FOURTH D I VI SI ON

DI L LA RD, P. J.

, RI C KM A N and BROWN, 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.

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

Decem ber 10, 2020



# I n th e Co u r t o f

A p p eals o f

G eo r g ia

A2 0 A2 07 9

. THOM PSON et al

. v

. BRANCH BANKING & TRUST

COM PANY.

R I C K M A N , J u d g e.

In M arch 2 0 1 1

, Bran ch Ban k i ng & Tru s t Co m p an y (BB&T) fi l ed s u i t ag ai n s t

J o h n an d El i zab et h Th om p s o n, al l eg i n g t hat t h e Th o m p s o n s h ad d efau l t ed o n a cred i t

l i ne ag reem en t b y fai l i n g t o m ak e t i m el y p ay m en ts

. In Ap ri l 2 0 1 1

, t h e p art i es reach ed

a co n s en t ag reem en t in t h e act i o n an d t h e t ri al co u rt en t ered a co n s en t o rd er refl ect i n g

t h e t erm s o f t h at ag reem en t

.

No fu rt h er act i o n o f a n y k i n d was t ak en i n t h e cas e u n t i l J an u ary 2 0 2 0

, at

wh i ch t i m e BB&T fi l ed a m o t io n fo r d efau l t o f t h e co n s en t o rd er, as s ert i n g n o t h i n g

m o re t h an t h at th e o rd er “ was v i o l at ed .” 1 BB&T’ s m o t i o n fai l ed t o s tat e o r sh o w t h at

1 BB&T d i d n o t fi l e an ap p el l ee b ri ef. W e, th erefo re, accep t t h e Th o m p s o n s ’

rep res en t at i o n o f t h e fact s as b ei n g p ri m a faci e t ru e. See Co u rt o f A p p eal s Ru l e 2 5 (b )

(1 ); W i l d es v. Cl a r k , 3 4 7 Ga. Ap p . 3 4 8 , 3 4 8 n

. 3 (8 1 9 SE2 d 5 1 1 ) (2 0 1 8 ).i t h ad p ro v i d ed n o t i ce of th e b reach t o t he Th o m p s o n s i n acco rd an ce wi t h t h e t erm s

o f t h e co n s en t o rd er, an d o th erwi s e i n cl u d ed n o d o cu m en t ary o r ot h er ev i d en ce in

s u p p ort o f i t s al l eg at io n o f b reach o r d am ag es o wed

. T he m o t i o n d i d no t sp eci fy t h e

am ou n t o f d am ag es BB&T s o u g h t t o reco v er, s t at i n g o n l y t h at i t w a s “ e n t i t l ed to

ju d g m en t fo r t h e am o u n t s s o u g h t i n t h e [2 01 1 ] [c] om p l ai n t

. ” T he Th o m

p s on s fi l ed

a res p o n s e t o t h e m o t i on i n wh i ch t h ey rai s ed n u m ero us d efen s es

, i n cl u di n g fai l u re

t o p ro s ecu t e.

Sev en d ay s aft er t h e Th o m p s o ns fi l ed t h ei r res p o n s e, t h e t ri al c o u rt

, wi t h o ut

co n du ct in g an ev i d en t iary h eari n g, s i g n ed an o rd er p rep ared by BB&T t h at g ran t ed

BB&T’ s m o t i o n fo r d efau l t. Th e o rd er d irect ed t h e T h om p s o n s t o p ay BB&T

$ 6 5 ,1 6 0 .7 9 i n p ri n ci pal

, $ 7 1 0

. 8 5 i n i n t eres t

, an d al l co s ts o f t h e p ro ceed in g s

. Th e

am ou n t o f t h e p ri n ci p al award ed b y t h e t ri al co urt is d i fferen t fro m t h e am o un t s o u g ht

i n th e 20 1 1 co m

p lai n t an d i s o t h erwi s e u n ex p lai n ed an d u n s u p p o rt ed by t h e reco rd

.

Reg a r d l e s s

, t h e l as t wri t t en o rd er i n t h i s cas e was i s s u ed i n Ap ri l o f 2 0 1 1;

co n seq u en t l y

, t he cas e s to o d au t o m a t i c a l l y d i s m is sed as a m at t er of l aw fi v e y ears

aft er t hat d at e, or i n Ap r i l 2 0 1 6

. See OCGA § 9-2 -6 0 (b ) (“ An y act i o n o r o t h er

p ro ceed in g fi l ed i n an y

o f t he co u rt s o f t h i s s t at e i n w hi ch n o wri t t en o rd er i s t ak en

fo r a p eri od o f fi v e y ears s hal l au t o m at i cal ly s t an d d i s m i s s ed .”); OCGA § 9 -1 1 -4 1 (e)

2(“ An y act i o n i n w h i c h n o wri t t en o rd er i s t ak en fo r a p eri od o f fi v e y ears s h al l

au t o m at i cal l y s t an d d i s m i ss ed

. . .”). To g et h er, O CGA § § 9-2 -6 0 (b ) an d 9 -1 1 -4 1 (e)

em bo d y Geo rg i a’ s “ fi v e y e a r r u l e

, ” wh i ch “ pl aces u p o n a p l ai n t i ff wh o wi s h es to

av o id an au t o m at ic d i s m i s sal o f h i s cas e b y op erat i o n o f l aw a d u ty t o ob t ai n a wri t t en

o rd er o f co n t i n uan ce or o t her wri t t en o rd er at s o m e t i m e d u ri n g a fi v e y ear p eri o d an d

t o m ak e s u re t h e s am e i s en t ered in t h e reco rd .” (Ci t at i o n an d pu n ct u at i o n o m i t t ed .)

Og u n d el e v. Ca mel o t Cl u b Co n d o mi ni u m As s n

. , 2 6 8 Ga. Ap p

. 4 0 0

, 40 1 (2 ) (6 0 2 SE2 d

1 3 8 ) (2 0 0 4 ); s ee a l s o Zep p v. Br a n nen

, 2 8 3 Ga. 39 5

, 3 96 (6 5 8 SE2 d 56 7 ) (2 0 0 8 ).

“ Th e p ro v i s i o n s o f t h es e Co d e sect i o n s are m an d at o ry

, an d d i s m i s sal o ccu rs by

o p e rat io n of l aw,” an d “ [n ] o p art y can wai v e t h i s req u i rem en t .” (Ci t at i o n a n d

p u n ct u at i o n o m i t t ed .) Ro b er t s v. Ea yr s

, 2 97 Ga. Ap p

. 8 21

, 82 2 (2 ) (6 7 8 SE2 d 5 3 5 )

(2 0 0 9). It fo l l o ws t h at t h e t ri al co u rt erred b y g ran t i ng BB&T’ s m ot i o n

. See i d

. at 8 2 3

(2 ); W i ll i s v. Co l u mb u s Med i ca l Ce n t er

, 3 0 6 Ga. Ap p

. 3 31

, 33 3 (7 0 2 SE2 d 6 7 3 )

(2 0 1 0) (n o ti n g t h at aft er an au t o m at i c d is m i s s al un d er OCGA § § 9 -2 -6 0 (b ) an d 9 -1 1

-

4 1 (e), “ n ei t h er t h e t ri al co u rt n o r t h i s Co u rt h as t h e di s cret io n t o rei ns t at e t h e cas e

.

. .”); s ee al s o Rep ub l i c Cl a i ms S er vi ce C o

. v

. Ho

y a l

, 2 6 4 Ga. 1 2 7, 1 2 7 (4 4 1 SE2 d

7 5 5 ) (1 9 9 4 ).

Ju d g men t r ever sed . Di l l a r d

, P. J., a n d

Br o wn , J., co n cu r

.

3