Opinion ID: 1826448
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: The Corporate Defendant

Text: The Board amended its complaint in the circuit court to add as a defendant Silver Chiropractic Group, the holder of the license for Sturbridge Chiropractic. Section 6-3-7, Ala.Code 1975, provides, in part, as follows: (a) All civil actions against corporations may be brought in any of the following counties: (1) In the county in which a substantial part of the events or omissions giving rise to the claim occurred, or a substantial part of real property that is the subject of the action is situated; or (2) In the county of the corporation's principal office in this state; or (3) In the county in which the plaintiff resided, or if the plaintiff is an entity other than an individual, where the plaintiff had its principal office in this state, at the time of the accrual of the cause of action, if such corporation does business by agent in the county of the plaintiff's residence; or (4) If subdivision[](1), (2), or (3) do[es] not apply, in any county in which the corporation was doing business by agent at the time of the accrual of the cause of action. The defendants argue that Silver Chiropractic Group does not do business in Chilton County; therefore, they argue, venue is proper in Montgomery County where Silver Chiropractic Group has its principal place of business. The Board relies on § 6-3-7(a)(3) and (4), and argues that Silver Chiropractic Group does business in Chilton County because its application for a license and for renewals of its license are submitted to the Board's offices, which are located in Chilton County; any funds paid in connection with licensing are sent to and received at the Board's offices in Chilton County; any meetings of the Board are conducted at its offices in Chilton County; and any dealings between the Board and its licensees  for example, any letters, telephone calls, and electronic mail received at or sent from the Board's offices  are conducted in Chilton County. This Court has stated that `[a] corporation `does business' in a county for purposes of § 6-3-7 if, with some regularity, it performs there some of the business functions for which it was created.' Ex parte Pike Fabrication, Inc., 859 So.2d 1089, 1093 (Ala.2002) (quoting Ex parte Wiginton, 743 So.2d 1071, 1074-75 (Ala. 1999), quoting in turn Ex parte SouthTrust Bank of Tuscaloosa, N.A., 619 So.2d 1356, 1358 (Ala.1993)). The only business function for which Silver Chiropractic Group was created is to provide chiropractic services. The affidavits filed by the defendants indicate that those chiropractic services are performed only in Montgomery County. Once the defendants made a prima facie showing that they did not do business in Chilton County, the burden then shifted to the Board to prove that the defendants did in fact conduct business in Chilton County. The Board failed to demonstrate that the defendants performed chiropractic services in Chilton County. Accordingly, venue as to Silver Chiropractic Group is proper in Montgomery County. We conclude that the trial court exceeded its discretion in denying the defendants' motion to transfer this action to the Montgomery Circuit Court and that the defendants have demonstrated a clear legal right to the relief they seek. Ex parte Sawyer, supra . Therefore, we grant the defendants' petition for a writ of mandamus and direct the trial court to vacate its order denying the defendants' motion to transfer and to enter a new order transferring the Board's action to the Montgomery Circuit Court. PETITION GRANTED; WRIT ISSUED. COBB, C.J., and LYONS, STUART, and MURDOCK, JJ., concur.