Court Opinion

ID: 9963961
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2024-04-26 16:05:07.517737+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T08:25:06.586154
License: Public Domain

Court of Appeals
of the State of Georgia

                                        ATLANTA,____________________
                                                 April 26, 2024

The Court of Appeals hereby passes the following order:

A24A1233. LEMARCUS ALLISON et al. v. CALCON MUTUAL MORTGAGE,
    LLC.

      This case originated as a dispossessory proceeding in magistrate court. In
August 2023, the magistrate court issued a writ of possession against Lemarcus
Allison and in favor of CalCon Mutual Mortgage, LLC, and Allison filed a petition for
review in state court. In October 2023, the state court dismissed the petition for
review, finding that the initial writ of possession had been entered in September 2021
and the petition for review was not timely to either the September 2021 writ nor the
August 2023 writ. Allison filed a notice of appeal from the state court’s order
dismissing the petition for review. On February 19, 2024, the state court dismissed
Allison’s appeal based on an unreasonable delay in transmitting the record. Allison has
filed a direct appeal from the state court’s February 19, 2024 order. CalCon has filed
both a motion to dismiss the appeal and a motion for sanctions against Allison and his
attorney, Clifford Hardwick, IV.
      As a general rule, “a trial court’s order dismissing a properly filed direct appeal
is itself subject to a direct appeal.” American Med. Security Group, Inc. v. Parker, 284
Ga. 102, 103 (2) (663 SE2d 697) (2008). However, a trial court’s order dismissing an
improperly filed direct appeal is not subject to direct appeal. See id. Moreover, an
appeal from a state court order reviewing a decision of the magistrate court by de novo
proceedings must be initiated by filing an application for discretionary review. OCGA
§ 5-6-35 (a) (11); Strachan v. Meritor Mtg. Corp. East, 216 Ga. App. 82, 82 (453 SE2d
119) (1995). See also OCGA § 5-3-5 (b) (providing that when a party files a petition for
review, the “reviewing court shall conduct a de novo proceeding”).
      In response to CalCon’s motion to dismiss, Allison argues that he is entitled to
a direct appeal because the state court dismissed his petition for review and thus did
not “review” the decision of the magistrate court. This argument is not compelling
because appeals from decisions of state courts reviewing decisions of magistrate courts
are subject to the discretionary appeal process, see OCGA § 5-6-35 (a) (11), even if the
state court dismissed the appeal from magistrate court. Cf. Hardwick v. Barnes, 193
Ga. App. 127, 127 (386 SE2d 927) (1989) (dismissing direct appeal when party failed
to file an application following superior court’s dismissal of appeal from magistrate
court); Brewer v. Bd. of Zoning Adjustment of Atlanta, 170 Ga. App. 351, 351 (317 SE2d
327) (1984) (rejecting claim that discretionary application requirement was
“inapplicable . . . where the superior court has dismissed the decision of the local
tribunal without reviewing it on the merits” and dismissing direct appeal).
      “Compliance with the discretionary appeals procedure is jurisdictional.”
Smoak v. Dept. of Human Resources, 221 Ga. App. 257, 257 (471 SE2d 60) (1996).
Because Allison seeks to appeal a decision of the state court reviewing de novo a
decision of the magistrate court, he was required to file an application for discretionary
review. He failed to do so. Accordingly, the motion to dismiss filed by CalCon is
GRANTED and this appeal is hereby DISMISSED.
      CalCon’s motion for sanctions is hereby DENIED. However, we caution
Allison and Hardwick that filing future frivolous matters in this Court will result in the
imposition of sanctions. See Court of Appeals Rule 7 (b) & (e).

                                         Court of Appeals of the State of Georgia
                                           Clerk’s Office, Atlanta,____________________
                                                                       04/26/2024
                                                    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.