# 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 :

A1 7 A1 91 5 . THOMAS ROY HOLBI RD, J R. et a l. v

. J ERRY HAMEL et a l

.

J erry Ham el

, Hu g h Bu rch an d Fl o y d Bro wn (co l lect i v el y , “ Ham el ”) o b t ai n ed

a ju d g m en t ag ai n s t T h o m as R. Ho l b i rd

, J r. i n di vi d ual l y an d as ex ecu t or o f t h e es t at e

o f Th o m as R. Ho l bi rd

, Sr. (“ Ho l b i rd ”), wh i ch req u ired Ho l b i rd t o ex ecu t e a q u i t cl ai m

d eed pert ai n in g t o p ro p ert y l o cat ed i n t h e Bah am as

. 1 W h en H ol b i rd fai l ed t o d o s o,

Ham el fi l ed a p et i t i o n fo r co n t em p t an d at t o rn ey f

e e s

. 2 Th e t ri al co u rt ap p o i n t ed a

s p eci al m as t er t o ad d res s t h e fo rm o f q u i t cl ai m d eed n eces sary i n t he Bah am as

. Up o n

o b t ai n i n g t he s p eci al m as t er’ s rep o rt

, t h e t ri al co u rt en t ered a n or der req u i ri n g Ho l b i rd

t o ex ecu t e a q u i t cl ai m d eed i n t he fo rm i den t i fi ed

. Ho l b i rd s eek s t o ap p eal t h i s ru l i n g.

It ap p ears , h owev er, t h at t h e cas e i s n o t y et fi n al

. As a g en eral ru l e, a ri g h t o f d i r e c t ap p eal l i es fro m a fi n al ju d g m en t ; t h at i s , wh ere t he cas e i s n o l o n g er p en d i n g b el o w

. See OCGA § 5 -6 -3 4 (a) (1 ). Here, t h e t ri al

co u rt ’ s o rd er d i d n o t res o lv e Ham el ’ s co n t em p t p et it i o n

. Un d er t h es e ci rcu m s t an ces , i t ap p ears t h e act i o n rem ai n s p en d in g i n t he s up eri o r co u rt

. 3 B e c a u s e t h e o rd er was

1 Ho lb i rd ap p eal ed

, an d t h e ju d g m en t was affi rm ed i n an u n p ub l i s h ed o p i n i o n i s su ed u nd er Co u rt o f Ap p eal s Ru l e 3 6

. See Cas e Nu m b er A 1 2 A2 0 7 4, d eci d ed M arch

1 1 , 2 0 1 3

.

2 Bro wn ap p aren t l y p a s s ed away

. T h u s , t h e co n t em p t act i o n was b ro u g h t by

Ham el an d Bu rch

.

3 Th e t ri al co u rt al s o d i d n o t ru l e o n Ham el ’ s req u es t fo r at t o rn ey fees

. Bas ed

u p o n th e l an g u ag e Ham el em p l o y ed i n h i s c o m

p l a i n t

, i t ap p ears as t h o u g h h e was

s eek i n g as s es s e d at t o rn ey fees u n d er OCGA § 9 -1 5 -1 4. If at to rn ey fees are s o u g ht July 11, 2017n o t f

i n a l, Ho l bi rd was req u i red t o co m pl y wi t h t h e i n t erl o cu t o ry ap peal p ro ced u r e s

o f OCGA § 5

- 6

- 3 4 ( b ) in o rd er t o o b t ai n ap pel l at e rev i ew. Th i s ap p eal i s t h erefo re

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 t i f y th a t t h e a b o v e i s 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 t h 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

.

u n d er OCGA § 9 -1 5 -1 4

, a t ri al co u rt ’ s res erv at i o n o f th e at t orn ey fee i s s u e d o es n ot

ren d er t he o rd er n o n -fi n al

. See Hi ll v. Bu t tr a m , 2 5 5 Ga. Ap p

. 1 2 3

, 1 2 4 (5 6 4 SE2 d

5 3 1 ) (2 0 02 ) (res erv at i o n o f OCGA § 9 -1 5 -1 4 at t o rn ey fee i s su e d oes n ot ex t en d t i m e fo r fi l i ng n o t i ce o f ap p eal ). 07/11/2017