Court Opinion

ID: 9959126
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2024-04-10 19:03:40.421448+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T08:18:28.437174
License: Public Domain

Court of Appeals
of the State of Georgia

                                          ATLANTA,____________________
                                                   April 10, 2024

The Court of Appeals hereby passes the following order:

A24A1176. KEITH OWEN et al. v. ROBERT C. GARRETT et al.

       In this civil action, plaintiffs Keith and Christine Owen filed this direct appeal
from the trial court’s January 15, 2024 order awarding OCGA § 9-15-14 (b) attorney
fees to defendants Robert and Joanna Garrett. The Garretts have filed a motion to
dismiss the appeal for failure to comply with the discretionary appeal requirements.
       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 — and pretermitting whether this appeal also is subject to the
interlocutory appeal requirements1 — the Owens’ failure to follow the discretionary
review procedure deprives us of jurisdiction over this direct appeal. See Capricorn
Systems, 253 Ga. App. at 842. Consequently, the Garretts’ motion to dismiss is
GRANTED, and this appeal is hereby DISMISSED for lack of jurisdiction.
       In their March 22, 2024 response to the Garretts’ motion to dismiss, the Owens
seek an extension of time to file “an amended notice of appeal to proceed under a
discretionary appeal instead of a direct appeal.” The Owens appear to misunderstand
the distinction between a notice of appeal, which is filed in the trial court to initiate a
direct appeal to an appellate court, and an application for discretionary review, which

       1
         Although the Owens purported to voluntarily dismiss their claims in this
action, it appears that claims by plaintiff Respite Retreat, Inc. may remain pending
against the defendants.
is filed in the appellate court to request permission to appeal. Compare OCGA
§ 5-6-35 (d) (an application for discretionary review is filed in the appropriate
appellate court), with OCGA § 5-6-37 (a notice of appeal must be filed “with the clerk
of the court wherein the case was determined”). The jurisdictional defect here is not
that the Owens filed a flawed notice of appeal in the trial court, but that they failed to
file a discretionary application in this Court. Thus, to the extent that they now seek
to file an amended notice of appeal in the trial court, the filing of such a document
would not cure the jurisdictional defect. And to the extent that they wish to file an
application for discretionary review in this Court, they have missed the deadline for
doing so. See OCGA § 5-6-35 (d) (an application for discretionary review must be filed
within 30 days of entry of the judgment or court order sought to be appealed). They
likewise have missed the deadline for seeking an extension of time to file a
discretionary application. See Court of Appeals Rules 16 (c) (a request for an
extension of time to file a discretionary application “must be made prior to the
expiration of the period for filing as originally prescribed”); 31 (i) (“No extensions of
time will be granted to file a discretionary application unless a motion for extension
is filed on or before the application due date.”). Accordingly, the Owens’ request for
an extension of time is DENIED.

                                         Court of Appeals of the State of Georgia
                                           Clerk’s Office, Atlanta,____________________
                                                                       04/10/2024
                                                    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.