Court Opinion

ID: 9539691
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-07 16:08:32.471696+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T14:59:13.156386
License: Public Domain

Benham, Judge,
concurring specially.
While I concur fully with the majority opinion, I write separately to express disagreement with the special concurrence of Judge Carley *180insofar as it advocates the overruling of Spikes v. Citizens State Bank, 179 Ga. App. 479 (347 SE2d 310) (1986), and the interpretation of Rule 6.2 of the Uniform Superior Court Rules (“Rules”) as being inconsistent with OCGA § 9-11-56 (c). It appears that the concurring opinion would invalidate the Rules rather than construe them within the context of the Civil Practice Act and existing case law, as Spikes does. The Rules are written in a way that either goal can be achieved if so desired.
Decided December 5, 1986.
William F. Lozier, for appellant.
One issue in this case is whether under Rule 6.2 an affidavit in opposition to a motion for summary judgment is timely if filed more than 30 days after service of the motion but prior to the date on which the motion will be orally argued. The issue in Spikes was whether a party waives his right to argue orally in opposition to a summary judgment motion if he fails to file any response to the motion under Rule 6.2 and fails to request an oral hearing under Rule 6.3. Since the parties in Spikes were in a different procedural posture than were the parties presently before us, the issue with which we are now confronted was not reached or addressed in Spikes and, likewise, there exists no need to address the Spikes issue here. Contrary to the concurrence’s position, a basis for overruling Spikes does not exist since Rule 6.3 does not play a significant role in the present case. Moreover, Rule 6.2, Rule 6.3, and the other Rules do not serve to amend or repeal the corresponding relevant statutes any more than opinions from this court could be said to serve the same purposes.
I am authorized to state that Presiding Judge Deen and Judge Pope join in this special concurrence.