# 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 :

A1 8 A0 85 8

. MI TCHELL GENERAL & COSMETI C DENTI STRY, I NC. et a l

.

v . W ELLS FARGO BANK, NATI ONAL ASSOCI ATI ON.

In t h i s ci v i l act i o n

, t hree o f t h e d efen d an t s

, sp eci fi cal l y Mi tch el l Gen e r al &

Co s m et i c Den t i s t ry

, In c., Barb ara Grad y M it ch el l, an d St ev en Al l g o o d M i t ch el l

, h av e

fi led a di rect ap p eal of th e t ri al c o u r t ’ s o rd er d en y i n g t h ei r m o t i o n to en fo rce

s et t l em en t ag reem en t

, den y i n g t h ei r m o t i o n fo r an em erg en cy p ro t ect i v e o rd er, an d

g ran t i n g t h e m ot i o n o f t h e p l ai n t i ff t o co m p el d is co v ery ag ai n s t t hem

. Al t h o u g h t h e

cas e rem ai n s pen d i ng b el o w, th e d efen d an t s arg u e th at t h e t ri al co u rt ’ s den i al o f t h ei r

m o ti o n t o e n f

o rce set t lem en t ag reem en t i s d i rect ly ap p eal ab l e un d er t h e co l l at eral

o rd er d o ct ri n e. 1 W e d i s ag ree, an d co n cl u de t h at we l ack ju ri s d i ct i o n b eca u s e t h e

i n t erl o cu t o ry

ap p eal p ro ced u res were n o t fo l l o wed

.

OCGA § 5 -6 -3 4 (a) (1 ) au t h o ri zes d i rect ap p eal s o n l y fro m “ 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 di n g i n th e co u rt b el ow[.] ” H o wev er,

“ [t ] h e co l l at eral o rd er d o ct ri ne p erm i t s ap p eal s fro m a s m al l cat eg o ry of d eci s i o n s t h at

are (i ) co n cl us iv e, (i i ) th at res o l v e i m p o rt an t q u es t i o n s s ep arat e fro m t h e m eri t s

, an d

(i ii ) t h at are effect iv el y u n rev i ewab l e o n ap p eal fro m t h e fi nal ju dg m en t i n t h e

u n d erl y i n g act i o n

. ” (Pu nct u at i o n o m i t t ed

. ) Exp ed i a , In c. v. Ci t y o f Co l u mb u s , 3 0 5

Ga. Ap p

. 4 5 0

, 4 5 2 (1 ) (6 9 9 SE2 d 6 0 0 ) (2 0 1 0 ). “ [T] h e co l l at eral o rd er d o ct ri n e h as

ap p li cat io n t o o n l y a v ery s m al l cl as s o f i n t erl o cu t ory ru l i ng s

. ” (Pu n ct u at i o n

o m it t ed .) R i ver a v. W

as h in g t o n , 2 9 8 Ga. 7 7 0 , 7 7 5 (7 8 4 SE2 d 7 7 5) (2 01 6 ).

1 T h e d efen dan t s req u es t ed t h at t he t r i al co u rt cert i fy it s o rd er fo r i m m ed i at e

rev i ew, b u t t h e t ri al co u rt d i d n o t g ran t t h ei r req u es t

. January 25, 2018Here, t h e d en i al o f t h e m o t i o n t o en fo rce s et t l em en t ag reem en t i s no t d i rect l y

ap p eal ab l e u n d er th e co l l at eral o rd er d o ct ri n e. Th e d efen dan t s ’ cl ai m t h at t h ey h av e

al read y res o l v ed t h ei r d i s p u t e wi t h t h e p l ai n t i ff can b e effect i v el y rev i ewed on ap p eal

o n c e a fi n al ju d g m en t i s en t ered

. See Di g i t a l Eq u i p

. Co r p

. v. Des kt o

p D i r ect

, I n c

. ,

5 1 1 U. S. 8 6 3 (1 1 4 SCt 1 9 9 2

, 1 2 8 LE2 d 8 4 2) (1 9 9 4 ) ( u n d e r t he fed eral co l l at eral

o rd er d oct ri n e, t he refu s al to en fo rce a s et t l em en t ag reem en t cl ai m ed t o s hel t er a p art y

fro m s u i t al t o g et h er do es n o t s u p p l y a bas i s fo r an i m m ed i at e ap p eal

, as t he p o t en t i al

ri gh t t o n o t defen d t h e cas e i s effect i v el y rev i ewab l e o n fi n al j u d g m en t); s ee al s o

Ri ver a

, 2 9 8 Ga. at 77 6 -7 7 8 (an i n t erl o cu t o ry ord er reject in g a m o t i o n to d i s m is s b as ed

o n a cl ai m o f i m

m u n it y i s no t d i rect l y ap p eal ab l e u n d er t h e co ll at eral o rd er d o ct ri n e).

Th u s

, t he d efen d an t s w ere req ui red t o fo ll o w th e i n t e r l o cu t o ry ap p eal

p ro ced ures o f OCGA § 5 -6 -3 4 (b ) t o o bt ai n i m m ed i at e ap p el l at e rev i ew o f t h e t ri al

co u rt ’ s o rd er

. B e c a u s e t he defen d an t s fai led t o fo l l o w t h e req u i red ap p el l at e

p ro ced ures , t h ei r ap p eal i s h ereb y DISM ISSED fo r l ack o f ju ri s d i ct i o n

.

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 ti fy t h 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 th 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

. 01/25/2018