Corbin Young v. Republic Finance, LLC

Court of Appeals of the State of Georgia

ATLANTA,____________________ September 17, 2025

The Court of Appeals hereby passes the following order: A26A0278. CORBIN YOUNG v. REPUBLIC FINANCE, LLC.

Republic Finance, LLC, filed this civil action against Corbin Young in state court. After Young answered and asserted counterclaims, Republic Finance filed a motion to stay the proceeding and compel arbitration, which the trial court granted. Young then filed this direct appeal, and Republic Finance has filed a motion to dismiss the appeal. We agree that we lack jurisdiction. “[T]he grant of an application to compel arbitration is not directly appealable . . . , but is instead an interlocutory matter reviewable pursuant to OCGA § 5-6-34 (b).” Austin Regional Home Care v. Careminders Home Care, 344 Ga. App. 608, 608 (810 SE2d 676) (2018) (punctuation omitted). In contrast, an order granting an application to compel arbitration and dismissing the original action in its entirety is a final judgment and is subject to direct appeal. Torres v. Piedmont Builders, 300 Ga. App. 872, 872 (1) (686 SE2d 464) (2009); see OCGA § 5-6-34 (a) (1). Here, because the state court’s order compelling arbitration did not dismiss the case in its entirety, Young was required to follow the interlocutory appeal procedures — including obtaining a certificate of immediate review from the trial court — in order to appeal. See Austin Regional Home Care, 344 Ga. App. at 608-610; OCGA § 5-6-34 (b).

Young’s failure to follow the interlocutory appeal procedure deprives us of jurisdiction over this appeal. Accordingly, Republic Finance’s motion to dismiss is GRANTED and this appeal is hereby DISMISSED.

Court of Appeals of the State of Georgia Clerk’s Office, Atlanta,____________________ 09/17/2025 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.