Uniroyal Goodrich Tire Co. v. Ford

1. I do not entirely agree with Division 1 of the majority. OCGA § 9-11-42, as part of the Civil Practice Act, governs the combining of separate cases for the court proceedings. It does not allow the procedure utilized in the court below because all parties did not consent. There is no other authority for the court to take the action it did, because the Georgia statute, unlike its federal counterpart, severely limits the trial court’s authority to control the conduct of hearings and trials. It would make good sense as a matter of economics and efficiency, and it would achieve the end which…