Court Opinion

ID: 9926683
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2024-01-25 16:04:30.715106+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T09:22:33.796274
License: Public Domain

Court of Appeals
of the State of Georgia

                                             ATLANTA,____________________
                                                      January 25, 2024

The Court of Appeals hereby passes the following order:

A24A0689. VARNEAL MACK, JR. v. U.S. BANK TRUST NATIONAL
    ASSOCIATION, SOLELY AS OWNER TRUSTEE OF VRMTG ASSET
    TRUST.

       The magistrate court granted a writ of possession to U. S. Bank Trust National
Association, not in its Individual Capacity but solely as Owner Trustee for VRMTG
Asset Trust (“U. S. Bank”), against Varneal Mack, Jr., and Mack filed a petition for
review in the superior court.1 The superior court dismissed the petition for review and
remanded the case to the magistrate court so that a writ of possession could be
executed in favor of U. S. Bank. Mack then filed a notice of appeal from the superior
court’s order.
       Under OCGA § 5-6-35 (a) (1), “[a]ppeals from decisions of the superior courts
reviewing decisions of . . . lower courts by petition for review” must be made by filing
an application for discretionary appeal in this Court. See also Consolidated Government
of Columbus v. Barwick, 274 Ga. 176, 177 (1) (549 SE2d 73) (2001) (construing former
OCGA § 5-6-35 (a) (1)). “Compliance with the discretionary appeals procedure is
jurisdictional.” Smoak v. Dept. of Human Resources, 221 Ga. App. 257, 257 (471 SE2d

       1
        Effective July 1, 2023, the process of appealing from lower court adjudications to superior
courts was overhauled and simplified. See OCGA § 5-3-1 et seq.
0) (1996). Because Mack did not follow the discretionary appeal procedure, we lack
jurisdiction over this appeal, which is hereby DISMISSED.

                                     Court of Appeals of the State of Georgia
                                       Clerk’s Office, Atlanta,____________________
                                                                   01/25/2024
                                                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.