DDEN, P. 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

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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

.

A ugust 23, 2021



# I n th e Co u r t o f

A p p eals o f

G eo r g ia

A2 1 A0 74 6 . NORROD v . W ILLINGHAM

.

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

Th i s ap p eal ch al l en g es a t ri al co u rt o rd er fi n d i n g t h at a m o t io n fo r n ew t ri al

was u n t i m el y an d d en y i ng t h e m o t i o n wi t h ou t h o l di n g a h eari n g

. Th e t ri al co u rt erred

i n s o fi n d i ng b ecau s e t he ord er d en om i n at ed “ Fi n al O rd er ” r e s e rv ed t h e i s s u e o f

at t o rn ey fees

, an d t h e m o t i o n fo r n ew tri al w as t i m el y fi l ed aft er t h e s ub s eq u en t o rd er

res o l vi n g t h at i s s u e. B e c a u s e t h e t ri al co u rt erred i n fi n d i n g t h at t he m o ti o n was

u n t im el y an d i n fai l i n g t o h o l d a heari n g o n t h e m o t i o n as req ui red b y Un i fo r m

Su p eri o r Co u rt Ru l e 6.3

, we rev ers e t h e o rd er an d rem an d t h e cas e wi t h d irect i o n t h at

t h e t ri al co urt h o l d a h eari n g o n t h e t im el y m o t i o n

.

1

. Fa ct s a n d p r o ced

ur a l p o s t u r e.J o n a t h a n No rro d an d As h t o n W i l l i n g h am were d i v o rced i n 2 0 1 4. Th e fi n al

d i v o rce d ecree award ed t h em jo i n t l eg al cu s t o d y

o f t h ei r m in or ch i l d ; g av e p ri m ary

p h y s i cal cu s t o d y o f t h e c h i l d t o Wi l l in g h am ; an d req u i red No rro d t o pay $ 4 4 0 in

m o nt h l y ch i l d s up p o rt

, wh i ch was i n creas ed t o $ 5 7 4 p er m o n t h i n 2 0 15

. In 2 0 1 8,

W i ll i n g h am fi led a p et it i on t o m o d ify vi s it at io n an d ch il d s u p p o rt an d to ho l d No rro d

i n co n t em p t

, an d No rro d co u n t ercl ai m ed fo r m o di fi cat i o n o f ch i l d s u p p ort

. Aft er a

b en ch t ri al

, t h e co u rt en t ered a p u rp o rt ed “ Fi nal Ord er” o n A u g u s t 5

, 2 0 2 0

, wh i ch

i n creas ed N o rro d ’ s c h i l d s u p p o rt o b l i g at i o n t o $ 6 7 7 per m o n t h ; fo u n d No rro d in

co n tem p t

, b u t di d n o t i m

p o s e p u n i s h m en t; an d res erv ed t he i s s u e o f at to rn ey fees fo r

l at er d et erm in at i o n, d i rect i n g t h e p art i es t o s u b m i t b ri efs o n t h e i s s u e an d in d i cat i n g

t h at t h e co u rt wo u l d en t er a s ep arat e o rd er o n at t o rn ey fees

. On A u g u s t 3 1

, 2 0 2 0

, t h e

co u rt i ss u ed i t s s ep arat e o rd er o n at t o rn ey fees

, award i n g W i l l i n g h am a t o t al o f

$ 2 3 ,2 2 3 in s u ch fees p u rs u an t t o OCGA §§ 9 -1 1 -3 7

, 9 -1 5 -1 4 (a) an d (b ), 1 9 -6 -1 5

, an d

1 9 -9 -3

. On Sep t em

b er 3 0

, 2 0 2 0

, No rro d fi l ed a m o t i on fo r n ew t ri al o n g ro u n d s t h at

t h e ju d g m en t was co n t rary t o t h e l aw an d ev i d en ce an d t h at t h e at t o rn ey fees award ed

were ex ces s i v e. Two week s l at er, wi t h o u t h ol d i n g a h eari ng o n No rro d ’ s m o t i o n fo r

n ew tri a l

, t h e c o u rt en t ered an o rd er d en y in g t h e m o ti o n o n t h e gro u nd t h at i t was

2u n t i m el y s i n ce i t w as fi l ed m o re t h an 30 d ay s aft er t h e Au g u st 5 o rd er. No rro d fi l ed

an ap p l i cat i o n fo r d is cret i on ary ap p eal

, wh i ch was g ran t ed

, an d t h i s ap p eal fo l l o wed

.

2

. Fa i l u r e t o h o l d

a h ea r i n g

.

No rro d as s ert s t h at t h e t ri al co u rt erred b y fai li n g t o co n d u ct a h eari n g b efo re

i t den i ed h i s m o ti on fo r a n ew t ri al . W e ag ree.

Un i fo rm Su peri or Co u rt R u l e 6 .3 req u i res

, u n l es s o t h erwi s e

o rd ered b y th e co u rt

, t hat a m o t i o n fo r n ew t ri al i n a ci v i l act i o n s h al l be

d eci ded b y t h e t ri al co u rt o n l y aft er an o ral h eari n g

, ev en i f t he m o v i n g

p art y d o es n o t req u es t s u ch a h eari n g. M o reo v er,

. . . i f t h e t ri al co u rt

d en i es a m o t io n fo r n ew t ri al i n a ci v i l cas e wi t h o u t i s s u in g an o rd er

ex cep t i n g t h e m o t i o n fro m t h i s p ro ced u ral req u i rem en t

, an d wi t h o u t

h o l d i n g t h e m an d at o ry h e a r i n g

, t h e erro r w i l l n o t b e d eem ed h arm l es s

o n ap p eal ; i n st ead , t h e o rd er d en y i n g th e m ot i o n m u s t b e rev ers ed an d

t h e cas e rem an d ed wi t h d i rect i o n t ha t t h e t ri al co u rt co m p l y wi t h Ru l e

6 .3 b efo re d i s p o s in g o f t h e m o t io n

.

Tr i o l a v. Tr i o l a

, 2 9 2 G a

. 8 0 8 (7 4 1 SE2 d 65 0 ) (2 0 1 3) (ci t at i o n s

, fo o tn o t e, an d

p u n ct u at i o n o m i t t ed ). See al s o Ku r i a t n yk v

. K u r i a t n yk

, 2 86 Ga. 5 89

, 5 9 2 (2 ) (6 9 0

SE2 d 3 9 7) (2 0 1 0).

Here, th e t ri al co u rt d i d no t h ol d t he m an d at o ry h eari n g b e f o r e d en y i n g

No rro d ’ s m o t i o n fo r n ew t ri al

. T h e co u rt ’ s o rd er o f d en i al di d no t refer t o Ru l e 6 .3 o r

No rro d ’ s ri g ht t o a h eari ng

, an d t h ere i s n o in d i cat i o n t hat t h e co u rt i s s u ed a s ep arat e

o rd er ex cep t in g t h e m o ti o n fro m t h e o ral h eari ng req u i rem en t

. In s t ead

, t h e t ri al co u rt

3ap p aren tl y d e t erm i n ed t h at n o h eari n g was req ui red b as ed o n i t s fi n d i n g t h at t h e

m o ti o n was un t i m el y s i n c e i t h a d b een fi l ed m ore t h an 3 0 d ay s aft er th e Au g u s t 5,

2 0 2 0 “ Fi n al Ord er.” See OCGA § 5 -5 -4 0 (a) (“ Al l m o t i o n s fo r n ew tri al

, ex cep t in

ex t rao rd i n ary cas es

, s h al l b e m ad e wi t h i n 3 0 d ay s o f t h e en t ry o f t he ju dg m en t o n t h e

v erd i ct o r en t ry

o f t h e ju d g m en t wh ere t h e cas e was t ri ed wi t h o u t a ju ry .”)

Bu t co n trary to t h e t ri al co u rt ’ s fi n d i ng

, ev en t ho u g h t he Au g us t 5

, 2 0 2 0 o rd er

was l ab el ed a “ Fi n al Ord er,” i t was n o t act u al l y a fi nal ju d g m en t b ecau s e i t ex p res s l y

res erv ed t h e p en d i n g i s s u e o f at t o rn ey fees fo r d et erm i n at i o n in a l at er o rd er. As o u r

Su p rem e Co u rt h as ex p l ai ned , t h ere i s n o fi n al ju d g m en t an d

a cas e rem ai n s p en d i n g i n t h e t ri al co urt wh ere t h at co urt h as ex p l i ci t l y

res erv ed is s u es rel at ed to co s t s an d at t o rn ey fees fo r fu t u re ju d g m en t

. See Is l a mkh a n v. Kh a n

, 2 9 9 Ga. 5 4 8

, 5 5 0 (1 ) (7 8 7 SE2 d 7 3 1 ) (2 0 1 6 )

(“ d es p i t e b ei n g ti t l ed ‘ Fi n al Ord er o f Di v o r c e

, ’ t h e t ri al co u rt ’ s o rd er,

wh i ch s p eci fi cal l y res erv ed res o l u ti o n o f t h e at t o rn ey fees i s s ue fo r

fu rt h er o rd er o f t h e co u r t

, w as n o t a fi n al ju d g m en t ”); Ja r vi s v. Ja r vi s

, 2 9 1 Ga. 8 1 8, 8 1 9 (1 ) (7 3 3 SE2 d 7 4 7 ) (2 0 1 2 ) (“ b ecau s e t h e t ri al co u rt

res erv ed t h e m at t er o f at t o rn ey ’ s fees

, t h e fi n al d ecree o f d i vo rce was n o t

a fi n al ju d g m en t as o f i t s i s s u an ce”); Mi ll er v. Mi ll er

, 2 8 8 G a. 2 7 4

, 2 8 2

(4 ) (7 0 5 SE2 d 8 39 ) ( 2 0 1 0 ) (“ t h ere was n o fi n al ju d g m en t u n t il th e

res erv ed i s s u es o f at t orn ey fees . . . [was ] res o l v ed ”).

Ed o kp o l o r v. Gr ad

y Mem. Ho s

p

. Co r p

. , 3 0 2 Ga. 7 3 3, 7 3 4 -7 3 5 (8 0 8 SE2 d 6 5 3 ) (2 0 1 7 )

(p u n ct u at i o n o m it t ed ). See al so Go r d o n v. Ab r ah a ms

, 3 3 0 Ga. Ap p

. 7 9 5, 7 9 8 -7 9 9 (3 )

4(a) (7 6 9 SE2 d 5 4 4 ) (2 0 1 5 ) (t h ere was n o fi n al ju d g m e n t u n t i l t he res erv ed i s s u e o f

at t o rn ey fees was lat er res o lv ed ); Ci t i F i n an ci a l S

vcs

. v. Ho l l a n d

, 3 1 0 Ga. Ap p

. 4 8 0,

4 8 1 (7 13 SE2 d 67 8) (2 0 1 1 ) (t ri al co u rt o rd er t h at left cl ai m fo r at t o rn ey fees p en d i n g

was n ot a fi n al ju d g m en t).

In t h i s cas e, t h ere was n o fi n al ju d g m en t u n t il t h e t ri al co u rt en t ered i t s o rd er

res o l vi n g t h e res erv e d i s s u e o f at to rn ey fees o n Au g us t 3 1

, 2 0 2 0

. Si n ce No rro d ’ s

Sep tem b er 3 0

, 2 0 2 0 m ot i o n fo r n ew t ri al was fi led wi t h in 3 0 d ay s o f t he en t ry o f t h at

o r d e r

, t h e m o t i o n was t im el y

. So t h e t ri al co u rt erred wh en i t det erm in ed t h at t h e

m o ti o n fo r n ew t ri al was u n t im el y an d wh en i t fai l ed t o h o l d t h e m an d at o ry h eari n g

o n th e t i m el y m o t i o n

. W e th erefo re rev ers e t h e den i al o f t h e m o t i o n fo r n ew t ri al an d

rem an d t h e cas e wi th d i rect i o n t h a t t h e t ri al co u rt h o l d a h eari ng o n t h e m o t i o n as

req u i red b y

Ru l e 6 .3

. See Tr i o l a , s u p ra at 8 08 -8 0 9

.

3

. Rema in i n g

en u mer a t i o n s o

f er r o r

.

Becau s e o f o u r h o l d i ng ab o v e, we d o n ot reach No rro d ’ s o t h er en u m erat i on s

o f erro r co n cern i n g t h e m eri ts o f t h e m o t i on “ as t h e i s s u es rai s ed t h ereb y m u s t b e

as s ert ed i n t h e t ri al co u rt on rem an d .” Tr i o l a

, su p ra at 8 0 9 (ci t at i on an d pu n ct u at i o n

o m it t ed ).

5Ju d

g men t rever

s ed a n d ca s e d r ema n ded wi th di r ect i o n

. R ickma n

, C. J., a n d

S en io r Ap p el l a t e Ju d

g e Her b er t

E. Ph i p p s co n cu r

.

6