Opinion ID: 2543105
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: DiscussionStanding

Text: `When a party without standing purports to commence an action, the trial court acquires no subject-matter jurisdiction.' Riley v. Pate, 3 So.3d 835, 838 (Ala.2008) (quoting State v. Property at 2018 Rainbow Drive, 740 So.2d 1025, 1028 (Ala.1999)). Standing is ``[t]he requisite personal interest that must exist at the commencement of the litigation.'' Cadle Co. v. Shabani, 4 So.3d 460, 462-63 (Ala.2008) (emphasis added)(quoting Pharmacia Corp. v. Suggs, 932 So.2d 95, 98 (Ala.2005), quoting in turn In re Allison G., 276 Conn. 146, 156, 883 A.2d 1226, 1231 (2005)). The jurisdictional defect resulting from the plaintiff's lack of standing cannot be cured by amending the complaint to add a party having standing.  Cadle Co., 4 So.3d at 463 (emphasis added). Thus, according to Hillwood, if Jerry lacked standing to sue at the commencement of the action, the December 2008 amendment adding Carol as a plaintiff was a legal nullity. We agree. `To be a [person with standing], the person must have a real, tangible legal interest in the subject matter of the lawsuit.' Ex parte Simpson, 36 So.3d 15, 22 (Ala.2009) (quoting Ex parte Chemical Waste Mgmt., Inc., 929 So.2d 1007, 1010 (Ala.2005), quoting in turn Doremus v. Business Council of Alabama Workers' Comp. Self-Insurers Fund, 686 So.2d 252, 253 (Ala.1996)). The person asserting the claim must specifically allege an injury in fact to a legally protected right. Property at 2018 Rainbow Drive, 740 So.2d at 1027 (emphasis omitted). Hillwood contends that the quitclaim deed purporting to transfer title to the unit from Carol to Jerry was ineffective, because, it argues, it was neither witnessed in accordance with Ala.Code 1975, § 35-4-20, and relevant caselaw nor recorded and filed as required by the DOC. Thus, according to Hillwood, the complaint was filed by a non-member of the HOCOA who, consequently, lacked standing to challenge the HOCOA's existence and practices. The Blevinses do not dispute the factual basis for Hillwood's argument. Indeed, they concede that Jerry  saw no need to record and file the deed with the HOCOA as dictated by HOCOA's governing documents. Blevinses' brief, at 12 (emphasis added). The Blevinses' entire response to Hillwood's jurisdictional challenge is found in their reply brief, as follows: [I]t is indeed amusing that it was [Hillwood] who first raised the issue of standing as it relates to [Jerry], and argued that [Jerry] had no right to complain about [Hillwood's] misconduct, or to even bring this action, because [Jerry] had not technically complied with HOCOA's governing documents with respect to his ownership interest in Suite 200-3. Now that the Blevinses have established [Hillwood's] non-compliance with HOCOA's governing documents as it pertains to the election of the `Board,' [Hillwood] cartoonishly argue[s] that despite this non-compliance the `Board' was lawful. [Hillwood] clearly want[s] to have [its] proverbial cake and eat it too. In short, [Hillwood] cast the first stone about standing and compliance with HOCOA's governing documents and now that the stone has boomeranged and landed square on their forehead, they want to conveniently disregard the governing documents. Reply brief, at 11-12. This Court has often said that it is `duty bound to notice ex mero motu the absence of subject-matter jurisdiction.' Riley v. Hughes, 17 So.3d 643, 648 (Ala.2009) (emphasis added) (quoting Baldwin County v. Bay Minette, 854 So.2d 42, 45 (Ala.2003), quoting in turn Stamps v. Jefferson County Bd. of Educ., 642 So.2d 941, 945 n. 2 (Ala.1994)). However, just because the Court is duty bound to notice the absence of subject-matter jurisdiction, it does not follow that it is so bound to construct theories and search the record for facts to support the existence of jurisdiction for plaintiffs who choose to stand mute in the face of a serious jurisdictional challenge. On the contrary, when the parties have not provided sufficient legal or factual justification for this Court's jurisdiction, this Court is not obligated to embark on its own expedition beyond the parties' arguments in pursuit of a reason to exercise jurisdiction. The burden of establishing the existence of subject-matter jurisdiction falls on the party invoking that jurisdiction. See, e.g., Ex parte HealthSouth Corp., 974 So.2d 288 (Ala.2007) (setting forth the plaintiff's burden of demonstrating standing to bring an action, an issue of subject-matter jurisdiction); ... Ex parte Ray-El, 911 So.2d 1100, 1104 (Ala.Crim.App.2004) (placing the burden to `justify the jurisdiction of this court' on the person bringing a habeas petition as a `next friend' (quoting Whitmore v. Arkansas, 495 U.S. 149, 164, 110 S.Ct. 1717, 109 L.Ed.2d 135 (1990))); cf. Bush v. Laggo Props., L.L.C., 784 So.2d 1063, 1065 (Ala.Civ.App.2000) (`Once a party challenges the trial court's jurisdiction, pursuant to Rule 12(b)(1), [Ala. R. Civ. P.,] the burden of establishing jurisdiction is on the plaintiff.' (citing Menchaca v. Chrysler Credit Corp., 613 F.2d 507 (5th Cir.1980))). Crutcher v. Williams, 12 So.3d 631, 635-36 (Ala.2008) (some emphasis added). Essentially, the Blevinses do not dispute Hillwood's contention that Jerry lacks standing to make the claims asserted in this action. Instead, the Blevinses merely characterize the contention as amusing and suggest no legal theory on which standing might be based. It is not this Court's function to embark on its own expedition, Crutcher, 12 So.3d at 635, in search of such a basis. Consequently, we hold that the Blevinses have not carried their burden of establishing subject-matter jurisdiction. This action, having begun at the instance of someone without standing, cannot now be maintained by someone with standing. Cadle Co., 4 So.3d at 463.