Schreck v. Friedman
Schreck v. Friedman
Opinion
Ruby F. Schreck, individually and as trustee of the trust for the benefit of Michelle I. Schreck, appeals from a summary judgment in favor of Jeffrey I. Friedman and Susan M. Friedman. We reverse the trial court's judgment.
On March 31, 2006, Jeffrey I. Friedman and Susan M. Friedman filed a complaint in the Mobile Circuit Court against Ruby F. Schreck ("Schreck"), individually and as trustee of the trust for the benefit of Michelle I. Schreck. The Friedmans filed an amended complaint on April 5, 2006. In the amended complaint, the Friedmans requested that the court enforce its July 1, *Page 1126 1988, judgment, in which it ordered Lambert Roberts, Schreck's father and the predecessor in title to property owned by Schreck and the trust, to remove that portion of her pilings, decking, roof, and pier that encroached onto the Friedmans' property as extended into the water. The Friedmans alleged that, although Roberts had complied with the 1988 judgment, Schreck had recently built a structure that encroached onto the Friedmans' property as extended into the water.
On May 3, 2006, Schreck filed a motion to dismiss the complaint for improper venue or, in the alternative, to transfer the action to Baldwin County. Schreck alleged that because the complaint concerned real property located in Baldwin County venue was proper in Baldwin County. After a hearing, the court denied the motion to dismiss or, in the alternative, to transfer venue on October 4, 2006.
On September 29, 2006, the Friedmans filed a motion for a summary judgment, along with a supporting brief and evidentiary materials. Schreck thereafter filed an answer to the amended complaint in which she asserted the affirmative defenses of prescription and adverse possession. On December 1, 2006, Schreck filed her response to the Friedmans' summary-judgment motion. In her response, Schreck alleged that she had adversely possessed the area in which her pilings, boathouse, and pier crossed the parties' boundary line.
On December 6, 2006, the court entered a summary judgment in favor of the Friedmans. The court ordered Schreck to remove, within 30 days of the judgment, any and all portions of the pier touching or crossing the boundary line as extended into the water. On January 10, 2007, Schreck filed her notice of appeal to the Alabama Supreme Court. That court transferred the appeal to this court, pursuant to Ala. Code 1975, §
On appeal, Schreck argues that the trial court erred by entering a summary judgment in favor of the Friedmans because, she says, there was a genuine issue of material fact as to whether Schreck had obtained a prescriptive easement over that portion of the Friedmans' riparian area where her pier and boathouse were constructed. Schreck also argues that the trial court erred by declining to dismiss the action for improper venue or, in the alternative, to transfer the action to Baldwin County.
We find the venue issue to be dispositive of this appeal. Initially, we note that a question of improper venue may be reviewed on appeal. Elmore County Comm'n v. Ragona,
Ex parte Hanna Steel Corp.,"`"The question of proper venue for an action is determined at the commencement of the action." Ex parte Pratt,
815 So.2d 532 ,534 (Ala. 2001). "If venue is not proper at the commencement of an action, then, upon motion of the defendant, the action must be transferred to a court where venue would be proper." Ex parte Overstreet,748 So.2d 194 ,196 (Ala. 1999).'"
Schreck argues that venue was improper in Mobile County because the real property at issue in the case is situated in Baldwin County. In support of her argument, Schreck cites Ala. Code 1975, §
The Friedmans, however, argue that this case is based on the 1988 judgment of the Mobile Circuit Court and that this case sought enforcement of the 1988 judgment; therefore, they contend, venue was proper in Mobile County. The Friedmans citeRush v. Simpson,
This case, however, is distinguishable from Rush andClements. In Rush, an action was brought in the Calhoun Circuit Court seeking "`permanent injunctive and declaratory relief from a post judgment garnishment.'"
In Clements, the two cases at issue were brought in the Jefferson Circuit Court after the Jefferson Family Court entered a judgment awarding custody of a child to the Alabama State Department of Pensions and Security to be made available for permanent placement or adoption. The persons in whose custody the child had been at the time the Jefferson Family Court entered its judgment filed a petition for the writ of habeas corpus in the Jefferson Circuit Court requesting that the child be returned to their custody. The second case was filed by the child, by and through his next friend, requesting that he be returned to his prior custodians and that the Jefferson Family Court's judgment be set aside on the ground of fraud. Upon review, this court noted that there was no information showing that the Alabama State Department of Pensions and Security had completely complied with the Jefferson Family Court's judgment by making the child available for permanent placement or adoption. Therefore, this court stated that the Jefferson Family Court had retained jurisdiction over the matter to ensure compliance with its judgment and that the Jefferson Circuit Court lacked jurisdiction to consider the cases filed by the prior custodians and the child.
In the present case, the Friedmans alleged that Roberts had, in fact, complied with the 1988 judgment by removing all the encroaching structures. After Roberts's death, however, the Friedmans alleged that Schreck had reconstructed the pier so that it encroached beyond the lot line as that line extended into the water. The present case is a separate action based on new and different facts than those involved in the previous action. This new action is not ancillary or incidental to the original action.
Based on Ala. Code 1975, §
Based on the foregoing, we reverse the trial court's judgment and remand the cause with instructions to transfer the case to the Baldwin Circuit Court. Because we reverse on the issue of venue, we pretermit discussion of Schreck's remaining argument.See Dennis v. Holmes Oil Co.,
REVERSED AND REMANDED.
THOMPSON, P.J., and PITTMAN, BRYAN, and THOMAS, JJ., concur.
Reference
- Full Case Name
- Ruby F. Schreck, Individually and as Trustee of the Trust for the Benefit of Michelle I. Schreck v. Jeffrey I. Friedman and Susan M. Friedman.
- Cited By
- 1 case
- Status
- Published