THI RD DI VI SI ON

ELLI NGTON, P. J.

, DI LLA RD and M C FA DDEN, 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 ls .us /r ule s /

June 30, 2015



# I n th e Co u r t o f

A p p eals o f

G eo r g ia

A1 5 A0 39 7

. PARRISH v. CHRYSLER FINANCIAL SERVICES

AM ERICAS, LLC.

M C F A D D E N , J u d g e.

J o h n T. Parri s h ap p eal s t h e g ran t o f s u m m ary ju d g m en t t o Ch ry sl er Fi n an ci al

Serv i ces Am eri cas , LLC, i n i ts s u i t fo r a d efi ci en cy ju d g m en t

. Becau s e t h e reco rd i s

d ev o i d o f ev id en ce t h at Ch ry s l er s at i s fi ed al l of t h e s t at u t o ry n o t i ce p ro v i s i o n s o f

OCGA § 1 0 -1 -3 6 (a), w h i c h a r e req u ired fo r Ch ry sl er t o reco v er a d efi ci en cy

ju d g m en t ag ai n s t Parri s h , we rev ers e.

To p rev ai l o n a m o t i o n fo r s u m m ary ju dg m e n t

, t h e m o v i n g p art y m u s t

d em o n s t rat e t hat t h ere i s n o g en u i n e i s s u e o f m at eri al fact an d t h at t h e u n d i s p u t ed

f a c t s , vi ewed in a li g h t m o s t fav o rab le to t he p art y op p o s in g t h e m o t i o n , w a r r a n t

ju d g m en t as a m at t er o f law. OCGA § 9 -1 1-5 6 (c); La u’s Co r p

. v. Ha s ki n s , 2 6 1 Ga.4 9 1 (4 0 5 SE2 d 4 7 4) (1 9 9 1). Th i s co u rt ap p l ies a d e n o v o rev i ew t o a g ran t o f

s u m m ary ju d g m en t

, v i ewi n g t h e ev i d en ce an d al l reas on ab l e in feren ces t h erefro m in

t h e l i g h t m o s t fav o rab le t o t h e n o n m o v an t

. Ver s ey v. C i t i

z en s Tr u s t Ba n k

, 3 0 6 Ga.

Ap p . 4 7 9 -4 8 0 (7 0 2 SE2 d 4 79 ) (2 0 1 0 ).

So v i e w e d

, t h e ev i den ce s h o wed t h at Ch ry sl er rep o s s es s ed a v eh icl e as t h e

res u l t o f Parri s h ’ s al l eg ed d efau l t o n a r e t a i l i n s t al lm en t co nt ract wi t h Ch ry s l er’ s

pr e d e c e ssor

- in- inte r e st. ( P a r r i s h d en i ed t h at he was in defau l t

. ) Ch ry s l er su b seq u en tly

s e n t P a r r i s h b y cert i fi ed m ai l a n o t ice o f it s i n t en t io n to p u rs u e a d efi ci en cy cl ai m

.

Ch ry s l er s o l d t he v eh icl e at au ct i o n fo r l es s t h an t h e b al an ce du e o n Parri s h’ s acco u n t

,

l eav i ng a d efi ci en cy . Ch ry s l er b ro ug h t t h i s act i o n t o reco v er t h at d efi ci en cy

.

Parri s h co rrect l y arg u es t h at n o t h i ng in t h i s ev i d en ce es t ab l i s hes t h e d at e o n

wh i ch Ch ry s l er rep os s es s ed hi s v eh i cl e. Th e o n l y referen ce i n t h e reco rd to t h e d at e

o f rep os s es s i o n o c c u r s , wi t h o u t ci tat i on t o ev i d en ce, i n Ch ry s l er’ s p o rt i o n o f a

co n so l i d at ed p re-t ri al o rd er.

Th e s peci fi c d at e o f rep o s s es s i o n i s cri t i cal t o d et erm i n i n g wh et her Ch ry s l er

m et t h e st at u t o ry n o t i ce req u i rem en t s fo r o b t ai n i n g a defi ci en cy ju dg m en t fo l l o wi n g

rep o s s es s i o n . OCGA § 1 0 -1 -3 6 (a) p ro v i d es i n p ert i n en t p art :

2W h en an y m o to r veh i cl e h a s b een rep o s s es s ed aft er d efau l t

. . . , th e

s el l er o r h o l d er s h al l n o t b e en t i t l ed t o reco ver a d efi ci en cy ag ai n s t th e

b u y er u n l es s wi th i n t en d a ys af t er t h e r ep o s s es s i on h e o r s h e fo rward s

b y reg i s t ered o r cert i fi ed m ai l o r s t at u t o ry o vern i g h t d el i very t o th e

ad d res s o f th e b u y er s h o wn on t he co n t ract o r l at er d es i g n at ed by th e

b u y er a n o t i ce o f t h e s el l er’ s o r h o l d er’ s i n ten t i o n t o pu rs u e a d efi ci en cy

cl ai m ag ai n s t t h e b u y er.

(Em p h as i s s u p p l i ed .) W i t h o u t es t ab l i s h in g th e d at e o f rep o s s es s io n , Ch ry s ler can n ot

s h o w t h at i t t i m el y

s en t t h e req u i red n o t i ce.

Ch ry s l er arg ues th at th e b u rd en fel l o n Parri s h t o p ro d u ce ev i d en ce of t h e d at e

o f rep o s s es s io n t o av o i d s u m m ary ju d g m en t

. Th i s i s i n c orrect

. A p l ai nt i ff s eek i n g

s u m m ary ju d gm en t “ h as t he bu rd en o f p res en ti n g ev i d en ce t o s u p p o rt [i t s ] cl ai m [.] ”

S t a t e o f G eo rg i a v. Ro z i er , 2 8 8 Ga. 76 7

, 76 8 (7 0 7 SE2 d 1 0 0 ) (2 0 1 1 ) (ci t at i on s

o m it t ed ). Sat i s fact i o n of th e s t at u t o ry n o t i ce p ro v i s i o ns i s an es s en t i al el em en t o f

Ch ry s l er’ s cl ai m fo r a defi ci en cy ju d g m en t. See Ver sey , 3 0 6 Ga. Ap p

. at 4 8 1 (1 ) (“ A

cred i t o r’ s f

a i l u r e t o c o m

p l y wi t h t h e n o t i ce p ro v i s i o n s of OCGA § 1 0 -1 -3 6 i s an

ab s o lu t e b ar t o reco v ery

o f a d efi ci en cy

ju d g m en t .”) (ci t at io n o m i tt ed ); Bea ch a m v.

Ca l va r y Po r t fo l i o S vcs

. , 3 04 Ga. Ap p

. 3 7

, 3 8 (6 9 5 SE2 d 3 6 8 ) (2 0 1 0 ) (s am e). Becau s e

Ch ry s l er d i d n o t p res en t ev i d en ce t o s h ow t h at i t s at i sfi ed t he no t i ce req u i rem en t s o f

OCGA § 1 0 -1 -3 6 , i t was n o t en t i t l ed t o s u m m ary ju d g m en t. See Bea ch a m , 3 0 4 Ga.

3Ap p

. at 3 7 (rev ers in g tri al co u rt ’ s g ran t of s u m m ary j u d g m e n t t o p l ai nt i ff s eek i n g

d efi ci en cy ju d g m en t b ecau se p l ai n ti ff fai led t o p ro d uce ev i d en ce t h at i t s pred eces s o ri n -i n teres t t i m el y

s erv ed d efen d an t n o t i ce req ui red u n der OCGA § 1 0-1 -3 6 ).

Ju d g men t r ever sed . El li ng t o n , P. J., a n d Di l l a r d , J., co n cu r

.

4