Court Opinion

ID: 9539305
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-07 16:01:51.488758+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T14:58:41.339717
License: Public Domain

TIMMONS-GOODSON, Judge,
dissenting.
Because I conclude that the trial court did not abuse its discretion in denying plaintiffs’ motion for a new trial, and because this Court does not have jurisdiction over the underlying judgment denying injunctive relief, I respectfully dissent from the majority opinion.
Rule 3 of the North Carolina Rules of Appellate Procedure provides that
The notice of appeal required to be filed and served . . . shall specify the party or parties taking the appeal; shall designate the judgment or order from which appeal is taken and the court to which appeal is taken; and shall be signed by counsel of record for the party or parties taking the appeal, or by any such party not represented by counsel of record.
N.C.R. App. P. 3(d) (2003). Absent proper notice of appeal, this Court does not acquire jurisdiction. See Fenz v. Davis, 128 N.C. App. 621, 623, 495 S.E.2d 748, 750 (1998); Von Ramm v. Von Ramm, 99 N.C. App. 153, 156, 392 S.E.2d 422, 424 (1990). The jurisdictional requirements of Rule 3 may not be waived by this Court, even under the “good cause” standard set by Rule 2. See Von Ramm, 99 N.C. App. at 156, 392 S.E.2d at 424. It is well established that “[a] notice of appeal from an order denying a motion for a new trial which does not also specifically appeal the underlying judgment does not present the underlying judgment for review.” Fenz, 128 N.C. App. at 623, 495 S.E.2d at 750; Von Ramm, 99 N.C. App. at 156, 392 S.E.2d at 424; Chaparral Supply v. Bell, 76 N.C. App. 119, 120, 331 S.E.2d 735, 736 (1985).
In the instant case, the notice of appeal filed by plaintiffs recites the following:
NOW COME the Plaintiffs to give notice of appeal to the North Carolina Court of Appeals from the final Order of the Court entered on the 20th day of November, 2001 in the Superior Court of Jackson County, North Carolina.
The order entered 20 November 2001 by the trial court was the order denying plaintiffs’ motion for a new trial or amendment of judgment. *309The notice of appeal filed by plaintiffs did not give proper notice from the underlying judgment entered by the trial court on 11 June 2001, and this Court therefore only has jurisdiction to review the trial court’s order denying plaintiffs’ motion for a new trial or amendment of judgment. See Fenz, 128 N.C. App. at 623, 495 S.E.2d at 750. “To the extent the record on appeal purports to assign error to the trial proceedings and to appeal from the judgment entered . . . , such appeal must be dismissed.” Id. I conclude that any purported assignments of error by plaintiffs regarding the underlying judgment are not properly before us and should not be addressed by this Court.
As to plaintiffs’ appeal of the trial court’s order denying their motion for a new trial pursuant to Rule 59 of the North Carolina Rules of Civil Procedure, our review of such orders is strictly limited to the question of whether the record discloses a manifest abuse of discretion by the trial judge. See Worthington v. Bynum and Cogdell v. Bynum, 305 N.C. 478, 482, 290 S.E.2d 599, 602 (1982). This Court should not disturb a discretionary Rule 59 order unless we are convinced that the ruling by the trial court amounted to a substantial miscarriage of justice. See Burgess v. Vestal, 99 N.C. App. 545, 550, 393 S.E.2d 324, 327, disc. review denied, 327 N.C. 632, 399 S.E.2d 324 (1990). Because I conclude that plaintiffs have not met their heavy burden of demonstrating manifest abuse of discretion by the trial court, I would affirm the order of the trial court denying plaintiffs’ motion for a new trial.