Court Opinion

ID: 9963053
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2024-04-24 15:04:37.227+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T08:24:39.316129
License: Public Domain

Court of Appeals
of the State of Georgia

                                        ATLANTA,____________________
                                                 April 24, 2024

The Court of Appeals hereby passes the following order:

A24A1326. CORDARRIEL GREEN v. HOMETOWN COMMUNITIES
    PROPERTY MANAGEMENT.

      This case began in magistrate court. Following an adverse ruling, defendant
Cordarriel Green appealed to the superior court, which issued a final judgment in
favor of the plaintiff in May 2021. Green then filed a direct appeal to this Court. We
dismissed the appeal for lack of jurisdiction because Green did not comply with the
discretionary appeal requirements under OCGA § 5-6-35 (a) (1) and (b), and because
the appeal was untimely under OCGA § 44-7-56 (2022). Green v. Hometown
Communities Property Mgmt., Case No. A24A1146 (Apr. 18, 2024).
      In March 2024, Green filed motions in the superior court to amend a hearing
transcript and for access to audio recordings of certain court proceedings. The
superior court denied the motions on March 26, 2024, and Green filed this direct
appeal the same day. We again lack jurisdiction.
      As we explained in our order dismissing Green’s appeal in Case No. A24A1146,
appeals from superior court decisions reviewing lower court decisions must be
initiated by filing an application for discretionary review. OCGA § 5-6-35 (a) (1), (b);
Bullock v. Sand, 260 Ga. App. 874, 875 (581 SE2d 333) (2003). “[T]he underlying
subject matter generally controls over the relief sought in determining the proper
procedure to follow to appeal.” Rebich v. Miles, 264 Ga. 467, 469 (448 SE2d 192)
(1994). Here, because the underlying subject matter of the action remains an appeal
from magistrate court to superior court, Green was required to file an application for
discretionary appeal to seek appellate review of the superior court’s March 26 order.
“Compliance with the discretionary appeals procedure is jurisdictional.” Smoak v.
Dept. of Human Resources, 221 Ga. App. 257, 257 (471 SE2d 60) (1996). Green’s failure
to follow the proper procedure deprives us of jurisdiction over this direct appeal,
which is hereby DISMISSED.

                                       Court of Appeals of the State of Georgia
                                         Clerk’s Office, Atlanta,____________________
                                                                     04/24/2024
                                                  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.