THI RD DI VI SI ON
M I LLER, P. J.

, DOYLE, P. J.

, and BROWN, J.

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.

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.

M ay 14, 2021



# I n th e Co u r t o f

A p p eals o f

G eo r g ia

A2 1 A0 50 2 . M CBRIDE v . KELLY et al

. DO-0 2 0

D O Y LE , Pres i d i n g J u d g e.

Bri an D. Kel l y , i n d i v i d u al l y an d as ad m i n is trat o r o f t he es t at e o f J o h n B.

Freem an , fi l ed a “ Pet i t i o n t o Es t ab l i sh Ti tl e A g ai n s t Al l t h e W orl d ” u n der OCGA §

2 3

- 3

- 6 1 e t s eq ., ag ai n s t J as o n Lee M cBri de an d al l p ers on s u n k n o w n wh o m i g h t

cl ai m t it l e t o p ro p ert y l o cat ed i n Wa rren Co u n t y

. Th e s u p eri o r co u rt ap p o i n t ed a

s p eci al m as t er, wh o en t ered a rep ort reco m m en d in g t hat Kel l y h av e ju d g m en t

es t ab l i s h in g h i s t i t l e i n th e l an d. Th e s u p eri or co u rt en t ered a fi n al d ecree ad o p t i n g

t h e s p eci al m as t er’ s rep o rt

, an d M cBri d e ap p eal s , arg u i n g t h at t h e s up eri o r co u rt erred

b y ad o p t i n g t h e rep o rt b ecau s e (1 ) i t was n o t su p po rt ed b y s u ffi ci en t fi n d i n g s o f fact

an d co n cl u s io n s o f l aw — t h e s p eci al m as t er o v erl o o k ed t es t i m o ny , an d t h e s p eci al

m as t er’ s rep o rt f

a i l e d t o m ak e referen ce t o cert ai n ex hi b i t s ; (2 ) t he fi n al decree i si n co n s i s t en t wi t h th e s peci al m as t er’ s rep ort ; an d (3 ) t he s u p eri o r co u rt fai l ed t o g i v e

t h e p art i es su ffi ci en t ti m e t o o b ject t o t he s p eci al m as t er’ s rep o rt

. Fo r t h e reas o n s t h at

fo l l o w , we v acat e t h e fi n al d ecree an d rem an d t h e cas e.

Th e reco rd s h o ws t h at Kel l y fi l ed t h e q u iet ti t l e p et i ti o n o n Decem b er 2 9

, 2 0 1 6.

On J an u ary 3

, 2 0 1 7

, th e tri al co u rt ap p o i n t ed a s p eci al m as ter. Th e p art i es ap p eared

b efo re th e s p eci al m a s t e r i n J u l y 2 0 1 9

, fo r a h eari n g an d p res en t ed ev i d en ce an d

arg u m en t

. On J an u ary 2, 2 0 2 0

, t h e s p eci al m as ter fi l ed h i s rep o rt

, reco m m en d i n g t h at

Kel l y h av e a ju d g m en t es t ab l i s h i n g h i s t it l e t o t h e p ro p ert y at i s s u e. On J an u ary 1 5,

2 0 2 0

, t h e s u p eri o r co u r t e n t e r e d a fi n al d ecree ad op t i n g t h e s p eci al m as ter’ s rep o rt

an d co n cl u s iv el y

es t ab l i s h i n g Kel l y ’ s t i tl e i n t h e p ro p ert y . Th is ap p eal fo l l o wed

. 1

1

. M cBri d e co n t en d s t h at t h e s u p eri o r co u rt erred by en teri n g t h e fi n al d ecree

ad o pt i n g t h e s p eci al m a s t e r ’s rep ort an d reco m m en d at i o n wi th ou t g iv i n g h i m t h e

req u i red t i m e t o reject o r m od i fy t he rep o rt

. W e ag ree.

Un i fo rm Su p eri or Co u rt Ru l e 4 6 (G) (1 ) p ro vi d es : “ In act i ng o n a m as t er’ s

o rd er, rep o rt

, o r reco m

m en d at i o n s , t h e co u r t mu s t a ff o r d t h e p a rt ies a n o

p p o r t u n i t y

t o be h ea r d a nd t o o bj ect to an y p o rt i o n th ereo f. Th e co u rt m ay recei ve ev i den ce, an d

1 M cBri de i n i t i al l y ap p eal ed t h i s cas e t o t h e Su p rem e Co u rt o f Geo rg i a, wh i ch

t ran s ferred i t t o t h i s Co u rt

.

2m ay ad o p t o r affi rm , m o di fy , reject o r rev ers e i n wh o l e o r i n part

, o r res u bm i t al l o r

s o m e i s s u es t o t h e m as t er wi t h i n s t ru ct i o ns .” 2 Ru l e 4 6 (G) (2 ) g i v es a p art y 2 0 d ay s

fro m t h e d at e t he s p eci al m as ter’ s rep o rt is s erv ed t o fi l e a m ot i o n t o reject or m o d i fy

t h e rep o rt , u nl es s t h e co u rt s et s a d i fferen t t i m e.

Here, t h e s p e c i a l m a st er’ s rep o rt was fi led J an u ary 2

, 20 2 0

, an d th e s u p eri o r

co u rt en t ered t he fi n al d ecree ad o p t i ng t h e rep o rt an d reco m m en d at i o n 1 3 d ay s l at er,

o n J an u ary 1 5

, 2 0 2 0

. 3 Th erefo re, t h e p art i es were n o t affo rd ed t h e 2 0 -d ay o p p o rt u n i t y

t o o b j ect o r m o v e to reject o r m o d i f y t he rep o rt as req u i red by Ru l e 4 6 (G).

Acco rd in g ly , we v acat e t h e s u p eri o r co u rt ’ s fi n al d ecree an d rem an d t h e cas e t o t h e

t ri al co u rt fo r fu rt her p ro ceed i n g s co n s i s t en t wi t h Ru l e 4 6

. 4

2

. O u r ho l d i n g i n Di v i s i o n 1 ren d ers m o o t M cBri d e’ s rem ai n i n g en u m erat i o n s

.

Ju d g men t va ca t ed a nd ca s e r ema n d

ed . Mi l l er , P. J., a n d

Br o wn
, J., co n cu r

.

2 (Em p h as i s s u p pl i ed .)

3 Th ere is n o t hi ng in t h e reco rd t o i n d i cat e th at th e t ri al co u rt s et a d i fferen t d ead li n e fo r t h e p art i es t o m o v e t o reject o r m o di fy t h e s p eci al m as t er’ s rep o rt

.

4 See, e.g ., E. I. Du Po nt d e Nemo u r s & Co

. v. W

a t er s , 28 7 Ga. 2 35

, 2 3 7 -2 3 8 (6 9 5 SE2 d 2 6 5 ) (2 0 1 0 ) (rem an d i n g cas e fo r fu rt h er p ro ceed i n g s b a s ed on t h e t ri al

co u rt ’ s fai l u re t o co m

pl y w it h Ru l e 4 6

, i n cl u d i n g p r o v i di n g n o t i ce an d o p p o rt u n i t y
t o b e h eard b efo re ap p o in ti n g a s p eci al m as t er).

3