# 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 3 A0 04 5 . BENJ AMI N LI CONA et a l . v . J AY RI EMENSCHNEI DER a t a l.

Ben jam i n Li co n a an d Ch ri s t in a E v el y n To m as i no -Li co n a (“ t h e L i co nas ”) s u ed

J ay an d Terri Ri em en sch nei d er i n s u p eri o r co u rt

, as s ert i n g cl ai m s fo r d ecl arat o ry ju d g m en t

, u n

ju s t en ri ch m en t

, i n

ju n ct i o n , an d at t o rn ey fees u n d er OCGA § 1 3 -6 -1 1.

Th e L i co n as al l eg ed t h at t he Ri em en s ch n e i d e r s h ad wro n g fu ll y i n i t i at ed ev i ct i o n

p ro cee dings a ga inst the m in viola ti o n o f t h ei r l eas e ag reem en t

. Th e Ri em en s ch n ei d ers

fi led an an s wer an d co u n tercl ai m fo r at t o rn ey fees un d er OCGA § 1 3 -6 -1 1

. Fo l l o wi n g

a heari n g, t he s u peri o r co u rt en tered ju d g m en t an d a wri t o f po s ses s i o n in fav o r o f t h e

Ri em en s ch n ei ders

, b u t ex p res s l y res erv ed ru l i ng o n t h e i s s u e o f at t o rn ey fees “ fo r

fu rt her d i s p o s i t i o n b y

t h e Co u rt .” Th e Li co n as ap p eal , b u t we l ack ju ri s d i ct i o n

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

ju d g m en t s , t hat i s t o s ay , w h ere t h e cas e is n o l on g er p en d in g i n t h e co u rt bel o w[.] ”

W h en t h e cas e rem ai n s p e n d i n g , t h e l o si n g part y i s req u i red t o co m p l y wi t h t h e

i n t erl o c u t o r y a p p eal p ro ced ures of OCGA § 5-6 -3 4 (b ), i ncl u d i n g o b t ai n i n g a

cert ifi cat e o f i m

m ed i at e rev i ew. Is l amkh a n v. Kh a n , 2 9 9 Ga. 54 8

, 5 5 1 (2 ) (7 8 7 SE2 d

7 3 1 ) (2 0 1 6 ). “ [I] f t h e ju d g m en t res erv es t h e i s s u e of at t o rn ey fees u n d er OCGA § 1 3

-

6 -1 1

, t h en o n e can n o t cl ai m t h at ‘ t h e cas e i s n o lo n ger pen d i n g i n t h e co u rt b el o w’ as

req u i red b y OCGA § 5 -6 -3 4 (a) (1 ).” S o t t er v. S t ep h en s , 2 91 Ga. 7 9

, 8 4 ( 7 2 7 SE2 d

4 8 4 ) (2 0 1 2 ). See al s o E

d o kp ol o r v. G r a d

y Memo r i a l H

o s p

. Co r p ., 3 0 2 Ga. 7 3 3,

7 3 4 -7 3 5 (8 0 8 SE2 d 6 5 3 ) (2 0 17 ) (“ [A] cas e rem ai n s p en d i n g in t h e tri al co urt wh ere

t h at co u rt h as ex p l i ci t l y r es erv ed i s s u es rel at ed t o co s t s an d at t o rn ey fees fo r fu t u re ju d g m en t .”).

Th u s , b e c au s e t h e t ri al co u rt ’ s o rd er res erv ed t h e i s s u e o f at t o rn ey fees

, t h e August 19, 2022o rd er was no t a fi n al ju d g m en t

, an d t h e Li nco n as were req u i red to co m p l y wi t h t h e

i n t erl o cu t o ry ap p eal pro ced u res t o o b t ai n a p p e l l at e rev i ew at t h i s ju n ct u re. See i d .;

Is l a mkh an , 2 9 9 G a. at 5 5 0 (1 ) ; S t u m p v. Y o u n g , 3 0 7 Ga. A p p

. 58 3

, 5 8 4 (7 0 5 SE2 d

6 8 4 ) (2 0 1 1 ). Th ei r fai l ure t o do s o d ep ri v es u s o f ju ri s di ct io n ov er t h is ap p eal

, wh i ch

i s h ereb y DISM ISSED.

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

. 08/19/2022