# C o u rt o f

A p p ea ls

o f t h e S t a te o f

G eo rg ia

ATLANTA,_

_ _ __ _ _ __ _ __ _ _ _ _ _ __ _

Th e Co u rt

o f Ap p ea l s h er eb y p a s s es t h e f

o ll owi n g o r der :

A2 0 A1 49 7 . I N RE ESTATE OF LEONA DOBOS-Z Y W ICS.

Th e Pro b at e Co u rt o f Bart o w Co u nt y en t ered an ord er fi n d i n g t h at h ei r J o s ep h

Zy wi cs an d h is at to rn ey had d efrau d ed t he es t at e o f Leo n a Do bo s -Zy wi cs i n vi o l at i o n

o f a co n s en t o rd er. Th e co u rt s et as i de m u l t i p l e d eed s

, o rd ered rep ay m en t o f cert ai n

fu n d s, an d fo un d th at Zy

wi cs was d i s i nh eri t ed

. Zy wi cs fi l ed n o t i ces o f ap peal t o t h i s

Co u rt an d t o t h e s u p eri o r co u rt

. Ap p el l ee Li s a An n No el h as fi l ed a m o t i o n t o d i s m i s s

.

As a t h res h o l d m at ter, we n o te t h at a n o rd er o f t h e Pro b at e Co u rt o f Bart o w

Co u n t y m ay b e ap p eal ed d i rect l y t o t h e Co u rt o f Ap p eal s

. 1 H o wev er, th e o rd er m u s t

b e fi n al

. See OCGA § 5 -6 -3 4 (a) (1 ) (ap p eal s g en eral l y m ay b e t ak en fro m “ [a] l l fi n al

ju d g m en t s

, th at i s t o say

, wh ere t h e cas e i s n o l o n g e r p en di n g i n t h e co u rt

b el o w”); OCGA § 1 5

- 9

- 1 2 3 (a) (t h e p ro v i s i o ns o f Ch ap t er 6 o f Ti t l e 5 ap p l y to

p ro b at e ap p eal s). Here, t h e t ri al co u rt ’ s o rd er ex p res s l y res erv ed i s s u es p ert ai n i n g to

at t o rn ey fees an d p u ni t i v e d am ag es

. Th e act i o n t h u s rem ai n s p en d i n g b el o w, an d

Zy wi cs was req u i red t o u s e t h e i n t erl o cu to ry ap p eal p ro ced u res

– i n cl ud i n g o b t ai n i n g

a cert i fi cat e of i m

m ed i at e rev i ew fro m t h e t ri al co u rt

– t o o b tai n rev i ew o f th e o rd er

1 Un d er OCGA § 1 5 -9 -1 2 3 (a), a p art y i n a ci v i l cas e i n p ro b at e co u rt s h al l h av e

t h e ri g h t of ap p eal t o an ap p el l at e co u rt w i t ho u t fi rs t seek i n g rev i ew i n s u p eri o r co u rt

. See El l i s v. Jo h n s o n

, 2 9 1 Ga. 1 2 7

, 1 2 8 n.1 (7 2 8 SE2 d 2 0 0 ) (2 0 12 ). A pro b at e co u rt

i s d efi ned a s “ a p r o b a t e co u rt of a co u n t y h av i ng a p o p u l at i o n o f m o re th an 9 0 ,0 0 0

p ers o n s acco rd i n g t o t h e Un i t ed St at es d ecen n i al cen s u s o f 2 0 10 o r an y fu t u re s u ch

cen s u s .” OCGA § 1 5 -9 -1 2 0 (2 )

. A s o f t h e 2 01 0 cen s us

, Bart o w Co u n t y h ad a

p o p u l at i o n o f 1 0 0 ,1 5 7

. March 16, 2020h e s eek s t o ap p eal

. See OCGA § 5 -6 -3 4 (b ); In r e Es t a te o f S i ms

, 2 46 Ga. A p p

. 4 5 1,

4 5 2 (5 40 SE2 d 6 5 0 ) (2 0 0 0 ).

Zy wi cs ’ s fai l u re t o co m

pl y wi t h t h e i n t erl o cu t o ry ap p eal p ro ced ures d ep ri v es

u s o f ju ri s d i ct i o n o v er t h i s p rem at ure d i rect ap p eal

. Acco rd i ng l y

, t h e m o t i o n to

d i s m i s s i s h ereb y GRANTED, an d t h i s ap p eal i s h ereb y DISM ISSED. See i d

.

C o u r t o f A p p e a l s o f t h e S t a t e o

f G e o r g ia

C le r k ’ s O f f i c e

, A t la n t a

,

_

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ I c e r ti fy t h a t t h e a b o v e is a t r u e e x t r a c t f r o m

t h e m i n u t e s o

f t h e C o u r t o

f A p p e a l s o f G e o r g i a

.

W i tn e s s m y s i g n a t u r e a n d th e s e a l o

f s a i d c o u r t

h e r e t o a f f i x e d t h e d a y a n d y e a r l a s t a b o v e w r i t t e n

.

, C l e r k

. 03/16/2020