SECOND DI VI SI ON
M I LLER, P. J.

, HODGES and PI PKI N, JJ.

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.

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

Januar y 26, 2022



# I n th e Co u r t o f

A p p eals o f

G eo r g ia

A2 1 A1 59 8

. ROBERTS v

. J P M ORGAN CHASE BANK, NATIONAL
ASSOCIATION et al

.

P I P K I N , J u d g e.

Th i s ap p eal ari s es fro m th e t ri al co u rt ’ s o rd er d i s m i s s in g Pl ai n t i ff J am es T. L.

Ro b ert s’ ap p eal fro m t h e g ran t o f s u m m ary ju d g m en t t o Defen d an t s / Ap p el l ees J P

M o rg an Ch as e Ban k , Nat i o n al As s o ci at i o n (“ Ch as e”) an d As s o ci at ed Cred i t Un i o n

(“ ACU”) (co ll ect i v el y “ Defen d an t s”) i n an act io n o ri gi n al l y b ro ug h t b y Ro b ert s fo r

b reach o f co n t r a c t

, em o t i o n al d i s tres s , frau d

, an d o t h er cl ai m s

. 1 As m o re fu l l y s et

1 Th i s i s t he s eco n d ap p earan ce o f t h i s cas e b efo re o u r Co u rt

. In R o b er t s v. JP
Mo r g a n Ch a s e Ba n k, Na t

. As sn

. , 3 4 2 Ga. Ap p

. 7 3 (8 0 2 SE2 d 8 8 0 ) (2 0 1 7), th i s Co u rt affi rm ed i n p art an d rev ers ed i n p art t he t ri al co u rt ’ s o rd er d i s m i s si n g Ro b ert s ’ cl ai m s
ag ai n s t Defen dan t s ; we rem an d ed t h e cas e fo r fu rt h er p ro ceed in gs , u l t i m at el y

res u l ti n g i n t h e gran t of s u m m ary ju d g m en t t o Defen d an t s an d t h e d i s m i s s al o rd er

n o w b efo re u s

.fo rt h b el o w, t h i s a p p eal m u s t b e d i s m i s s ed an d t h e cas e rem an d ed fo r fu rt h er

p ro ceed in g s

.

Pert i n en t h ere, t h e reco rd sh o w s t h at

, fo l l o wi ng a h eari ng , t h e t ri al co u rt

en t ered s ep arat e o rd ers g ran t i n g s u m m ary ju dg m en t to Defen d an t s o n J u l y 1 3

, 2 0 2 0.

On J u l y 2 8

, 20 20

, Ro b ert s fi l ed a no t i ce o f ap p eal fro m t h es e o rd ers , s peci fy i n g t h at

t h e t ran s cri p t o f t h e s u m

m ary ju d g m en t h eari n g wo u ld b e i n cl u d ed i n t h e reco rd o n

ap p eal (t h e “ J u l y ap p eal ”). Ro b ert s d i ed on Sep t em b er 1 3

, 2 0 2 0

, an d a s u g g es t i o n o f

d eat h was fi l ed b y hi s co u n s el o n J an u ary 25

, 2 0 2 1

. On J an u ary 2 7 , 2 0 2 1

, Ro b ert s ’

at t o rn ey as k ed t h e co urt rep ort er t o prep are a t ran s cri p t o f t he s u m m ary j u d g m en t

h eari n g

. Th e co u rt rep o rt er fu rn i s h ed t h e t ran s cri p t t o Ro b ert s ’ at t o rn ey o n Feb ru ary

1 , 2 02 1 , wh o el ect ro n i cal l y fi l ed i t i n t h e t ri al co u rt t hat s am e d ay

. 2

On Feb ru ary 4, 2 0 2 1

, Defen d an t s fi l ed m ot i on s to d i s m i s s t he J u l y ap p eal d u e

t o Ro b ert s ’ fai l u re t o t i m el y fi l e t h e t ran s cri p t

. See OCGA § 5 -6 -4 8 (c). On Ap ri l 2 7,

2 0 2 1 , t h e t ri al co u rt g ran t ed Defen d an t s ’ m o t i o n s t o d i sm i s s, an d Ro b ert s ’ at t o rn ey

fi led a n o t i ce o f ap p eal fro m t h at o rd er o n May 18

, 20 2 1 (t h e “ M ay ap p eal ”).

Th ereaft er, Defen dan t s m ov ed t h i s C o u r t t o d i s m i s s t he M ay ap p eal

, arg u i n g t h at

2 Th e reco rd w as t ran sm i t t ed t o t h i s Co u rt o n Feb ru ary 9, 2 0 2 1

, b u t w e d i d n ot d o ck et t h e J u l y

ap p eal d u e t o t h e p en d i n g m o t i o n t o d i sm i s s i n t h e t ri al co u rt

.

2b ecau s e n o s ub s t i t u t i o n o f p art y was m ad e i n t h e t ri al co u rt fo l l o wi n g Ro b ert s ’ d eat h,

t h e n o ti ce o f ap p eal i n th at cas e was a n u l li t y

. Ro b ert s ’ a t t o r n e y res p o nd ed t o t h e

m o ti o n , as s ert i n g t hat o n M ay 1 3

, 2 0 2 1, fi v e d ay s pri o r t o fi l i ng t h e no t ice o f ap p eal

fro m th e d i s m is s al o rd er, s h e s u b m i tt ed a m o t i o n t o s u b s t i t u te Beat ri ce Ro b ert s , as

Ex ecu t or fo r t h e Es tat e o f J am es Ro bert s , wi t h t h e t ri al co u rt cl erk

, b u t t h e t ri al co u rt

cl erk refu s ed t o accep t t he m o t i o n fo r fi l i n g b ecau s e th e cas e was cl o s ed

. T o d at e, n o

s u b s t i t u t io n h as b een m ad e i n ei t h er t h i s Co urt o r t h e t ri al co u rt

.

W e ag ree wi t h Defen d an t s t h at t h i s ap peal m us t b e d i sm i s s ed

.

A d eceas ed pers o n can n o t b e a p art y t o l eg al p ro ce e d i n g s

. W h i l e th e

d e a t h o f a part y d o es n o t ab at e a p en di n g act i o n wh ere t h e c a u s e o f

act i o n s u rv i v es , n ev ert h el es s t h e effect o f th e d eat h i s t o s u s p en d th e

act i o n as to t he d ece d e n t u n t i l s o m eo n e i s s u b st it u t ed fo r t h e d eced en t

as a p art y t o t h e p ro ceed i n g s

.

(Ci t at i o n an d p u n ct u at i o n o m i t t ed .) Cl a r k v. Ma s t er

s , 2 9 7 G a. Ap p

. 79 4

, 79 4 (1 ) (6 7 8

SE2 d 5 3 8 ) ( 2 0 0 9 ). Ho wev er, n o t on l y i s t h e n o t i ce o f ap p eal a n u l l i t y , b u t “ al l

p ro ceed in g s o ccu rri n g i n t h e t ri al co u rt s u b s eq u en t l y to t he deat h of [Ro b ert s ] are as

t o h i m si m i l arl y v o i d .” Id

. at 7 9 4 -7 9 5 (1 ). As we h av e fu rt h er ex p lai n ed

, “ [o ] n t h e

d eat h ] o f a p art y , th e act i o n i s su s p en d ed an d t h e s us p en s i o n h as t h e s am e t em p o rary

effect o n t h e r i g h t s o f th e p art i es as th o u g h t h e s u it act u al l y ab at ed

. Th e act i o n

3rem ai n s i n ab ey an ce an d can n o t p ro c e e d un t il s o m eo n e i s s u b st i t u t ed fo r t h e

d eced en t [.] ” (Ci t at i o n an d p u n ct u at i o n o m i t t ed .) Al len v. Cl o u d b u r s t Mf g

. Co

. , 1 6 2

Ga. Ap p

. 1 8 8

, 1 8 9 (2 9 0 SE 2 d 5 2 9 ) (1 9 8 2 ). Th u s, no t o nl y i s th e i n s tan t ap p eal a

n u l l i ty

, b u t t h e o rd er o n t h e Defen d an t s ’ m o ti o n s t o d i s m i s s Ro b ert s ’ o ri g i n al ap p eal

fi led fro m t h e o rd ers g ran ti n g Defen d an t s ’ m o t i o n s fo r s u m m ary ju d g m en t bas ed o n

t h e fai l ure t o t im el y fi l e t h e tran s cri p t i s l i kewi s e v o i d

. Id .; s ee al so Cl a r k

, 2 9 7 Ga.

Ap p

. at 7 9 4 -7 9 5 (1 ). M o reo v er, b ecau s e n o su b s t i tu t i o n i n t h i s cas e h as b een m ad e,

we can n o t s i m

p ly co ns i der th e m eri t s o f t h e J u ly ap peal

, w h i ch

, i n an y ev en t, h as y et

t o b e d ock et ed i n t h is C o u r t

. Th u s , we vacat e t he t ri al co u rt ’ s ord er d i s m i s s i n g t h e

M ay ap p eal an d rem an d fo r t h e t r i a l co u rt t o co n s id er, an d ru l e u po n , wh et h er t h e

m o ti o n t o s u b s t i t u t e s u b m i t t ed b y Ro b ert ’ s co u n s el o n M ay 13

, 2 02 1

, sh o u l d h av e

b een accep t ed fo r fi l i ng by t he tri al co urt cl erk

. If t h e tri al co u rt an s wers th at q u es t i o n

i n th e affi rm at i v e, t h e m o ti o n t o s u b s t i t ut e s h o u l d b e re-fi l ed t o al l o w th e t ri al co u rt

t h e o p p o rt u n i t y t o co n s i d er an d ru l e o n t h e m o t i o n

. If t h e m ot io n t o s u b s t i t u t e i s

g ran t ed

, t h e ap p eal fro m t h e J u l y a p p e a l m a y t h en b e re-t ran s m i t ted t o t h is Co u rt

,

al o n g wi t h a co p y

o f t h i s o pi ni o n

.

Ap p ea l d i s mi s sed a n d ca se r ema n d ed wi t h d ir ect i on

. Mi l l er

, P. J., a n d Ho d

g es
,

J., co n cu r

.

4