Case Title: Ex parte State of Alabama. PETITION FOR WRIT OF MANDAMUS: CIVIL (In re: State of Alabama v. William D. Cornelius III and Billy W. Thompson, Colbert County Revenue Commisioner.)

Citation: 

Docket Number: 1080927

State: alabama

Court: Alabama Supreme Court

Date: 2009-10-23T00:00:00Z

Document:
REL:10/23/2009 
N o t i c e : 
T h i s 
o p i n i o n i s s u b j e c t t o f o r m a l 
r e v i s i o n b e f o r e 
p u b l i c a t i o n i n 
t h e advance 
s h e e t s o f 
Southern Reporter. 
R e a d e r s a r e r e q u e s t e d t o n o t i f y t h e 
Reporter of Decisions, 
Alabama 
A p p e l l a t e 
C o u r t s , 300 D e x t e r Avenue, Montgomery, 
Alabama 
36104-3741 
((334) 
2 2 9 - 0 6 4 9 ) , o f 
any t y p o g r a p h i c a l o r o t h e r e r r o r s , i n 
o r d e r t h a t c o r r e c t i o n s may be made 
b e f o r e t h e 
o p i n i o n i s 
p r i n t e d i n 
Southern Reporter. 
SUPREME COURT OF ALABAMA 
OCTOBER TERM, 2009-2010 
1080927 
Ex p a r t e S t a t e o f Alabama 
PETITION FOR WRIT OF MANDAMUS 
( I n r e : S t a t e o f Alabama 
v. 
W i l l i a m D. C o r n e l i u s I I I 
and B i l l y W. Thompson, C o l b e r t 
County Revenue Commissioner) 
( C o l b e r t C i r c u i t Court, CV-08-137) 
BOLIN, 
J u s t i c e . 
The S t a t e o f A l a b a m a p e t i t i o n s 
t h i s C o u r t f o r 
a w r i t o f 
mandamus 
d i r e c t i n g t h e C o l b e r t 
C i r c u i t 
C o u r t t o e n t e r an 
1080927 
o r d e r 
d i s m i s s i n g , 
on t h e b a s i s 
o f s o v e r e i g n 
i m m u n i t y , t h e 
c o u n t e r c l a i m 
f o r i n v e r s e 
c o n d e m n a t i o n 
f i l e d 
b y W i l l i a m 
D. 
C o r n e l i u s I I I . 
I . 
B a c k g r o u n d 
On J a n u a r y 25, 2008, t h e S t a t e , a c t i n g b y and t h r o u g h t h e 
A l a b a m a D e p a r t m e n t o f T r a n s p o r t a t i o n , 
f i l e d 
i n t h e 
C o l b e r t 
P r o b a t e 
C o u r t a p e t i t i o n 
f o r c o n d e m n a t i o n o f a p o r t i o n o f 
p r o p e r t y 
owned by 
C o r n e l i u s 
and on w h i c h 
C o l b e r t 
C o u n t y 
c l a i m e d 
a 
l i e n 
f o r ad v a l o r e m 
t a x e s .
1 
C o r n e l i u s 
f i l e d 
an 
a n s w e r . 
U l t i m a t e l y , t h e C o l b e r t 
P r o b a t e 
C o u r t 
e n t e r e d 
a 
j u d g m e n t c o n d e m n i n g t h e p r o p e r t y . 
C o r n e l i u s a p p e a l e d t o t h e 
C o l b e r t 
C i r c u i t 
C o u r t . 
On F e b r u a r y 23, 2009, 
C o r n e l i u s 
f i l e d 
a m o t i o n i n t h e 
C o l b e r t C i r c u i t C o u r t t o amend h i s 
a n s w e r f i l e d i n 
t h e p r o b a t e 
c o u r t 
t o a s s e r t a c o u n t e r c l a i m 
a g a i n s t 
t h e S t a t e 
a l l e g i n g 
i n v e r s e c o n d e m n a t i o n . 
The S t a t e moved t o d i s m i s s t h e i n v e r s e -
c o n d e m n a t i o n c l a i m b a s e d on t h e c o n s t i t u t i o n a l i m m u n i t y o f 
t h e 
S t a t e . See A l a . C o n s t . 1 9 0 1 , § 14 ( " t h e S t a t e 
s h a l l n e v e r be 
made a d e f e n d a n t i n any c o u r t o f l a w o r e q u i t y " ) . 
W i t h o u t 
c o n d u c t i n g 
a h e a r i n g , 
t h e C o l b e r t 
C i r c u i t 
C o u r t 
d e n i e d t h e 
1 C o l b e r t C o u n t y ' s R e v e n u e C o m m i s s i o n e r , B i l l y W. Thompson, 
was named as a d e f e n d a n t . 
2 
1080927 
S t a t e ' s 
m o t i o n t o d i s m i s s 
C o r n e l i u s ' s 
i n v e r s e - c o n d e m n a t i o n 
c l a i m , a l l o w i n g t h e c l a i m t o s t a n d . 
The S t a t e t h e n f i l e d 
t h i s 
p e t i t i o n f o r 
a w r i t o f mandamus r e q u e s t i n g 
t h i s C o u r t t o e n t e r 
an 
o r d e r , 
d i r e c t i n g t h e C o l b e r t 
C i r c u i t 
C o u r t 
t o 
d i s m i s s 
C o r n e l i u s ' s 
i n v e r s e - c o n d e m n a t i o n 
c l a i m . 
T h i s 
C o u r t 
o r d e r e d 
t h e p a r t i e s t o l i m i t t h e i r a r g u m e n t s t o t h e i s s u e o f s o v e r e i g n 
i m m u n i t y . 
We g r a n t t h e p e t i t i o n and i s s u e 
w r i t . 
I I . 
S t a n d a r d o f R e v i e w 
"A w r i t o f mandamus i s an e x t r a o r d i n a r y remedy, 
and 
i t ' w i l l be 
i s s u e d 
o n l y when 
t h e r e 
i s : 1) a 
c l e a r 
l e g a l 
r i g h t 
i n t h e p e t i t i o n e r t o t h e 
o r d e r 
s o u g h t ; 2) an i m p e r a t i v e d u t y upon t h e r e s p o n d e n t t o 
p e r f o r m , a c c o m p a n i e d by a r e f u s a l t o do s o ; 
3) t h e 
l a c k o f a n o t h e r 
a d e q u a t e r e m e d y ; and 4) 
p r o p e r l y 
i n v o k e d 
j u r i s d i c t i o n o f t h e c o u r t . ' Ex p a r t e 
U n i t e d 
 
S e r v . 
S t a t i o n s , 
I n c . , 628 So. 2d 501 
, 503 ( A l a . 
19 9 3 ) . " 
Ex p a r t e 
B u t t s , 775 So. 2d 173, 176 ( A l a . 2 0 0 0 ) . 
T h i s 
C o u r t 
has 
h e l d 
t h a t 
"a 
p e t i t i o n 
f o r a 
w r i t 
o f mandamus 
i s an 
a p p r o p r i a t e 
means f o r s e e k i n g 
r e v i e w 
o f an o r d e r 
d e n y i n g a 
c l a i m o f i m m u n i t y . " 
775 So. 2d a t 176. 
I I I . 
D i s c u s s i o n 
I n i t s b r i e f t o t h i s C o u r t , t h e S t a t e , 
r e l y i n g p r i m a r i l y 
on Ex p a r t e A l a b a m a D e p a r t m e n t o f T r a n s p o r t a t i o n , 978 So. 2d 
17 ( A l a . 2007) ("Good H o p e " ) , a r g u e s t h a t t h e C o l b e r t 
C i r c u i t 
3 
1080927 
C o u r t 
had 
no 
a l t e r n a t i v e 
b u t 
t o 
d i s m i s s 
t h e 
i n v e r s e -
c o n d e m n a t i o n c l a i m b e c a u s e t h e 
c l a i m was 
s o l e l y 
a g a i n s t 
t h e 
S t a t e . 
See 
Ex 
p a r t e 
C a r t e r , 
395 
So. 
2d 
65, 
68 
( A l a . 
1 9 8 0 ) ( a c t i o n s 
f o r 
i n v e r s e 
c o n d e m n a t i o n 
a r e 
t o 
be 
" b r o u g h t 
a g a i n s t 
S t a t e 
o f f i c i a l s 
i n t h e i r 
r e p r e s e n t a t i v e c a p a c i t y " ) . 
I n 
r e g a r d 
t o 
s u i n g 
a 
S t a t e 
a g e n c y , 
t h i s 
C o u r t 
i n Good 
Hope s t a t e d : 
" T h i s 
C o u r t has 
l o n g 
h e l d 
t h a t 
' " ' t h e 
c i r c u i t 
c o u r t 
i s w i t h o u t 
j u r i s d i c t i o n 
t o 
e n t e r t a i n a 
s u i t 
a g a i n s t 
t h e 
S t a t e 
b e c a u s e 
o f 
Sec. 
14 
o f 
t h e 
 
C o n s t i t u t i o n . ' " ' 
L a r k i n s 
v. 
D e p a r t m e n t 
o f 
M e n t a l  
H e a l t h 
& M e n t a l 
R e t a r d a t i o n , 
80 6 
So. 
2d 
358 , 
364 
( A l a . 2 0 0 1 ) ( q u o t i n g A l a b a m a S t a t e Docks T e r m i n a l 
Ry. 
 
v. 
L y l e s , 797 
So. 
2d 
432, 
435 
( A l a . 2 0 0 1 ) , 
q u o t i n g 
i n t u r n A l a n d 
v. Graham, 287 
A l a . 226, 
229, 
250 
So. 
2d 
677, 
678 
( 1 9 7 1 ) ) . 
' [ A ] n 
a c t i o n c o n t r a r y 
t o 
t h e 
S t a t e ' s i m m u n i t y i s an a c t i o n o v e r w h i c h t h e 
c o u r t s 
o f 
t h i s 
S t a t e l a c k s u b j e c t - m a t t e r 
j u r i s d i c t i o n . ' 
" T h i s C o u r t has 
r e p e a t e d l y h e l d t h a t § 14, 
A l a . 
C o n s t . 1901, 
' a f f o r d s t h e S t a t e and 
i t s a g e n c i e s 
an 
" a b s o l u t e " i m m u n i t y f r o m s u i t 
i n any 
c o u r t . ' 
H a l e y 
 
v. B a r b o u r C o u n t y , 885 
So. 
2d 783, 
788 
( A l a . 2 0 0 4 ) ; 
see a l s o Ex p a r t e M o b i l e C o u n t y Dep't o f Human 
R e s . , 
815 
So. 
2d 
527, 
530 
( A l a . 2 
0 
0 1 ) ( ' P u r s u a n t 
t o § 
14, 
A l a . 
C o n s t . 
o f 
1901, 
t h e 
S t a t e 
o f A l a b a m a 
and 
i t s 
a g e n c i e s 
h a v e 
a b s o l u t e 
i m m u n i t y 
f r o m 
s u i t 
i n 
any 
c o u r t . ' ) ; 
Ex 
p a r t e 
T u s c a l o o s a 
C o u n t y , 
796 
So. 
2d 
1100, 
1103 
( A l a . 2 0 0 0 ) ( ' U n d e r A l a . C o n s t . 
o f 
1901, 
§ 
14, 
t h e 
S t a t e 
o f A l a b a m a 
has 
a b s o l u t e 
i m m u n i t y 
f r o m 
l a w s u i t s . 
T h i s 
a b s o l u t e 
i m m u n i t y e x t e n d s 
t o 
arms o r a g e n c i e s 
o f t h e s t a t e 
' ) . 
T h i s 
a b s o l u t e 
i m m u n i t y f r o m s u i t a l s o b a r s 
s u i t s 
f o r r e l i e f by 
way 
4 
1080927 
o f mandamus o r i n j u n c t i o n . Ex p a r t e T r o y U n i v . , 961 
So. 2d 105, 110 ( A l a . 2 0 0 6 ) . " 
Good Hope, 978 So. 2d a t 2 1 - 2 2 . 
T h i s C o u r t h a s r e c o g n i z e d 
s e v e r a l 
c a t e g o r i e s o f a c t i o n s 
t h a t a r e n o t b a r r e d b y § 14: 
" T h e r e a r e f o u r 
g e n e r a l 
c a t e g o r i e s 
o f 
a c t i o n s 
w h i c h 
... 
we 
s t a t e d 
do 
n o t 
come 
w i t h i n 
t h e 
p r o h i b i t i o n o f § 14: (1) a c t i o n s b r o u g h t t o c o m p e l 
S t a t e 
o f f i c i a l s t o p e r f o r m 
t h e i r 
l e g a l 
d u t i e s ; (2) 
a c t i o n s 
b r o u g h t 
t o 
e n j o i n 
S t a t e 
o f f i c i a l s 
f r o m 
e n f o r c i n g 
an u n c o n s t i t u t i o n a l l a w ; (3) a c t i o n s t o 
c o m p e l 
S t a t e 
o f f i c i a l s t o p e r f o r m m i n i s t e r i a l 
a c t s ; 
and 
(4) 
a c t i o n s 
b r o u g h t 
u n d e r 
t h e 
D e c l a r a t o r y 
J u d g m e n t s A c t , T i t . 
7, § 156, e t s e q . , s e e k i n g 
c o n s t r u c t i o n o f a s t a t u t e and i t s a p p l i c a t i o n i n a 
g i v e n 
s i t u a t i o n . 
... 
O t h e r 
a c t i o n s 
w h i c h a r e n o t 
p r o h i b i t e d 
by 
§ 
14 
a r e : 
(5) 
v a l i d 
i n v e r s e 
 
c o n d e m n a t i o n 
a c t i o n s b r o u g h t a g a i n s t S t a t e 
o f f i c i a l s 
 
i n 
t h e i r 
r e p r e s e n t a t i v e 
c a p a c i t y ; and (6) a c t i o n s 
f o r 
i n j u n c t i o n o r damages 
b r o u g h t 
a g a i n s t 
S t a t e 
o f f i c i a l s 
i n 
t h e i r 
r e p r e s e n t a t i v e 
c a p a c i t y 
and 
i n d i v i d u a l l y 
where 
i t was 
a l l e g e d 
t h a t 
t h e y h a d 
a c t e d 
f r a u d u l e n t l y , 
i n b a d 
f a i t h , 
b e y o n d 
t h e i r 
a u t h o r i t y o r i n a m i s t a k e n i n t e r p r e t a t i o n o f 
l a w . " 
Drummond Co. v. A l a b a m a Dep't o f T r a n s p . , 937 So. 2d 56, 58 
( A l a . 
2 0 0 6 ) . 
I n o t h e r w o r d s , an i n v e r s e - c o n d e m n a t i o n a c t i o n must be 
b r o u g h t 
a g a i n s t 
a 
S t a t e 
o f f i c i a l 
i n h i s o r h e r 
o f f i c i a l 
c a p a c i t y . 
Ex p a r t e 
C a r t e r , s u p r a . 
See a l s o A l a b a m a Dep't o f  
C o r r . v . M o n t g o m e r y C o u n t y Comm'n, 11 So. 3d 189, 194 ( A l a . 
2008) ( t h e 
c a t e g o r y o f a c t i o n s t h a t a r e n o t b a r r e d b y § 14 a r e 
5 
1080927 
" r e l e v a n t 
o n l y 
as 
t h e y 
r e l a t e 
t o 
c l a i m s 
a g a i n s t 
S t a t e 
o f f i c i a l s 
i n t h e i r 
o f f i c i a l c a p a c i t i e s , n o t as t h e y 
r e l a t e 
t o 
t h e 
S t a t e a g e n c y o r t h e 
S t a t e 
i t s e l f " ) . 
I n 
A l a b a m a 
D e p a r t m e n t 
o f 
T r a n s p o r t a t i o n 
v. 
H a r b e r t 
I n t e r n a t i o n a l , 
I n c . , 
990 
So. 
2d 
831 , 840 
( A l a . 2008 ), 
t h i s 
C o u r t c l a r i f i e d t h a t t h o s e 
c a t e g o r i e s o f a c t i o n s t h a t a r e 
n o t 
b a r r e d 
by 
§ 
14, 
e.g., 
i n v e r s e - c o n d e m n a t i o n 
a c t i o n s , 
a r e 
s o m e t i m e s r e f e r r e d t o as 
" e x c e p t i o n s " 
t o § 
14: 
"These 
a c t i o n s 
a r e 
s o m e t i m e s 
r e f e r r e d 
t o 
as 
' e x c e p t i o n s ' 
t o 
§ 
14; 
h o w e v e r , 
i n 
a c t u a l i t y 
t h e s e 
a c t i o n s 
a r e 
s i m p l y 
n o t 
c o n s i d e r e d 
t o 
be 
a c t i o n s 
' " a g a i n s t t h e S t a t e " f o r § 14 p u r p o s e s . ' 
P a t t e r s o n 
 
v. G l a d w i n C o r p . , 
835 
So. 
2d 
137, 
142 
( A l a . 2 0 0 2 ) . 
T h i s C o u r t has 
q u a l i f i e d t h o s e 
' e x c e p t i o n s , ' 
n o t i n g 
t h a t 
' " [ a ] n a c t i o n i s one 
a g a i n s t 
t h e 
[ S ] t a t e when 
a f a v o r a b l e 
r e s u l t f o r t h e 
p l a i n t i f f w o u l d 
d i r e c t l y 
a f f e c t a c o n t r a c t o r p r o p e r t y 
r i g h t o f t h e S t a t e , 
o r 
w o u l d 
r e s u l t 
i n t h e 
p l a i n t i f f ' s 
r e c o v e r y 
o f money 
f r o m t h e 
[ S ] t a t e . " ' A l a b a m a A g r i c . & Mech. U n i v . 
v. 
 
J o n e s , 
895 
So. 
2d 
867, 
873 
( A l a . 
2 
0 
0 4 ) ( q u o t i n g 
S h o a l s 
Cmty. 
C o l l . 
v. 
C o l a g r o s s , 
674 
So. 
2d 
1311, 
1314 
( A l a . C i v . App. 
19 9 5 ) ) ( e m p h a s i s i n 
J o n e s ) . " 
I V . 
C o n c l u s i o n 
We 
a g r e e 
w i t h 
t h e 
S t a t e 
t h a t 
b e c a u s e 
C o r n e l i u s ' s 
c o u n t e r c l a i m 
a l l e g i n g 
i n v e r s e c o n d e m n a t i o n named s o l e l y 
t h e 
S t a t e 
as 
a 
d e f e n d a n t , 
t h e 
C o l b e r t 
C i r c u i t 
C o u r t 
l a c k e d 
s u b j e c t - m a t e r 
j u r i s d i c t i o n 
t o e n t e r t a i n t h e c o u n t e r c l a i m 
and 
had 
no 
a l t e r n a t i v e b u t 
t o d i s m i s s 
i t . 
"[A] 
c o m p l a i n t 
f i l e d 
6 
1080927 
s o l e l y a g a i n s t t h e S t a t e o r one o f i t s a g e n c i e s i s 
a 
n u l l i t y 
and i s 
v o i d ab i n i t i o . ... Any a c t i o n t a k e n by a c o u r t w i t h o u t 
s u b j e c t - m a t t e r 
j u r i s d i c t i o n - - o t h e r 
t h a n 
d i s m i s s i n g 
t h e 
a c t i o n - - i s v o i d . " 
M o n t g o m e r y C o u n t y C o m m i s s i o n , 11 So. 3d a t 
a t 192. 
B a s e d on t h e f o r e g o i n g , we h o l d t h a t t h e C o l b e r t 
C i r c u i t 
C o u r t 
does 
n o t 
have 
j u r i s d i c t i o n 
o v e r 
t h e 
a s s e r t e d 
c o u n t e r c l a i m a n d t h a t i t 
must be 
d i s m i s s e d . 
P E T I T I O N GRANTED; WRIT ISSUED. 
Cobb, C . J . , 
a n d L y o n s , 
W o o d a l l , 
S t u a r t , S m i t h , 
P a r k e r , 
and Shaw, J J . , c o n c u r . 
M u r d o c k , J . , 
c o n c u r s i n t h e r e s u l t . 
7