Opinion ID: 1688887
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Burdens of Pleading and Proof

Text: This Court has long held that a plaintiff does not bear the burden of pleading facts to establish the propriety of venue. See Ray v. Richardson, 250 Ala. 705, 710, 36 So.2d 89, 92 (1948) (It is not even necessary to plead facts showing the proper venue even in cases where the law requires the action to be prosecuted in the county where it arose or where the plaintiff resides.). [8] Instead, the party who believes that venue is improper bears the burden of pleading improper venue. See Rule 12(b), Ala. R. Civ. P.; see also 1 Champ Lyons, Jr., Alabama Rules of Civil Procedure Annotated § 12.4 (3d ed.1996). Once the party challenging venue has met the burden of pleading improper venue, he then has the burden of proving that venue is improper. See Ex parte Wiginton, 743 So.2d 1071, 1074 (Ala.1999) (The burden of proof on factual issues in a venue dispute is upon the party or parties challenging venue in the forum.); see also Ex parte City of Fayette, 611 So.2d 1032, 1033 (Ala.1992) (The burden of proving improper venue is on the party raising the issue, and on review of an order transferring or refusing to transfer a case, a writ of mandamus will not be issued except upon a clear showing of error on the part of the trial judge.). The Legislature's amendment to § 6-3-7 does not alter any of this Court's wellsettled rules regarding the burdens of pleading and proof of improper venue. Those burdens remain on the party challenging venue. If a challenger meets both burdens, proving that venue is improper as to some plaintiffs (but not as to all plaintiffs), then the court must sever and transfer the claims as to those plaintiffs as to whom venue is improper. The amendment, however, grants those plaintiffs the opportunity to plead and to prove that the § 6-3-7(c) conditions triggering the exception to the sever-and-transfer provision apply. If they fail to plead and to prove those conditions, then the trial court has no choice but to sever the claims as to those parties and to transfer them to a county where venue is proper.