Full Opinion

Court of Appeals of the State of Georgia ATLANTA,____________________ September 28, 2026 The Court of Appeals hereby passes the following order: A27A0238. YVONNE E. BECKFORD v. YVETTE E. CAMPBELL et al. In this action for damages, the trial court granted a motion to enforce settlement by the defendants on February 11, 2026. The settlement provided that the defendants would pay $17,000 in exchange for a mutual release of all claims. The trial court ordered that, upon proof of such payment provided by the defendants, the plaintiff — Yvonne E. Beckford — shall dismiss the case. The defendants then moved for attorney fees under OCGA § 9-15-14, which the trial court granted on June 23, 2026. Beckford filed a notice of appeal on July 21, 2026 seeking to appeal both orders. The defendants have filed a motion to dismiss in this Court. We agree that we lack jurisdiction, but for a different reason than as argued by the defendants. Under OCGA § 5-6-34(a)(1)(B), appeals generally may be taken from “[a]ll final judgments, that is to say, where the case is no longer pending in the court below.” An order granting a motion to enforce a settlement agreement “is not final until the trial court expressly enters final judgment on that order.” Thomas v. Sheppard, 349 Ga. App. 871, 871 (827 SE2d 60) (2019) (quotation marks omitted). See also Torres v. Elkin, 317 Ga. App. 135, 139(1) (730 SE2d 518) (2012) (“[N]otwithstanding the trial court’s grant of a motion to enforce a settlement, a case is not at an end until such time as the agreement has been made the judgment of the court, thereby terminating the litigation.”) (quotation marks omitted). No final judgment appears to have been entered in this case. Consequently, Beckford was required to follow the interlocutory appeal procedure, including obtaining a certificate of immediate review from the trial court, to appeal the orders granting the motion to enforce the settlement agreement and granting attorney fees. See OCGA § 5-6-34(b). Beckford’s failure to comply with the interlocutory appeal procedure deprives us of jurisdiction over this appeal. The defendants’ motion to dismiss is therefore GRANTED, and this appeal is hereby DISMISSED. Court of Appeals of the State of Georgia Clerk’s Office, Atlanta,____________________ 09/28/2026 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.