# 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 8 A1 72 0

. PR E S T I GE NI SSAN, I N C. et a l

. v. AMERI C A N BANKI NG

COMPANY d/ b/ a AMERI S BANK.

Pl ai n t i ffs Pres t i g e N i s s an

, In c., M

. Crai g Ho rn s b y

, an d Co l b y Ho rn sb y fi l ed

s u i t ag ai n s t d efen d an t Am eri can Ban k i n g Co m pan y d / b / a Am e r is B a nk. A m e r is Ban k

an s wered an d co u n t ercl ai m ed fo r ex pen ses o f l i t i g at i o n an d at t o rn ey fees u n d er

OCGA § § 13 -6 -1 1 an d 9 -1 5 -1 4

. Aft er t h e pl ai nt i ffs fai l ed t o res p on d t o d is co v ery o r

co m p l y wi t h t h e t ri al co u r t ’s o rd er co m p el l i n g d i s co v ery

, Am eri s Ban k s o u g ht

s an ct i o n s u n der O CGA § 9 -1 1 -3 7

. In i t s m o t i o n fo r s an ct i o n s

, Am eri s Ban k as k ed t h e

t ri al co u rt t o st ri k e t h e p l ai n t iffs ’ co m p l ai n t an d d i s m i s s t h ei r act i o n wi t h p reju d i ce,

h o l d t he p l ai n t iffs i n co n t em p t

, an d award at t o rn ey fees

. Th e t ri al co u rt g r a n t e d

Am eri s Ban k’ s m o ti o n fo r s an ct i o n s an d d i s m i s s ed t h e p lai n t i ffs ’ co m p lai n t wi th

p reju d i ce. Th e p lai n t i ffs t hen fi l ed t h is d i rect ap p eal

. 1 W e l ack ju ri s d i ct i o n.

“ In a cas e in v o l v i n g m

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

ul t i p l e cl ai m s

, a d eci si o n ad ju d i cat i n g

1 In i t i al l y

, t h e p l ai nt i ffs ap p eal ed fro m t h e tri al co u rt ’ s o rd er g ran t i n g Am eri s

B an k ’ s m o t i o n fo r san ct i o n s an d d i s m i s s in g t h e pl ai n t i ffs ’ co m p l ai n t an d fr o m t h e

t ri al co u rt ’ s o rde r stri k i ng t h e p l ai n t iffs ’ prev i o u s l y fi l ed n o t i ce o f v o lu n t ary d i s m i s s al

i n Cas e No

. A1 8 A0 2 3 4. Th e tri al co u rt

, h o wev er, s ub s eq uen t l y d i s m i s s ed th e ap p eal

as t o Pres t i g e, an d t h e p lai n t i ffs t h er e a f t e r fi l ed an ap p eal fro m t h e tri al co urt ’ s

d i s m i s s al o rd er i n Cas e No

. A1 8 A0 2 0 4

. Th i s Co urt d i s m i ss ed t h e ap p eal i n Cas e No

. A1 8 A0 20 4 as t o M. Crai g H o rn s b y an d Co lb y Ho rn s b y. S ee Cas e No

. A1 8 A0 2 0 4

(Sep t em b er 1 9

, 2 0 1 7 ) an d t h en en t ered an o rd er i n b o t h ap p eal s rem an d i ng t h e cas e

t o th e t r i a l c o u rt t o co m p let e t h e reco rd

. See Cas e N o s

. A1 8 A0 2 04 / A1 8 A0 2 3 4

(No vem b er 2

, 20 1 7 ). U p on co m

p l et i o n o f t h e reco rd b el o w, th e act i o n was rei n s t at ed

as t h e i n s t an t ap p eal

. January 30, 2019fewer t han al l t h e cl ai m s o r t h e ri g h t s an d l iab i l i t i es o f les s t h an al l t h e part i es i s n ot

a fi n al j u d g m en t .” Jo h n so n v. Ho s p

. Co r p

. o f Amer i ca

, 1 9 2 G a. Ap p

. 6 28 , 6 2 9 (3 8 5

SE2 d 7 31 ) (1 98 9 ) (ci t at i o n an d p u n ct u at i o n om i t t e d )

. A l t h o u g h t h e tri al co u rt

d i s m i s s ed t h e p l ai n t iffs ’ co m p l ai nt

, Am eri s Ban k ’ s c o u n t ercl ai m s hav e n o t b een

ad ju d i cat ed an d ap p aren t ly rem ai n p en d in g

. 2 Th erefo re, t h e ch al l en g ed o rd er i s n ot

a fi n al ord er, an d i t i s ap p eal ab l e o n l y t h ro u g h t h e i n t erl o cu t o ry ap p eal p ro ced u re –

i n cl u d i 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

. See OCGA

§ 5 -6 -3 4 (b ); Ci t i

Fi n a n ci a l Svcs

. v. Ho l l a n d

, 3 1 0 Ga. A p p

. 4 80

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

(2 0 1 1) (d i s m i s s i n g ap p eal fo r fai l u re t o co m pl y wi t h i n terl o cu t o ry ap p eal p ro ced u re

wh en t ri al co u rt d i d n o t ru l e o n p l ai n t i ff’ s “ cl ai m fo r at t o rn ey fees an d co s t s ”); s ee

al s o S o t t er v. S tep h en s

, 2 9 1 Ga. 7 9

, 8 4 (7 2 7 SE2 d 4 8 4) (2 0 1 2 ) (h o ld i n g t h at cas e was

s t il l p en d i n g b el ow wh en t ri al co u rt res erv ed t h e i ss u e o f fees u n d er OCGA § 1 3 -6

-

1 1 ). Th e p l ai n t iffs ’ fai l u re t o co m p l y wi t h t h e i nt er locu t ory ap p eal p ro ced u re 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 ap p eal , wh i ch 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 tr 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

.

2 At t h e h eari ng o n Am eri s Ban k ’ s m o t i on fo r s an ct i o n s , t h e t ri al co urt s t at ed

t h at i t wo u l d n o t i m

p o s e an y “ m o n et ary san ct i o n s ,” bu t i t fai l ed t o m em o ri al i ze t h i s

p ro n ou n cem en t i n i ts s u b s eq uen t wri t ten o rd er, an d th u s t h e co u rt ’ s o ral s t at em en t i s

n o t b i n d i n g

. W

i l l i a ms v. W

i l l i a ms , 2 9 5 Ga. 1 1 3 , 1 1 4 (1 ) (7 5 7 SE2 d 8 5 9 ) (2 0 1 4 ). 01/30/2019