Court Opinion

ID: 9584240
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-21 22:45:50.341595+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T15:07:15.027426
License: Public Domain

Smith, Judge,
concurring specially.
Appellant brought an action against appellee insurance company, alleging that appellee failed to defend a lawsuit brought against appellants and failed to accept an offer of compromise. On October 5,1979, the trial court granted appellee’s motion to dismiss for failure to state a claim upon which relief can be granted. The trial court’s order states: “Plaintiffs bring this suit for breach of contract, alleging that Defendant failed to properly defend a lawsuit brought against them in that Defendant failed to accept an offer of compromise.
“The Court finds that an allegation of failure to compromise does not state a claim for breach of a contract of insurance, U. S. Fidelity and Casualty Co. of New York v. C.E.B.M. Ltd., 115 Ga. App. 92.
“For this reason, Defendant’s Motion to Dismiss is hereby granted.” On October 15, 1979, appellants filed a motion for reconsideration. The motion was denied on January 3,1980. Several days thereafter, appellants filed a notice of appeal.
Although the reasoning of the trial court in the order granting appellee’s motion to dismiss is inadequate on its face, the order disposed of the entire action and was therefore a final, appealable judgment within the meaning of Ga. L. 1965, p. 18, as amended (Code Ann. § 6-701 (a) (1)). “The filing of a motion to rehear or reconsider an otherwise appealable judgment does, not extend the time for filing a notice of appeal. Adamson v. Adamson, 226 Ga. 719 (177 SE2d 241); Groenendijk v. Groenendijk, 226 Ga. 800 (177 SE2d 686); Johnson v. Barnes, 237 Ga. 502, 503 (229 SE2d 70). Thus, the failure to file a notice of appeal within the statutory period after entry of the judgment of [October 5, 1979], mandates a dismissal of the appeal. Ellis v. Continental Ins. Co., 141 Ga. App. 809 (234 SE2d 377).” Browning v. Europa Hair, Inc., 150 Ga. App. 480, 481 (258 SE2d 234) (1979).
“This court is without jurisdiction to review the judgment entered below because of appellant’s failure to perfect its appeal *268pursuant to the Appellate Practice Act.” Lewis & Sheron Enterprises v. Great A & P Tea Co., 136 Ga. App. 910, 911 (222 SE2d 659) (1975); Fong’s, Inc. v. Levy, 143 Ga. App. 327 (238 SE2d 287) (1977). Since the court is without jurisdiction to decide this appeal, I do not believe we are authorized to enter a judgment of affirmance. In my view, the appeal should be dismissed.