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 l s .us /r ule s

Septem ber 10, 2015



# I n th e Co u r t o f

A p p eals o f

G eo r g ia

A1 5 A1 57 1

. J ONES v

. DEUTSCHE BANK N AT I O N AL TRUST

COM PANY et al

.

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

Ro y ce L. J o nes fi l ed t h i s ap p eal fro m t h e t r i a l c o u rt ’ s d i s m i s s al of an earl i er

n o t i ce o f ap p eal

. J o nes arg u es on l y t he m eri t s o f t h e cas e; he d o es n o t arg ue t h at t h e

t ri al co u rt erred in d i s m i s s i n g h i s fi rs t n o t i ce o f ap p eal

. Becau s e J on es d o es n ot

ch al l en g e t h e di sm i s s al

, an d we can no t reach h is en u m erat i o n s o f erro r reg ard i n g t h e

m eri t s o f t h e cas e, we affi rm

. 1

J o n es b ro u g ht t h i s act i o n as s ert i n g wro n gfu l fo recl o su re an d n u m ero u s o t h er

cl ai m s ag ai n s t D e u t s ch e Ban k Nat i o n al Tru s t Co m pan y as tru s t ee fo r So u n d v i ew

1 Al t h o ug h J o n es h as ab an d o n ed t h e o n l y i s s u e he i s en ti t led t o rai s e i n t h i s

ap p eal

, t h at fai l u re d oes n o t d ep ri v e u s o f j u ri s di ct i o n

. Deu t s ch e Ban k ’ s m o t i o n to

d i s m i s s i s t h erefo re d en i ed . See OCGA § 5 -6 -4 8 (b ).Ho m e Lo an Tru s t 2 0 0 7-2

, Ocwen Lo an Serv i ci n g

, LLC, an d fo recl o su re at t o rn ey s

M cCu rd y & Ca n d l e r

, L L C. Deu t s ch e Ban k an d O cwen m o v ed t o d i s m i s s J o n es ’ s

co m p l ai n t

, an d M cCu rd y & Can d l er m o v ed fo r ju d g m en t o n th e p l ead i n g s

. Th e t ri al

co u rt g ran t ed b ot h m o t i o n s. J o n es t i m el y fi l ed a n o ti c e o f ap peal

. Th e tri al co u rt

d i s m i s s ed th at n o t ice o f ap p eal b ecau s e of J o nes ’ s d el ay i n p ay i n g th e co s t b i l l fo r t h e

ap p el l at e reco rd . J o n es t h en fi led t h e i n s tan t ap p eal

.

“ A t ri al co u rt ’ s ru li n g o n wh et h er an ap p eal i s s u b ject t o d is m i s s a l w i l l b e

rev ers ed o n l y fo r an ab us e o f d i s cret i o n .” As h l ey v. JP Mo r g an Ch a s e B a n k

, 3 2 7 Ga.

Ap p . 2 3 2 , 2 3 5 (1 ) (7 5 8 SE2 d 1 3 5 ) (2 0 1 4 ). In h i s b ri ef o f ap p el l an t J o n es d o es n o t

at t em p t t o p ers u ad e u s t h at t h e t ri al co u rt ab u s ed h er d i s cret i on i n d i s m i s si n g h i s fi rs t

n o t i ce o f ap p eal ; h e d o es n o t ch al l en g e t h at ru l i n g at al l

. In s t ead h e arg u es t h e m eri t s

o f h i s d i s m i s s ed ap p eal

.

J o n es i s n o t en t it l ed to b e h eard o n t h e m eri t s o f t h at ap p eal

. “ [ O ]n l y i f t h e

[t ri al ] co u rt ’ s d is m i ss al o f t he n o ti ce o f ap p eal ” i s o v ert u rn ed can an y q u es t i on s

reg ard i n g t h e m eri ts o f t he cas e b e rai s ed o n ap p eal

. Ha t f i el d v. Gr ea t Amer i ca n

Ma n a g emen t & In ves t men t

, 2 58 Ga. 6 40 (3 73 SE2 d 36 7 ) (1 9 8 8 ). Becau s e J o n es d o es

n o t ch al l en g e t h e t ri al co u rt ’ s d i s m is s al o f h is fi rs t no t i ce of ap p eal an d

, i n an y ev en t

,

t h e d i s m i s s al was n o t an ab u s e o f d i s cret io n

, w e d o n o t ad d res s J o nes ’ s en u m erat i on s

2o f erro r reg ard i n g t h e m eri t s o f t h e cas e. See ACCC In s. Co

. v. Pi z z a Hu t o f Amer i ca

,

3 1 4 Ga. Ap p . 6 5 5 , 6 6 0 (7 2 5 SE2 d 7 6 7 ) (2 0 12 ).

J o n e s d o es ad d res s t h e d i s m i s s al is su e i n h i s rep ly b ri ef. Bu t t h at is t o o l at e

.

“ On ce an erro r has b een ab an d o n ed i n an i n i t i al b ri ef, i t c a n n o t b e res urrect ed by

s u p p ly i n g arg u m en t an d ci t at i o n o f au t h o ri t y i n a rep l y b ri ef.” B ef eka d u v. Ad d i s In t l

.

Mo n ey Tr a n s

f er

, 33 2 Ga. Ap p

. 1 0 3

, 1 0 8 -1 0 9 (2 ) (_

_ SE2 d

_ _ ) (2 0 1 5 ) (ci t at i on s

o m it t ed ).

Th e arg um en t s i n h i s rep l y b ri ef are, i n an y cas e, en t i rel y wi t h o ut m eri t

. Th ey

co n si s t o f u n s u p p o rt ed as s ert i o n s t h at t h e cl erk o f th e tri al c o u r t i s to b l am e fo r t h e

d el ay i n p rep ari n g t h e ap p el lat e reco rd

. “ W e can n o t co n s i d e r f a c t u al as sert i o n s in

b ri efs th at are no t s up p o rt ed b y t h e reco rd .” Ben n et t v. Qu i ck

, 3 0 5 Ga. Ap p

. 4 1 5

, 4 1 7

(6 9 9 SE2 d 5 3 9 ) (2 0 1 0 ) (ci tat io n o m i t t ed ).

An d o u r rev i ew of t h e reco rd co n fi rm s t h at th ere was n o ab u s e of d i s cret i o n by

t h e t ri al co u rt i n d i s m i s s i ng J o n es ’ s ap p eal

. It was wi t h i n t h e t ri al co u rt ’ s d i s cret i o n

t o d i s m i s s J o n es ’ s ap p eal b ecau s e s h e fo u n d J o n es ’ s d el ay i n p ay i n g t h e co s t b i l l to

b e u n reas o n ab le an d i n ex cu s ab l e.

“ [A] tri al co urt m ay o rd er t h e a p p e a l d i s m i s s ed wh ere t h ere h as b een an

u n reas o nab l e d el ay i n t h e t ran sm i s s i o n o f t h e reco rd t o t h e ap p el l at e co u rt , an d i t i s

3s een t h at t h e d el ay w as i n ex cu s ab l e a n d w a s cau s ed b y t h e fai lu re o f a p art y t o p ay

co s t s in t h e t ri al co u rt o r fi le an a f f i d a v i t o f i n d i g en ce.” OCGA § 5 -6 -4 8 (c). “ [A]

d e l a y i n ex ces s o f 3 0 d ay s is p ri m a faci e u n reas o nab l e an d i n ex cu s ab le, b u t t h i s

p res u m p t i o n i s s u b

j ect t o reb u t t al i f t he p art y co m es fo rward wi t h ev i den ce t o s h o w

t h at t h e d el ay

was n ei t h er u n reas o n ab l e n o r i n ex cu sab l e.” Kel ly v. Da ws o n Co u n t y

,

2 8 2 Ga. 1 8 9 (6 4 6 SE2 d 5 3) (2 0 0 7 ) (ci t at i o n an d p u n ct u at i o n o m i t t ed ). Here, t h e t ri al

co u rt fo u n d t hat J o nes t en d ered p ay m en t fo r th e co s t bi l l 4 2 d ay s aft er i t was

d el i v ered t o h i m

.

Ju d g emen t a f f i r med . El l i n g t o n , P. J., a n d Di l la r d

, J., co n cu r.

4