FI FTH DI VI SI ON

M CFA DDEN, P. J.

, GOBEI L and PI NSON, 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.

https ://w w w

. ga a ppe a ls .us /r ule s

June 21, 2022



# I n th e Co u r t o f

A p p eals o f

G eo r g ia

A2 2 A0 41 8 . XU et al . v . YONNONE et al

.

M C F A D D E N , Pres id i n g J u d g e.

An t h o n y an d Vi l m a Yo n n o n e fi l ed a p et i t i o n ag ai ns t M i ch ael Xu , Ren ee He,

an d t h e Garri s o n Oak s Ho m eo wn ers As s o ci at i o n, In c., s eek i n g a d ecl arat o ry

ju d g m en t t h at a ret ai ni ng wal l b et ween a l o t o wn ed b y t h e Yo n n o nes an d t h e ad jacen t

l o t o wn ed b y Xu an d He i s a “ p art y wal l ” as d efi n ed b y th e Garri so n Oak s decl arat i o n

o f co v en an t s

. Th e Yo n n o n es al so s o u g h t an award o f at t o rn ey fees u nd er OCGA § 1 3

-

6 -1 1

, cl ai m i n g u n n eces s ary t ro u b l e a n d e x p en s e o f hav i n g t o b ri n g t he d ecl arat o ry

ju d g m en t act io n

. Aft er an e v i d en t i ary h eari n g

, t he t ri al co urt en t ered a fi n al o rd er

d ecl ari ng t h at th e w al l i s a p art y wal l as d efi n ed b y t h e d ecl arat i o n o f co v en an t s an d

award i n g t h e Yo n n o nes $ 1 1 ,6 5 2 i n at t o rn ey fees p urs u an t t o OCGA § 1 3 -6 -1 1

.Xu an d He ap p eal

, ch al l en g i n g t h e tri al co u rt ’ s d ecl arat o ry ju d g m en t an d t h e

award o f at t o rn ey fees

. Becau s e t h e ap p el lan t s h av e fai led t o s h ow t h at th e t ri al co u rt

erred i n fi n d i n g th at t h e r et ai n i n g wal l i s a p art y wal l u n der t h e t erm s o f t h e

d ecl arat io n o f co v en an t s

, we affi rm t h e d ecl arat o ry ju d g m en t. An d b ecau s e t h ere was

ev i d en ce s u p p o rt i n g t h e award o f at t o rn ey fees u n d e r O C G A § 1 3 -6 -1 1

, we al s o

affi rm th at award

.

1

. Decl a r a to ry j u d

g men t.

“ A tri al co u rt ’ s fi n d in g s o f fact aft er a d ecl arat o r y j u d g m en t h eari n g are

an al o g o us t o a ju ry v erd i ct an d wi l l n o t b e i n t erfered wi t h if th ere i s an y ev i d en ce to

s u p p ort t h em

. Ho wev er, we rev i ew t h e t ri al co u r t ’s co n cl u s io n s of law d e n o v o.”

Br o wn v. Br o wn

, 3 59 Ga. Ap p

. 5 1 1, 5 1 7 ( 1 ) (8 57 SE2 d 5 0 5 ) (2 0 2 1 ) (ci t at i o n an d

p u n ct u at i o n o m it t ed ).

Here, t h e t ri al co u r t f

o u n d t h at t h e ret ai n i ng wal l i s l o cat ed o n o r ad jacen t to

t h e b o u n d ary l i n e s ep arat i n g t h e p art i es ’ l o t s ; t h at t h e ret ai n i n g wal l d i v id es t h e l ot s

,

s u p p o rt i n g t h e l an d o n wh i ch t h e Yo n no n es ’ h o m e i s b ui l t an d prev en t i n g i t f r o m

fal l i n g on t o Xu an d He’ s ad jacen t p ro p ert y ; t hat s t ru ct u res an d i m p ro v em en t s o n Xu

an d H e’ s p ro p ert y ab u t an d are t i ed i n t o t h e ret ai n i n g w al l ; t h at Xu an d H e m ak e u s e

o f an d b en efi t fro m t h e ret ai n i n g wal l ; an d t h at t h e ret ai n i n g wal l was b u i l t as p art o f

2t h e o ri g i n al co n s t ru ct i o n o n t h e two l o t s

. Bas ed o n i t s fi n di n g s

, t h e t r i a l c o u rt

co n cl u d ed t h at t h e ret ai n i n g wal l i s a p art y wal l u n d er th e t erm s o f t h e decl arat i o n o f

co v en an t s

, wh ich p ro v i des t h at “ [e] ach w al l o r fen ce b ui l t a s a p a r t o f t h e o ri g i n al

co n st ru ct i o n o n t h e Lo ts wh i ch s h al l s erv e an d s ep arat e a n y t wo (2 ) ad jo in i n g Lo t s

s h al l co n s t i t u t e a p art y

wal l o r fen ce[.] ”

Xu an d He co n t en d t h a t t h e t ri al co u rt i n co rrect l y i n t erp ret ed th e decl arat i o n

o f co v en an t s . W e d i s ag ree.

A p ro p ert y own ers ’ d ecl arat i on o f co v en an t s i s a co nt ract wh o s e

co n s t r u c t i o n

, i n t erp ret at i o n

, an d l eg al effect i s a q u es t i o n o f l aw. T he

card in al ru le o f co n t ract i n t erp ret at i o n i s t o co n s t ru e t h e co n tract so as

t o effect u at e t h e i n ten t o f t h e p art ies

. W h ere t h at i n t en t i s ev i d en t fro m

t h e p l ai n l an gu ag e u s ed i n t h e co v en a n t s

, t h e co urt ’ s jo b i s si m p l y t o

ap p l y t h at l an g u ag e as wri t t en

.

S -D RIRA, LLC v. Ou t b a ck Pr o p er t y Own er s ’ As s n

. , 3 3 0 G a. A p p

. 4 4 2, 4 5 2 -4 5 3 (3 )

(c) (7 65 SE2 d 4 9 8 ) (2 0 1 4 ) (ci ta ti o n s an d p u n ct u at i o n om i t t ed ). Here, as t h e ap p el l an t s

ack n owl ed ge i n t h ei r b ri ef, t h e d ecl arat i o n p l ai n l y p ro v i d es th at a wal l i s co n s i d ered

a p art y w al l i f i t w as b u i l t as p art o f t h e ori g i n al co n s t ru ct io n an d i t s erv es t o s ep arat e

an y two ad

jo i n in g l o ts

. So t h e t ri al co urt ’ s jo b was s i m p l y t o ap pl y t h at p lai n l an g u ag e

as wri t t en

. An d s i n ce t h ere was ev i d e n c e p res en t ed at t h e h eari n g sh o wi n g t h at t h e

ret ai n i n g wal l i n q u es t i o n was b u il t as p art o f t h e o ri g i nal co n s t ru ct i o n

, t h at t h e wal l

3s erv es t h e t wo ad jo in i n g l ot s b y s u p p o rt i ng t h e Yo n n on es ’ l an d an d prev en t i n g t h ei r

h o m e fro m fal li n g o n Xu an d He’ s p ro p ert y

, an d t h at i t sep arat es t h e t wo ad jo i n i n g

l o t s

, th e t ri al co u rt d i d n o t err i n fi n d i n g t h at t h e wal l i n q u es ti o n i s a p art y wal l u n d er

t h e d ecl arat i on ’ s p l ai n t erm s

.

In arg u i n g ot herwi s e, Xu an d He ci t e W i l en s ky v. Ro b i n s o n

, 2 03 Ga. 4 2 3

, 4 2 7

(4 7 SE2 d 2 7 0 ) (1 9 4 8 ), t o s u p po rt t h ei r cl ai m t h at t he ret ai n i n g wal l i s no t a p art y wal l

b ecau s e i t do es no t s i t en t i rel y on t h e b o un d ary l in e b et ween t h e l o ts

. Bu t u n l i k e t h e

i n s t an t cas e, W

i l en s ky di d n o t i nv o l v e a d ecl arat i o n of co v en an ts

. Becau s e t h e i n s t an t

cas e, u n l ik e W

i l en s ky

, t u rn s o n i n t erp ret i n g t he d ecl arat io n ’ s d efi n it i on o f a p art y

wal l

, wh i c h d o e s n ot i n cl ud e a req u i rem en t t h at t h e wal l s it en t i rel y o n a b o u n d ary

l i ne, we can n ot read s u ch an ad d i t i o n al req u i rem en t i n t o t h at defi n i t i on

. Th e t ri al

co u rt t h erefo re d i d no t err i n decl ari n g t hat t he ret ai n i n g wal l s ep arat in g t h e ad jacen t

l o t s i s a p art y

wal l as d efi n ed b y

t h e d ecl arat io n o f co v en an t s

.

2

. At t o r ney f

ees

.

Xu an d He co n ten d t h at t h e at to rn ey fees award un d er OCGA § 13 -6 -1 1 s h o u ld

b e rev ers ed becau s e t h ere was a b o n a fi d e d is p u te ab o u t th e p art y w al l

. Bu t t h e t ri al

co u rt d i d n o t award at t orn ey fees b as ed on a fi nd i ng t h at t here w as n o s u ch b o n a fi d e

d i s p u t e; rat h er, t h e co u rt b a s e d t h e award o n t h e refu sal of t he ap p el l an t s to

4p art i ci p at e i n arb i t rat i o n as req u i red b y th e d ecl arat i o n o f co v en an t s . Becau s e t h ere

was ev i d en ce t o s u pp o rt t h at fi nd i n g , i t m u s t b e affi rm ed

.

“ [A] t t orn ey fees m ay be awar d e d u n d er OCGA § 13 -6 -1 1 i f ‘ t h e fact fi n d er

d et erm i n es t he d efen d an t has act ed i n b ad fai t h

, h as b een s t u bb o rn l y li t i g i ou s

, o r h as

cau s ed t he p l ai n t i ff u n n eces s ary t ro u b l e an d ex p en s e.’ ” Y a s h S o l u ti o n s

, LLC v. New

Y or k Gl o b a l Co n s ul t a n t

s Co r p.

, 3 5 2 G a. Ap p

. 1 2 7

, 1 3 7 (1 ) (b ) (8 3 4 SE2 d 1 2 6 ) (2 0 1 9 )

(ci t at i o n s an d p u n ct u at i o n o m it t ed ). “ Th e s tan d ard o f rev i ew o f an award of a tt o rn ey ’ s

fees u n d er OCGA § 1 3 -6 -1 1 i s wh et h er t h ere i s an y ev i d en ce t o s u p p o rt t h e award

.

Th e ap p el l at e co u rt s can n o t r e v e r s e s u ch an award m erel y becau s e t h e ev i d en ce

wo u l d hav e s u p po rt ed a v erd ict fo r t h e d efen d an t .” L. S. La nd Co

. v. Bu r n s

, 2 7 5 Ga.

4 5 4 , 4 5 7 (3 ) (5 6 9 SE2 d 5 27 ) (2 0 0 2 ) (ci t at i o n s an d p u n ct u at i o n o m i t t ed ).

Th e t ri al co u rt b as ed i t s award o f at t o rn ey fees o n ev id en ce s h o w i n g t h at Xu

an d He refu s ed to p art i ci p at e i n arb i t rat io n as req u i red b y t h e d ecl arat i o n fo r d i s p u t es

o v er a p art y wal l

, t h ereb y cau s i n g t h e Yo n n o n es u n n e c e s s ary t ro u b l e an d ex p en s es

o f l i t i gat i o n

. In d eed

, t h e reco rd s h o ws th at th e d ecl arat i o n in cl u d ed s u ch an

arb i t rat i on p ro v is i o n, t h at t h e ap p el l an t s refu s ed t h e req u es t t o arb it rat e, an d t h at t h e

Yo n n o nes t h erefo re b ro u g h t th e i n s t an t l aws u i t t o res ol ve t h e d is p u te. Becau s e t h ere

was s o m e ev i d en ce s u p p o rt i n g t h e t ri al co u rt ’ s fi nd i n g s

, “ we can n o t h ol d as a m at t er

5o f l aw t h at at t o rn ey ’ s fees i n t h i s

. . . cas e were no t au t h o ri zed u n d er OCGA § 1 3 -6

-

1 1 .” L. S . La n d Co

. , s u p ra.

Ju d g men t a f f i r m ed . Go b ei l

a n d Pi n s o n , JJ., co n cu r

.

6