Opinion ID: 1802346
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: jurisdiction

Text: ¶ 14. The Estate relies upon the Mississippi Constitution of 1890, art. 6, § 156 for its argument that the circuit court has no authority, jurisprudentially and constitutionally, to invalidate the chancery court's decisions with respect to the Estate. The Estate argues that the circuit court correctly denied the Defendants' motion for summary judgment since estate matters are not within a circuit court's jurisdiction. Therefore, a circuit court cannot declare the establishment of an estate and issuance of letters of administration void. ¶ 15. In Georgia-Pacific Corp. v. Mooney, 909 So.2d 1081, 1086-87 (Miss.2005), this Court set forth the jurisdictional parameters of the chancery and circuit courts in this State, stating: Jurisdiction is a question of law, and this Court reviews questions of law de novo. Burnette v. Hartford Underwriters Ins. Co., 770 So.2d 948, 951 (Miss.2000). See also Rogers v. [Eaves], 812 So.2d 208, 211 (Miss.2002). The Mississippi Constitution of 1890 Art. 6, § 159 sets the jurisdictional parameters of the chancery court and states: The chancery court shall have full jurisdiction in the following matters and cases, viz.: (a) All matters in equity; (b) Divorce and alimony; (c) Matters testamentary and of administration; (d) Minor's business; (e) Cases of idiocy, lunacy, and persons of unsound mind; (f) All cases of which the said court had jurisdiction under the laws in force when this Constitution is put in operation. [emphasis omitted]. Miss.Code Ann. § 9-5-81 (Rev.2002) also provides jurisdiction to the chancery court and states: The chancery court in addition to the full jurisdiction in all the matters and cases expressly conferred upon it by the constitution shall have jurisdiction of all cases transferred to it by the circuit court or remanded to it by the supreme court; and such further jurisdiction, as is, in this chapter or elsewhere, provided by law. In contrast, the Mississippi Constitution of 1890, Article 6, § 156 provides that [t]he circuit court shall have original jurisdiction in all matters civil and criminal in this state not vested by this Constitution in some other court, and such appellate jurisdiction as shall be prescribed by law. Miss. Const. of 1890 art. 6, § 156. Therefore, while chancery courts have jurisdiction of all matters in equity, circuit courts are courts of general jurisdiction. Lawrence County Sch. Dist. v. Brister, 823 So.2d 459, 460 (Miss.2001). ¶ 16. The Estate is correct in its argument that the chancery court is vested with jurisdiction of matters testamentary and of administration, like the administration of estates, in the chancery courts of this State. See Miss. Const. art. 6, § 159. The Defendants pursued an action in the Tallahatchie County Chancery Court to declare the Estate void ab initio. The Tallahatchie County Chancery Court denied this motion and transferred the Estate to the Leflore County Chancery Court. The Defendants petitioned and were granted interlocutory appeal by this Court on the chancery court decision. The Defendants also petitioned and were granted interlocutory appeal by this Court on the circuit court's denial of their motion for summary judgment. Both these issues are before this Court on two separate interlocutory appeals which have been consolidated for appeal purposes by this Court. We will address whether the Defendants have standing to maintain their action in the standing portion of this issue.