FI FTH DI VI SI ON

M CFA DDEN, P. J.

, M CM I LLI A N and GOSS, 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

M ay 3, 2019



# I n th e Co u r t o f

A p p eals o f

G eo r g ia

A1 9 A0 68 6 . O’ BRIEN et al . v . BUILDERS INSURANCE.

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 g ran t i n g a m o t i o n t o i n t erv en e i n t h e

u n d erl y i n g act i o n

. Becau se t h e m ov an t h as an i n d ep en d en t rem ed y t o p ro t ec t i t s

i n t eres t s , i t s h o u l d n o t h av e b een al l o wed t o i n t erv en e ov er t h e ap pel l an t s ’ o b ject i o n s

.

So we rev ers e.

1

. Fa ct s a n d p r o ced

ur a l p o s t u r e.

On Au g u s t 8

, 2 01 4

, Ro bert O’ Bri en an d o t h ers fi led a co m pl ai n t ag ai n s t Du erk

Co n s t ru ct i o n , In c., an d J am es Du erk (co l l ect i v el y “ th e Du erk d efen d an t s ”), s eek i n g

t o reco v e r d a m ag es fo r al l eg ed d efect i v e co n s t ru ct i o n o f p ro p ert y o n Sea Is l an d,

Geo rg i a. Th e co m

p lai n t i n cl u d ed cl ai m s fo r b reach o f co n t ract s , b reach o f warran t i es ,

an d n eg l i g en t co n s t ru ct i o n . Th e Du erk d efen dan t s fi l ed an an s wer an d a t h i rd p art yco m

p l ai n t n am i n g v ari o u s s u b co n t ract o rs wh o h ad p erfo rm ed wo rk o n t h e p ro p ert y

as t h i rd -p art y

d efen d an t s

.

On J u l y 1 4

, 2 01 7

, n earl y t h ree y ears aft er t h e c om p l ai nt h ad b een fi l ed

,

Bu i ld ers In s u ran ce, t he i n s u rer fo r t h e Du erk d efen d an t s, fi l ed a m ot i o n t o i nt erv en e.

In th e m o t io n, Bu i l d ers s o u g h t t o part i ci p at e i n d i s co v ery an d p ro p o s e a s p eci al

v erd i ct fo rm i n o rd er t o d et erm i n e wh et h er it i s o bl i g at e d t o p ro v i d e i n s u ran ce

co v erag e fo r th e d am ag es cl ai m ed ag ai n s t t h e Du erk d efen d an t s

. Aft er a h eari n g , t h e

t ri al co u rt

, wi t h o u t ex p l ai n i n g t h e b as i s fo r i t s ru l i n g , s u m m ari l y g ran ted t h e m o t i o n

an d al l o w ed Bu i l d ers t o i n t erv en e fo r t h e p u rp os es o f p art i ci p at i n g i n d i s co v ery an d

p ro p os i n g a s peci al v erd i ct fo rm

. Th e tri al co u rt cert i fi ed i t s o rd er fo r i m m ed i at e

rev i ew, t h i s co urt g ran t ed t h e ap p l i cat i o n fo r in t erl ocu t o ry rev i e w f i l e d b y O’ Bri en

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

.

2

. In t er ven ti o n

.

“ [S] t ran g ers t o l aws u i t s o rd i n ari l y are no t al l owed t o i n t erv en e. [Bu t t ] h ere are

s o m e ex cep t io n t o th e g en eral ru l e di s al l o wi n g i n t erv en t io n b y s tran gers .” Po t t er ’s

Pr o per t ies v. VNS Co r

p

. , 3 0 6 Ga. Ap p

. 6 2 1

, 62 3 (7 0 3 SE2 d 7 9 ) (2 0 1 0 ) (ci t at i o n s an d

p u n ct u at i o n o m i t t ed ). Acco rd To d d v. Co n n er , 22 0 Ga. 1 7 3

, 1 7 9 (2 ) (1 3 7 SE2 d 6 1 4 )

(1 9 6 4); Gr eg o ry v. Ten ch , 1 3 8 Ga. Ap p . 2 1 9 , 2 2 0 (1 ) (a) (2 2 5 SE2 d 7 5 3) (1 9 7 6 ).

2W e h av e d efi n ed i n t erv en t i o n as t h e pro ced u re b y wh i ch a t hi rd p ers o n ,

n o t o ri g i n al l y a p art y to a s ui t

, b u t cl ai m in g an i n teres t i n t h e s u b ject

m at t er, co m es i n t o th e cas e, i n o rd er t o pro t ect h i s ri g ht o r in t erp o se h i s cl ai m

. A t ru e i n t erv en o r t ak es t h e cas e as h e fi n d s i t an d can n ot ex p an d

t h e l i t ig at i o n; h e o r s he m erel y s tak es a cl ai m to a s h are i n t h e res u l t o f

t h e p en d i n g l it i g at i o n

.

AC Co r p

. v. Myr ee , 2 2 1 Ga. Ap p

. 5 1 3

, 5 1 5 (1 ) (4 7 1 SE2 d 9 2 2) (1 9 9 6 ) (ci t at i o n s an d

p u n ct u at i o n o m i t t ed ). See al s o Un d er cl o f er v. S ea bo a r d A. L. R. Co

. , 2 2 2 Ga. 8 2 2,

8 2 9 (7 ) (1 5 2 SE2 d 8 7 8 ) (1 9 6 6 ) (fu n dam en tal ru l e is t hat an i n t erv en or tak es t h e cas e

as h e fi n d s i t an d can n o t i n jec t n e w i s s u es ). “ In t erv en t i o n d o es n o t o ccu r u n t i l t h e

co u rt en t ers an ord er perm i t t i n g i t

. On e wh o i s al l o wed b y a co u rt o rd er to i n t erv en e

acq u ires t h e s t at u s o f a p art y an d m ay fi l e an y p l ead in g i n t h e cas e th at t h e o ri g i n al

p art i es co u l d h av e fi l ed

. ” A n d r ews v. Fo r d Mo t o r Co

. , 3 1 0 Ga. Ap p

. 4 4 9, 4 5 4 (3 )

(7 1 3 SE2 d 4 7 4 ) (2 0 1 1 ) (ci tat io n s an d p u n ct u at i o n o m i t t ed ) (p hy s i cal p reced en t ).

In t h i s cas e, Bu i ld ers s ou g h t t o i n t erv en e p u rs u an t t o OCGA § § 9 -1 1 -2 4 (a) (2 )

an d (b ) (2 ), wh i ch p ro v i d e g ro u n d s fo r i n t erv en t i o n o f ri g h t an d p erm i s s i v e

i n t erv en t i o n u p o n a t im el y ap p l i cat i o n

. Bu t “ [e] v en s o , i t i s t h e ru le i n t h i s [s ] t at e t h at

a part y m ay no t i n t erv en e wh ere h e has a rem ed y wh i ch m ay b e as s ert ed i n a p ro p er

p ro ceed in g .” Po t t er ’s P r o per t i es , s u p ra (ci t at i o n s an d pu n ct uat i o n o m it t ed ). “ [I] f t h e

o n e w h o s eek s t o i nt erv en e wi l l s t i l l b e l eft w i t h hi s ri gh t t o p u rs ue h i s o wn

3i n d ep en den t r em ed y ag ai n st t h e p art i es , reg ard l es s o f t h e o u t co m e o f th e p en d i n g

cas e, t hen h e h as n o i n t eres t t h at n eed s p ro t ect i n g b y i n t erv en t i on an d s h o u l d n o t b e

al l o wed to i n t erv en e o v er o b ject i o n” Gr eg o r

y , s u p ra.

Here, O’ Bri en an d ot her s o b ject ed t o i n terv en t i o n b y Bu i l d ers , as s ert i n g,

am on g o t h er t h i n g s, that th e m o ti o n was u n t im el y , th at i n t erv en t i o n wo ul d im p ro p erl y

ex p an d t he sco p e o f t h e l i t i g a t i o n fro m o n e in v ol v i n g i s s u es o f l i ab i l i t y t o o n e

i n v o l v i n g i ss u es o f in su ran ce co v erag e, an d t h at Bu i l d ers h as t h e i nd ep en d en t rem ed y

o f a decl arat o ry ju d g m en t act i on t o d et erm i n e t h o s e i s s u es o f i n s u ran ce co v erag e.

Bu i ld ers ack n owl ed g es t h at i t co u l d bri n g a d ecl arat o ry ju d g m en t act i o n t o d et erm i n e

co v erag e aft er t he un d erl y in g act i o n i s co m p l e t e d

. In d eed

, i t i s wel l-s et t l ed t h at a

d ecl arat ory ju d g m e n t a c t i o n i s a p ro p er p ro ceed in g fo r d et erm i n i n g i s s u es o f

i n s u ran ce co v erag e. See At la nt a Ca s

. Co

. v. F o u n t a i n , 2 6 2 G a. 1 6, 17 -1 8 (4 1 3 SE2 d

4 5 0 ) (1 9 9 2 ) (wh en a c l a i m f o r i n s u ran ce h as b een m ad e, an d a l eg i t i m at e q u es t i o n

ex i s t s as t o t h e p ro p ri et y o f den y in g co v erag e, t h e i n s u ran ce co m p an y m ay fi l e a

d ecl arat ory ju d g m en t act i o n); Ba r cl a y v. St ep h en s o n , 3 3 7 Ga. Ap p. 3 6 5

, 3 7 1 (3 ) (a)

(7 8 7 SE2 d 3 2 2) (2 0 1 6 ) (acc o r d ) ; Ma r ch a n t v. Tr a vel er s In dem. Co

. , 2 8 6 Ga. Ap p.

3 7 0

, 3 71 (6 5 0 SE2 d 3 1 6 ) (2 0 0 7 ) (i n s u ran ce co m p an y b ro ug h t d ecl arat o ry ju d g m en t

4act i on ag ai n st n am ed i n s u red wh o h ad b een s u ed i n a s ep arat e l aws u i t fo r d efect i v e

co n st ru ct i o n ).

“ W e rev i ew a t ri al co urt ’ s d eci s i o n u nd er ei t h er po rt i o n o f t h e s tat u t e[, OCGA

§ 9

- 1 1

- 2 4 (a) & (b ),] fo r an ab u s e of d i s cret i o n

. ” S t ep h en s v. M cGa r r it y , 2 9 0 Ga.

Ap p

. 7 5 5

, 75 8 (1 ) (6 6 0 SE2 d 7 7 0 ) (2 00 8 ) (ci t at i o n s o m i t t ed ). Aft er “ t h e o u t co m e o f

t h e [u n d erl y in g ] cas e , [ Bu i l d ers ] i s s ti l l l eft wi t h i t s ri g h t t o pu rs u e i t s o wn

i n d ep en den t [d ecl arat o ry ju d g m en t ] act i o n ag ai n s t [t h e Du erk d efen d an t s i n o rd er to

d et erm i n e i n s u ran ce co v erag e]

. Un d er t h es e ci rcu m s t an ces , t h e t ri al co u rt ab u s ed i t s

d i s cret i o n b y g ran t i n g t h e a p p e l l ee’ s m o t i on t o i n t erv en e i n t h i s act i o n

. ” Zi n s er v.

To r m en t a , 2 13 G a. Ap p

. 8 2 4

, 8 2 5 (1 ) (4 4 6 SE2 d 24 9 ) (1 9 94 ) (ci t at i o n o m i t ted ). See

al s o S i r ma n s v. Bo a r d o

f Tr u s tees & c. , 2 9 5 Ga. Ap p

. 3 78

, 3 8 1 (2 ) (6 7 2 SE2 d 4 2 3 )

(2 0 0 8 ) (m o v an t had n o i n t eres t t h at req u i red p ro t ect i o n b y i n t erv en t i on wh ere

i n d ep en den t cl ai m s co u l d s t i l l b e p u rs ued ); Ryn er s o n v. S ch a t

, 2 15 Ga. Ap p. 2 5 0

, 2 5 2

(4 4 9 SE2 d 9 0 1 ) (1 9 94 ) (i n t erv en t i o n den i ed w h ere m o t i o n w as u n t i m el y an d m o v an t

s t il l h ad i n d ep en d e n t r em ed i es av ai lab l e); S l o a n v. S ou t h er n Fl or i d

a b a n c Fed

. S &

L As sn

. , 1 9 7 Ga. Ap p

. 6 0 1

, 6 0 3 (2 ) (3 9 8 SE2 d 7 2 0 ) (1 9 9 0 ) (i n terv en t i o n d en i ed

wh ere m o v an t co u l d p u rs ue i n d ep en d en t rem ed y i n an ot h er co u rt ). Acco rd i n g l y , t h e

5o rd er g ran t i n g t he m o t io n t o i n t erv en e m u s t b e rev ers ed

.

Ju d g men t r ever sed . McMi l l i a n a n d

Go s s , JJ., co n cu r

.

6