Court Opinion

ID: 9959297
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2024-04-11 15:03:58.974727+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T08:18:09.965174
License: Public Domain

Court of Appeals
of the State of Georgia

                                        ATLANTA,____________________
                                                 April 11, 2024

The Court of Appeals hereby passes the following order:

A24A1198. CITIZENS FOR TRANSPARENCY v. BOARD OF TAX
    ASSESSORS OF WILKINSON COUNTY.

      In this civil action, plaintiff Citizens for Transparency filed this direct appeal
from the trial court’s order awarding OCGA § 9-15-14 (b) attorney fees to the
defendants. We lack jurisdiction.
      An appeal from a trial court order awarding OCGA § 9-15-14 attorney fees must
be initiated by filing an application for discretionary review. OCGA § 5-6-35 (a) (10),
(b); Capricorn Systems v. Godavarthy, 253 Ga. App. 840, 841-842 (560 SE2d 730)
(2002). “Compliance with the discretionary appeals procedure is jurisdictional.”
Smoak v. Dept. of Human Resources, 221 Ga. App. 257, 257 (471 SE2d 60) (1996).
Consequently, the plaintiff’s failure to follow the discretionary review procedure
deprives us of jurisdiction over this direct appeal, which is hereby DISMISSED. See
Capricorn Systems, 253 Ga. App. at 842.

                                        Court of Appeals of the State of Georgia
                                          Clerk’s Office, Atlanta,____________________
                                                                      04/11/2024
                                                   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.