Opinion ID: 2353245
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: Dismissal for Lack of Subject Matter Jurisdiction

Text: [¶ 15] We first review the propriety of the court's dismissal of the complaint for lack of subject matter jurisdiction. A court lacks subject matter jurisdiction when the case is of a type that falls outside a court's adjudicatory authority. See Landmark Realty v. Leasure, 2004 ME 85, ¶ 7, 853 A.2d 749, 750. Here, the court concluded that Mason and Johnson had raised political issues that were outside the court's realm of authority. Although we do not disagree that Mason and Johnson's underlying motivations may have been political in nature, a claim that a contract is void is a claim that a court has jurisdiction to decide. See, e.g., Stenzel v. Dell, Inc., 2005 ME 37, ¶ 26, 870 A.2d 133, 143; A.L. Brown Constr. Co. v. McGuire, 495 A.2d 794, 796-98 (Me.1985). Accordingly, the court erred in dismissing the complaint. Because the dismissal was in error, we next review the stipulated facts to determine whether Mason and Johnson could succeed on the merits of their complaint.