Court Opinion

ID: 9962019
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2024-04-22 15:03:21.981805+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T08:19:41.196453
License: Public Domain

Court of Appeals
of the State of Georgia

                                         ATLANTA,____________________
                                                  April 22, 2024

The Court of Appeals hereby passes the following order:

A24A1163. DONTAY GOVAN et al v. WINDER NURSING, INC. et al.

      Dontay Govan, individually and on behalf of the estate of Isanay Dunn, sued
Winder Nursing Inc. d/b/a Winder Health Care and Rehab Center, Gary Westbury
LLC, and others, in connection with Dunn’s time as a resident at Winder. On August
31, 2023, the trial court dismissed the action for insufficient service. Govan then filed
a motion for reconsideration. On December 7, 2023, the trial court issued an order
denying the motion for reconsideration. On January 4, 2024, Govan filed a notice of
appeal. We lack jurisdiction because the appeal is untimely.
      A notice of appeal must be filed within 30 days of entry of an appealable order.
OCGA § 5-6-38 (a). The denial of a motion for reconsideration is not appealable in its
own right, see Bell v. Cohran, 244 Ga. App. 510, 511 (536 SE2d 187) (2000), and the
filing of such a motion does not extend the time for filing a notice of appeal. See
Cheeley-Towns v. Rapid Group, 212 Ga. App. 183, 183 (1) (441 SE2d 452) (1994). The
proper and timely filing of a notice of appeal is an absolute requirement to confer
jurisdiction upon an appellate court. See Couch v. United Paperworkers Intl. Union, 224
Ga. App. 721, 721 (482 SE2d 704) (1997). Here, Govan filed his notice of appeal 126
days after the trial court’s order dismissing the action, and his subsequent request for
reconsideration of that ruling did not extend the time for filing an appeal. Thus, this
appeal is untimely and is hereby DISMISSED.
     The defendants’ motion to remand the case to the trial court to allow the court
to rule on their pending motion to dismiss the appeal is DENIED AS MOOT.

                                     Court of Appeals of the State of Georgia
                                       Clerk’s Office, Atlanta,____________________
                                                                   04/22/2024
                                                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.