Court Opinion

ID: 9576584
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-21 21:26:07.584382+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T13:10:05.349715
License: Public Domain

McMurray, Judge,
dissenting in part, concurring in part.
I concur fully in the reversal of the grant of summary judgment in Case No. 56884.
But this decision not only involves the grant of summary judgment in favor of the defendants (Case No. 56884) but a ruling against one of the two plaintiffs (Case No. 56916). The action of another plaintiff remains pending and there has been no express determination that there is no just reason for delay and express direction for entry of judgment pursuant to Code Ann. § 81A-154 (b) (Ga. L. 1966, pp. 609, 658; 1976, pp. 1047, 1049). The judgment is not final. Defendants cross appeal *245from the denial of their motion for summary judgment in the action against them by the remaining plaintiff (Case No. 56916).
Rather than applying the decision of the Supreme Court in Marietta Yamaha, Inc. v. Thomas, 237 Ga. 840 (229 SE2d 753), so as to dismiss the cross appeal, the majority has applied the more recent decision of the Supreme Court in Executive Jet Sales, Inc. v. Jet America, Inc., 242 Ga. 307 (248 SE2d 676), so as to avoid dismissing the cross appeal and permit consideration of the merits of the cross appeal. Although I agree that these are murky waters, I find a greater distinction between Executive Jet Sales, Inc. v. Jet America, Inc., supra, and Marietta Yamaha, Inc. v. Thomas, supra, than recognized by the majority.
It almost goes without saying that this court is without authority to override the decisions of the Georgia Supreme Court. Doyal v. Dept. of Transportation, 142 Ga. App. 79, 80 (234 SE2d 858) and cits. It is our duty to presume that in each and every case the Supreme Court has done its duty and reconciled all of its holdings as its own duty demands. Indeed, decisions of the Supreme Court bind the Court of Appeals as precedents. Code Ann. § 2-3108 (Const, of 1976, Art. VI, Sec. II, Par. VIII).
Although the majority in effect finds Marietta Yamaha, Inc. v. Thomas, supra, tobe implicitly overruled by the decision in Executive Jet Sales, Inc. v. Jet America, Inc., supra, I feel that in view of the short time separating the date of the two decisions, the fact that both were authored by the same Justice, and the presumption that the Supreme Court has reconciled all of its holdings, it is incorrect to hypothesize that Marietta Yamaha, Inc. v. Thomas, supra, has been overlooked or overruled by implication. Therefore, I feel it is the duty of this court to attempt to determine the distinction which presumably separates these two cases.
The decision of the Supreme Court in Executive Jet Sales, Inc. v. Jet America, Inc., is reached by construing three statutory provisions. The language of two of these statutes, Code Ann. §§ 6-802 (Ga. L. 1973, pp. 303, 304) and 6-803 (a) (Ga. L. 1966, pp. 493, 496) is broad and arguably applicable to the facts of Marietta Yamaha, Inc. *246v. Thomas, supra. But the remaining statute, Code Ann. § 6-701 (b) (Ga. L. 1965, p. 18) is applicable only "[w]here an appeal is taken under any provision of paragraph (a) above.” Appeals taken under the provisions of Code Ann. § 6-701 (a) (Ga. L. 1965, p. 18; 1968, pp. 1072,1073; 1975, pp. 757, 758), include only those where the judgment is final or in which the interlocutory appeals procedure has been followed.
The appeal in this case and in Marietta Yamaha, Inc. v. Thomas, supra, was not authorized by Code Ann. § 6-701 (a), supra, but by Code Ann. § 81A-156 (h) (Ga. L. 1966, pp. 609, 660;1967, pp. 226, 238; 1975, pp. 757, 759), which authorizes a review by appeal of an order granting summary judgment on any issue or as to any party. In contrast the judgment granting the motion to dismiss Gates Learjet in Executive Jet Sales, Inc. v. Jet America, Inc., was entered as a final judgment (upon an express determination by the trial court that there was no just reason for delay and upon an express direction for the entry of judgment) pursuant to Code Ann. § 81A-154 (b), supra. See Jet America, Inc. v. Gates Learjet Corporation, 145 Ga. App. 258, 259 (243 SE2d 584). The appeal in Executive Jet Sales, Inc. v. Jet America, Inc., supra, was therefore unlike the appeal in this case, but an appeal from a final judgment within the scope of Code Ann. § 6-701 (a), supra.
Because I feel that this case is controlled by the decision of the Supreme Court in Marietta Yamaha, Inc. v. Thomas, supra, I respectfully dissent. I would dismiss the cross appeal.