Opinion ID: 1196144
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Oklahoma City's action against the Urban Renewal Authority, Bricktown Parking Investors, and TMK/Hogan was a justiciable case or controversy.

Text: ¶ 24 T.A.R. contends that Oklahoma City's action against the Urban Renewal Authority, Bricktown Parking Investors, and TMK/Hogan was not a justiciable case or controversy because the parties agreed that the Development Agreements were valid. In support of its claim on this issue T.A.R. cites Gordon v. Followell, 1964 OK 74, 391 P.2d 242. Gordon, however, does not support T.A.R.'s claim. There we said, We therefore hold that the petition was insufficient to invoke the jurisdiction of the court under the declaratory judgments act. Gordon, 1964 OK 74 at ¶ 10 391 P.2d 242. ¶ 25 T.A.R. claims that Oklahoma City's allegation that the Development Agreements were lawful meant that there was not an actual case or controversy because the parties did not have opposing interests. This Court has not previously addressed this issue. The Supreme Court of Wyoming, however, did so in Brimmer v. Thomson, 521 P.2d 574 (Wyo.1974). ¶ 26 In Brimmer, the Wyoming Attorney General brought a declaratory judgment action under that state's version of the Uniform Declaratory Judgment Act, which was substantially similar to the Oklahoma version of the Act. The Attorney General and some of the defendants, state senators who were prospective candidates for governor, agreed that the defendants were eligible for the office of governor. The suit was brought because an earlier Attorney General's opinion had questioned the eligibility of the candidates. The Wyoming court held that the declaratory judgment action presented an actual case or controversy because the question created by the earlier Attorney General's opinion as to the eligibility of the candidates supplied the necessary adversity. The fact that the plaintiff and some of the defendants were in agreement did not change the determination that an actual case of controversy existed. ¶ 27 To the same effect as Brimmer see State ex rel. Miller v. State Board of Education, 56 Idaho 210, 52 P.2d 141, 143 (1935). There the Idaho Supreme Court held that the public importance of the issue supported plaintiff's claim that there was an actual case or controversy despite the fact that there was no disagreement between the parties. In New Jersey Power & Light Company, 45 N.J. 237, 212 A.2d 136, 139 (1965) the court held that a declaratory judgment was valid, although both plaintiff and defendant believed the contract at issue to be valid. ¶ 28 We agree with the analysis of the Wyoming, Idaho, and New Jersey courts. Applying the reasoning of their opinions here, we hold that the an actual case or controversy arose here as a result of the threat created by T.A.R.'s claims that the Development Agreements were fraudulent or otherwise unlawful. This conclusion is not altered by the fact that the parties to the declaratory judgment action all believed the Agreements to be valid. Thus, a justiciable case or controversy was presented to the trial court for resolution. When Oklahoma City filed its declaratory judgment action, it placed in issue T.A.R.'s contentions for resolution by an unbiased court. T.A.R. was entitled to no more. ¶ 29 T.A.R. does not claim that Oklahoma City's suit against Bricktown Parking Investors and TMK/Hogan was collusive or fictitious. In any event, the record would not support such a conclusion. The allegations by all parties that the Agreements were lawful did not deprive Oklahoma City's action of its justiciable character. The agreement among Oklahoma City and the other parties as to how the issues should be resolved was appropriate. Those issues were legitimate, not feigned or collusive. The burden was on T.A.R. to prove that the matter was non-justiciable and it did not do so. Application of Goodwin, 1979 OK 106 ¶ 4, 597 P.2d 762. ¶ 30 In Goodwin we held that, in the absence of a showing of fraud or collusion, the appeal of a suit between parties who were in agreement concerning the issues was justiciable despite the fact that the appellee failed to file an answer brief. The trial court heard T.A.R.'s arguments and read the depositions of its members before ruling on T.A.R.'s motion to intervene. This fact and the Goodwin opinion demonstrate that the trial court's order denying Tal's motion to intervene did not deprive Oklahoma City's action of its justiciable character.