# 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 :

A2 1 A0 17 5 . ROBERT FRI EDRI CH et a l . v . J AMONT HOMES, I NC.

Th i s act i o n b eg an wh en s ev eral p l ai n t i ffs fi l ed a co m pl ai nt ag ai n st d efen d an t

J am o n t Ho m es , In c., as s ert i n g m u l t i p l e cau s es of a c ti o n , in cl u d i n g a req u es t fo r a

d ecl arat ory ju d g m en t. Fo l l owi n g a h eari n g , th e t ri al co u rt d en i ed t he req u es t fo r a

d ecl arat ory ju d g m en t an d d i s m i s s ed t h at cl ai m

. Th e pl ai n ti ffs t h en fi l ed t h i s d i r e c t

ap p eal . W e l ack ju ri s d i ct i o n

. Un d er OCGA § 5 -6 -3 4 (a) (1 ), ap peal s g en eral l y m ay b e t ak en fro m “ [a] l l fi n al

ju d g m en t s , t h at i s t o s ay , wh ere t h e cas e i s n o l o n g er p en d i n g in t he co u rt b el o w.” In

a c a s e i n v o l v i ng m

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

ul t i p l e cl ai m s , a deci s i o n ad ju d i cat i n g fewer

t h an al l t h e cl ai m s o r t h e ri g ht s an d l i ab i l i t i es o f fewer t han al l t h e p art i es i s n o t a

fi nal ju dg m en t

. Jo h n s o n v. Ho s p

. Co r p

. o f Amer ica

, 19 2 G a. Ap p

. 6 2 8, 6 2 9 (3 8 5

SE2 d 7 3 1 ) (1 9 8 9 ). Fo r a p art y t o o b tai n ap p el l at e rev i ew u n d er su ch ci rcu m s t an ces ,

t h ere m u st b e ei th er an ex p res s d et erm i n at i o n b y t h e t r i al co u rt t hat t h ere i s n o ju s t

reas on fo r d el ay u n d er O CGA § 9 -1 1 -5 4 (b ) o r c o m p l i an ce wi t h t h e i n t erl o cu t o ry

a p p e a l r e q u irem en t s o f O CGA § 5 -6 -3 4 (b ). See i d

. W h ere n ei t h er co d e s ect i o n i s

fo l l o w ed , t he ap p eal i s p rem at u re an d m u s t b e d i s m i s s ed

. Id

. Here, t h e reco rd co nt ai n s n o i n d i cat io n t h at t h e t ri al co u rt ad ju d i cat ed an y o f

t h e rem ai n i n g cl ai m s i n t h e p l a i n t i ffs ’ co m p l ai n t o r d i rect ed t h e en t ry o f ju d g m en t

u n d er OCGA § 9 -1 1 -5 4 (b ). Co n s eq uen tl y , b ecau s e s ev eral of th e p l ai n ti ffs ’ cl ai m s

rem ai n pen d i n g , th i s act i on rem ai n s p en d i n g in t h e t ri al co u rt

, an d t h e p l ai n t i ffs

t h erefo re were req u ired t o u se t h e i n t erl o c u t o r y a p p eal p ro ced u res – 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 – t o ap p eal t h e d en i al

o f t h e i r req u es t fo r a d ecl arat o ry ju d g m en t

. See OCGA § 5 -6 -3 4 (b ); Bo yd v. S t a t e , October 05, 20201 9 1 Ga. Ap p

. 4 3 5

, 4 3 5 (3 83 SE2 d 9 0 6 ) (1 98 9 ). Th ei r fai l ure t o d o s o d ep ri v es u s o f

ju ri s d i c t i o n ov er th i s prem at u re d i rect ap p eal

, w h i ch i s hereb y DISM ISSED. See

Ba i l ey v. Ba i l ey , 2 6 6 Ga. 8 3 2, 8 3 3 (4 7 1 SE2 d 2 1 3 ) (1 9 9 6).

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

. 10/05/2020