# 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 :

A 2 2 A1 6 9 0

. BERNA MASON v

. PERMANENT GENERAL ASSURANCE
CORPORATI ON et a l

.

Bern a M as on su ed Perm an en t Gen eral As s u ran ce Co rp

. , Perm an en t G e n eral

As s uran ce Co rp

. o f Oh i o , an d t h e Gen eral Au t o m o b i l e In s u ran ce Co m p an y (co l l ect i v el y “ Defen d an t s ”) fo r b reach o f co n t ract an d u n j u s t en ri ch m en t

. Defen d an t s

fi led an an s wer an d d efen s es , al o n g wi t h a co u nt ercl ai m ag ai n st M as on fo r ab u s i v e

l i ti g at i o n , s eek i n g reco v ery of l i t i g at i o n ex p en ses un d er OCGA § § 5 1

- 7 -8 0 et seq ., 9 -1 5 -1 4

, an d 1 3 -6 -1 1

. Defen d an t s al s o fi l ed a m ot i o n fo r ju d g m en t o n t h e p l ead i n g s

. Th e t ri al co u rt en tered an o r d e r g r a n ti n g Defen d an ts ’ m o t i o n fo r ju d g m en t o n t h e

p l ead i n g s

. Th e ord er d i d n o t ad d res s Defen d an t s ’ co u n tercl ai m , wh i ch rem ai n s

p en di n g

. M as o n fi l ed t h i s di rect ap p eal

. D efen d an t s h av e fi l ed a m o t i o n t o d i s m i s s t h e

ap p eal , arg u i n g t h at we l ack ju ri s d ict i o n . W e ag ree.

Un d er OCGA § 5 -6 -3 4 (a) (1 ), ap peal s gen 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 , t h at i s t o s ay , wh ere t h e cas e i s n o l o n g er pen d i ng in t h e co u rt b el o w.” “ In

a cas e in v o l v i n g m

u l t i pl e p art i es o r m

u l t i p l e cl ai m s , a deci s i o n ad ju d i cat i n g fewer

t h an al l t h e cl ai m s o r t h e ri g h t s an d l i ab i l i t i es of l es s t h an al l t h e p art i es i s n ot a fi n al
ju d g m en t .” S

h oen t h a l v. S

h o en t h a l

, 3 33 G a. Ap p. 7 2 9

, 7 30 (7 7 6 SE2 d 6 6 3 ) ( 2 0 1 5 )
(p u n ct u at i o n o m i t t e d )

. Fo r a p art y t o o bt ai n ap p el l at e rev i ew u n d er s u ch

ci rcu m s t an ce s , t h e r e m

u s t be ei t h er an ex p res s d et erm i n at i o n b y t h e t ri al co u rt t h at

t h ere i s n o ju s t reas o n fo r d el ay u nd er OCGA § 9 -1 1 -5 4 (b ) o r co m p l ian ce wi t h t h e

i n t erl o cu t o ry ap peal req u irem en t s o f OCGA § 5-6 -3 4 (b ). See id

. W h ere nei t h er co d e

s ect i on i s fo l l o wed

, t h e ap p eal i s p rem at u re an d m us t b e d i s m is sed . Id

. Here, t h e t ri al co u rt d id n o t ru le o n Defen d an t s ’ c o u n t ercl ai m , an d i t d i d n ot August 19, 2022d i rect t he en t ry o f ju d g m en t u n d e r OCGA § 9 -1 1 -5 4 (b ). Co n s eq u en tl y , t h i s act i o n

rem ai n s pen di ng i n t h e t ri al co u rt

, an d M as o n th erefo re was req u i red t o u s e t h e

i n t erl o cu t o ry ap p eal p ro ced u res

– i n cl u di n g o b t ai n i n g a cert i fi cat e o f i m m ed i at e

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

– t o ap p eal t h e o rd er g ran t in g Defen d an t s ’ m o t i o n fo r j u d g m en t o n t he p l ead i ng s

. See OCGA § 5 -6 -3 4 (b ); Ci t i Fi n a nci a l S

vcs
., I n c

. v

. Ho l la n d

, 3 1 0 Ga. Ap p

. 4 8 0

, 4 8 1 (7 1 3 SE2 d 6 7 8) (2 0 1 1 ); C h a t h a m Co u nt

y Ho s p.

Au t h

. v. Ma ck

, 1 8 5 G a. Ap p

. 1 3

, 1 4 (3 6 3 SE2 d 2 6 4) (1 9 8 7). M as o n’ s fai lu re t o d o s o

d ep ri v es u s o f

j u ri s d i ct i o n ov er t h i s p rem at u re d i rect ap p eal

. See Ba i l ey v. Ba i l ey , 2 6 6

Ga. 8 3 2

, 83 3 (4 7 1 SE2 d 2 1 3 ) (1 99 6 ). Acco rd i n g l y , Defen d an t s ’ m ot i o n t o d i s m i s s t h e

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

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

. 08/19/2022