In case someone else searches on this topic and needs an answer, I will provide it.
In BxBaseCmtsView.php find this bit of code:
function getCommentsFirst () {
$sRet = '<div id="cmts-box-' . $this->_sSystem . '-' . $this->getId() . '">';
$sRet .= '<div class="cmt-browse">' . $this->_getBrowse() . '</div>';
$sRet .= '<div class="cmts">' . $this->getComments (0, $this->_sOrder) . '</div>';
if(($sPaginate = $this->getPaginate()) !== "")
$sRet .= '<div class="cmt-show-more">' . $sPaginate . '</div>';
if($this->isPostReplyAllowed ())
$sRet .= '<div class="cmt-reply">' . $this->_getPostReplyBox() . "</div>";
$sRet .= '</div>';
$sRet .= $this->getCmtsInit ();
return $sRet;
}
Move the code in red to its new location.
function getCommentsFirst () {
$sRet = '<div id="cmts-box-' . $this->_sSystem . '-' . $this->getId() . '">';
if($this->isPostReplyAllowed ())
$sRet .= '<div class="cmt-reply">' . $this->_getPostReplyBox() . "</div>";
$sRet .= '<div class="cmt-browse">' . $this->_getBrowse() . '</div>';
$sRet .= '<div class="cmts">' . $this->getComments (0, $this->_sOrder) . '</div>';
if(($sPaginate = $this->getPaginate()) !== "")
$sRet .= '<div class="cmt-show-more">' . $sPaginate . '</div>';
$sRet .= '</div>';
$sRet .= $this->getCmtsInit ();
return $sRet;
}