The General Assembly required consent for consolidation of cases involving a common question of law or fact. OCGA § 9-11-42 (a). This case does not involve common questions of law or fact, but similar questions of law and fact, thus, it is distinguishable from Branch v. Maxwell, 203 Ga. App. 553, 554 (1) ( 417 S.E.2d 176) (1992), which involved the right for a third party to intervene in an action. Sound judicial economy may justify these cases being tried together by consent.