On June 21, 2006, the Federal National Mortgage Association “Fannie Mae” initiated a dispossessory proceeding with respect to real property occupied by Carol and Calvin Mackey. Following a bench trial, the State Court of DeKalb County issued a writ of possession in favor of Fannie Mae. The Mackeys appeal, alleging that the trial court erred in i denying their motion to transfer venue of the proceeding to the Superior Court of DeKalb County; ii failing to dismiss the proceeding based on what they allege to be a fatal flaw in the dispossessory warrant; iii granting the writ of possession in the absence of sufficient evidence; iv failing to issue findings of fact and conclusions of law or to rule on each of their defenses and counterclaims; and v awarding the sums held in the registry of the trial court to Fannie Mae. We discern no error and affirm. We apply a de novo standard of review to questions of law decided by the trial court, and factual findings made by the trial court shall not be set aside unless clearly erroneous.1 So viewed, the record shows that the dispossessory proceeding was twice continued by consent, and the trial date was reset for August 25, 2006. On that morning, the Mackeys moved to stay the proceeding or, in the alternative, to transfer it to the superior court. Pursuant to a consent order, the parties agreed to a stay pending resolution of a related action that the Mackeys had filed in federal court. The consent order also provided that the Mackeys would pay monthly rent of $1,340 into the registry of the trial court and that the case would be placed on the trial calendar once pending motions for summary judgment were ruled upon in the federal court case.
After the federal court ruled adversely to the Mackeys in the related action, the trial court heard arguments on the Mackeys’ motion to transfer the proceeding to superior court. On November 26, 2007, the trial court denied the Mackeys’ motion to transfer, granted Fannie Mae a writ of possession to the property, and awarded Fannie Mae the funds paid into the court registry pursuant to the consent order.
