Court Opinion

ID: 9688658
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-24 17:59:44.496607+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T18:18:40.983150
License: Public Domain

BLOODWORTH, Justice
(concurring in part and dissenting in part.)
I concur in Justice Jones’ opinion for the majority as to his treatment of the issue of assignments of error.
I must respectfully dissent from the remainder of the opinion as I am of the opinion that no “justiciable controversy” existed between the parties for two reasons.
First, the letter from appellant’s attorney of June 28, 1973, seeking a business license to authorize the retail sale of beer was presented before an ABC license was granted appellant on August 30, 1973. Thus, at the time the letter request was made, the City had no authority to grant the license. It was therefore justified in denying the application, and the trial judge was correct in denying appellant relief.
Second, appellant made no further effort to apply for a license to sell beer after she had been denied a license by the City and after receiving her ABC license on August 30, 1973. Moreover, appellant did not comply with a city ordinance (passed August 6, 1973) requiring written application under oath to the city clerk: giving the names of applicants, location, type of business, criminal record, with a copy of the ABC license attached, etc. Appellant’s undisputed failure to comply with the requirements of the city ordinance governing the application justified the trial judge’s denial of relief. See U. S. A. Oil Corporation v. City of Lipscomb, 293 Ala. 103, 300 So.2d 362 (1974, per Coleman, J.) and cases there cited upholding municipal ordinances containing similar provisions to those found in the ordinance in the instant case.
The rule of our cases is clear to effect that where no justiciable controversy exists, there is no jurisdiction to grant relief. Tit. 7, § 156, Code, and cases cited.
*99It is thus that I would not reach the point decided by the majority — that the ordinance requiring a $5,000 annual license for the retail sale of beer is “invalid.” Although I might consider $5,000 to be a prohibitive sum for such license, neither the trial judge nor we reach this issue, in my j udgment.
I do not consider it is necessary that I state my opinion on the issue that the Attorney General was not served in view of the result I would reach.
MERRILL, MADDOX and ALMON, JJ., concur.