Opinion ID: 1141926
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: were the faucettes denied their fundamental rights to due process?

Text: The Faucettes and The Bank of Mississippi allege that the chancellor erred in impressing a lien upon the real property without them being parties to the litigation. The Faucettes were the owners of the property and The Bank of Mississippi held a deed of trust on the property; however, neither was made a party to the action. It is apparent that no proper adjudication of rights could be made in the absence of these parties. Both the Faucettes and The Bank of Mississippi obviously had an interest in the real property made subject to the lien in their absence. It is well settled that all persons needed for just adjudication should be joined as a party in the action. Miss.R.Civ.Pro. 19(a). We hold that no proper and complete adjudication of this dispute involving real property could be made in absence of the persons owning interests in the property affected. That included the Faucettes and The Bank of Mississippi. The basis of procedural due process is simply that parties whose rights are to be affected are entitled to be heard; and in order that they may enjoy that right they must be notified, Baldwin v. Hale, 68 U.S. (1 Wall) 223, 233, 17 L.Ed. 531, (1864). Furthermore, they must be notified in a manner and at a time that is meaningful Armstrong v. Manzo, 380 U.S. 545, 552, 85 S.Ct. 1187, 1191, 14 L.Ed.2d 62 (1965). Obviously the Faucettes and The Bank of Mississippi have rights with regard to this property and these rights are affected by the attempted imposition of a lien on that property in their absence. We hold they were entitled to be notified and to be heard and must be on remand.