Court Opinion

ID: 9964360
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2024-04-29 19:03:32.739249+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T08:25:21.066709
License: Public Domain

Court of Appeals
of the State of Georgia

                                          ATLANTA,____________________
                                                   April 29, 2024

The Court of Appeals hereby passes the following order:

A24A1300. DARRELL ELLISON et al. v. CI GROWTH 212, LLC.

       After the plaintiff filed a complaint in this dispossessory action, the defendants
answered and asserted counterclaims for trespass and attorney fees. On March 6,
2024, the trial court entered a judgment in which it denied the plaintiff’s request for
a writ of possession but awarded the plaintiff a monetary judgment. The record
contains no indication that the trial court has adjudicated the defendants’
counterclaims. The defendants filed a notice of appeal on March 15, 2024. We lack
jurisdiction for two reasons.
       First, because the defendants’ counterclaims have not been adjudicated, the
trial court’s March 6 judgment is a non-final order that did not resolve all issues in this
case. See Rivera v. Housing Auth. of Fulton County, 163 Ga. App. 648, 648 (295 SE2d
336) (1982). Consequently, the defendants were required to use the interlocutory
appeal procedures — including obtaining a certificate of immediate review from the
trial court — to appeal the March 6 judgment. See OCGA § 5-6-34 (b); Bailey v.
Bailey, 266 Ga. 832, 832-833 (471 SE2d 213) (1996); Scruggs v. Ga. Dept. of Human
Resources, 261 Ga. 587, 588-589 (1) (408 SE2d 103) (1991). Their failure to do so
deprives us of jurisdiction over this direct appeal. See Bailey, 266 Ga. at 833.
       Second, even if a direct appeal were proper in this case, this appeal is untimely.
While a notice of appeal generally may be filed within 30 days of entry of the order
sought to be appealed, appeals in dispossessory actions must be filed within 7 days of
the date the judgment was entered. See OCGA § 44-7-56 (b) (1); Radio Sandy Springs
v. Allen Road Joint Venture, 311 Ga. App. 334, 335-336 (715 SE2d 752) (2011). The
defendants’ March 15 notice of appeal was untimely filed 9 days after entry of the
judgment they seek to appeal.
      For the above reasons, we lack jurisdiction over this appeal, which is hereby
DISMISSED.

                                      Court of Appeals of the State of Georgia
                                        Clerk’s Office, Atlanta,____________________
                                                                    04/29/2024
                                                 I certify that the above is a true extract from
                                      the minutes of the Court of Appeals of Georgia.
                                                 Witness my signature and the seal of said court
                                      hereto affixed the day and year last above written.

                                                                                        , Clerk.