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08/21/2009

Notice: T h i s o p i n i o n i s s u b j e c t t o formal r e v i s i o n b e f o r e p u b l i c a t i o n i n t h e advance s h e e t s o f Southern R e p o r t e r . R e a d e r s a r e r e q u e s t e d t o n o t i f y t h e R e p o r t e r o f D e c i s i o n s , Alabama A p p e l l a t e C o u r t s , 300 D e x t e r A v e n u e , M o n t g o m e r y , A l a b a m a 3 6 1 0 4 - 3 7 4 1 ((334) 2 2 9 - 0 6 4 9 ) , o f a n y t y p o g r a p h i c a l o r o t h e r e r r o r s , i n o r d e r t h a t c o r r e c t i o n s may b e made b e f o r e t h e o p i n i o n i s p r i n t e d i n Southern R e p o r t e r .

SUPREME COURT OF ALABAMA
SPECIAL TERM, 2009

1080335 Rosa H u n t e r and H e r b e r t H u n t e r , J r . v. M o o r i n g Tax A s s e t Group, LLC Appeal LYONS, Justice. son, Herbert against Hunter, J r . , appeal them on t h e i r from from M o b i l e C i r c u i t (CV-08-802) Court

Rosa Hunter and her a summary judgment

entered

claim of

malicious

prosecution

against

Mooring

Tax Asset

Group, LLC

("Mooring").

We r e v e r s e

and remand. Background

Procedural

H i s t o r y and F a c t u a l

1080335 On A p r i l Circuit relating title 28, 23, 2008, t h e H u n t e r s sued Mooring i n the M o b i l e prosecution to quiet On May

Court. to a

They a s s e r t e d a c l a i m of m a l i c i o u s 2007 action against them by

Mooring property.

t o and 2008,

obtain

p o s s e s s i o n of c e r t a i n moved to dismiss the

Mooring

Hunters' Because

action

pursuant motion motion

to Rule

1 2 ( b ) ( 6 ) , A l a . R. C i v . P. s u p p o r t i n g documents, judgment pursuant

Mooring's as
1

attached

i t was to Rule

treated 12(b).

a

f o r a summary

The and

H u n t e r s r e s p o n d e d t o M o o r i n g ' s m o t i o n on O c t o b e r 1 7 , 2 0 0 8 , supported their On November 2, r e s p o n s e w i t h an a f f i d a v i t 2008, without stating

and o t h e r e v i d e n c e . reasons for i t s

the

decision,

the t r i a l

c o u r t g r a n t e d M o o r i n g ' s m o t i o n and e n t e r e d The H u n t e r s court appealed. the

a summary j u d g m e n t a g a i n s t t h e H u n t e r s . The following evidence facts. presented On J u n e 6, to the

trial

showed

2002,

the Mobile County

Revenue

1

Rule

1 2 ( b ) , A l a . R.

C i v . P.,

states,

in part:

" I f , on a m o t i o n a s s e r t i n g t h e d e f e n s e n u m b e r e d ( 6 ) to d i s m i s s f o r f a i l u r e of the p l e a d i n g t o s t a t e a c l a i m upon w h i c h r e l i e f c a n be g r a n t e d , m a t t e r s outside the pleading a r e p r e s e n t e d t o and not e x c l u d e d by t h e c o u r t , t h e m o t i o n s h a l l be t r e a t e d a s one f o r summary j u d g m e n t and d i s p o s e d o f as p r o v i d e d i n R u l e 56, a n d a l l p a r t i e s s h a l l be g i v e n r e a s o n a b l e o p p o r t u n i t y t o p r e s e n t a l l m a t e r i a l made p e r t i n e n t t o s u c h a m o t i o n by R u l e 5 6 . " 2

1080335 Commissioner ("the Commissioner") s o l d property "Parcel to First R023205400007070.02, Liberty National Key # 1018437" identified as

("Parcel

70.02")

Bank ( " F i r s t L i b e r t y " ) b e c a u s e t h e on t h e p r o p e r t y . Willie & The t a x deed and and

owner

had f a i l e d the

to pay taxes owners as

identified stated bounds

"Neal, the

Ethel and a

M.W." metes

the parcel

number, of

key

number, 70.02.

description

Parcel

First

Liberty

subsequently sold Parcel reflecting number, is that sale

70.02 t o M o o r i n g . the same

The q u i t c l a i m d e e d parcel number, key I t

included

and m e t e s and b o u n d s d e s c r i p t i o n as t h e t a x d e e d . precisely
2

unclear to It

when

First

Liberty

transferred

Parcel

70.02

Mooring.

i s undisputed

that,

at

a l l times showed

relevant that

to

this 70.02 the as

action, was

the Commissioner's records at 1119 Hannon Road

Parcel However,

located

i n Mobile.

C o m m i s s i o n e r ' s r e c o r d s a l s o showed t h a t p r o p e r t y "Parcel Hunter, R023205400007070" J r . , a n d was ("Parcel 70") was

identified

owned b y The

Herbert record

located

a t t h e same a d d r e s s .

T h e r e a r e t w o d a t e s on t h e q u i t c l a i m d e e d r e f l e c t i n g t h e transfer of p a r c e l 70.02 from F i r s t L i b e r t y to Mooring: F e b r u a r y 10, 2006, and F e b r u a r y 10, 2 0 0 5 . The M o b i l e P r o b a t e C o u r t ' s s t a m p s h o w s t h a t t h e d e e d was f i l e d i n M a r c h , b u t t h e day and y e a r a r e i l l e g i b l e .
2

3

1080335 indicates Hannon that Parcel 70 and was actually the located at the 1119 record
3

Road the

address

that Parcel

Commissioner's mistaken. owned by jointly.

regarding unclear Hunter,

l o c a t i o n of

7 0 . 0 2 was

It

is

from the J r . , or

r e c o r d w h e t h e r P a r c e l 70 was by Rosa Hunter, or by both

Herbert It is

also unclear 70.

from the

r e c o r d who,

i f a n y o n e , r e s i d e d on

Parcel

I n response to Mooring's motion, the affidavit from Norma Hunter,

Hunters presented wife and

an

Herbert's stated:

Rosa's

daughter-in-law,

i n w h i c h Norma

"[W]e had ... b e e n c o n t a c t e d b y t e l e p h o n e s o m e t i m e during 2005, and someone had indicated that our property located at 1119 Hannon Road i n Mobile, A l a b a m a , had been p u r c h a s e d a t a t a x s a l e . I told w h o e v e r was c a l l i n g t h e n , t h a t t h e r e m u s t be some m i s t a k e b e c a u s e we had always p a i d our property taxes, and that our property had not ever been f o r e c l o s e d on b y a n y o n e . " (Emphasis that the omitted.) "someone" The Later she had does in her affidavit, with was any Norma an implied of

spoken not

employee

Mooring. identifying

record

contain in 2005.

other

evidence

t o whom N o r m a s p o k e

An u n a u t h e n t i c a t e d map i n t h e r e c o r d seems t o show t h a t P a r c e l 70 a n d P a r c e l 7 0 . 0 2 a r e a d j a c e n t t o one a n o t h e r . The r e c o r d does n o t show a t what a d d r e s s P a r c e l 70.02 i s a c t u a l l y located.
3

4

1080335 On showing January that 16, 2 0 0 6 , b a s e d on 70.02 was the Commissioner's at 1119 Martin, In the AL; Hannon wrote records Road, to

Parcel

located Jeremy Road."

Mooring's

regional 1119

manager, Hannon

"Owner/Occupant, explained No. that

letter,

Martin ID

"1119

Hannon Rd.,

Mobile,

County P a r c e l

R 0 2 3 2 0 5 4 0 0 0 0 7 0 7 0 . 0 2 " had now owned t h e possession of his

b e e n s o l d a t a t a x s a l e and On Mooring's behalf, and advised

that Martin the

Mooring demanded

property. of or the her

property rights. she

"Owner/Occupant" In her

affidavit,

Norma s t a t e d t h a t

a s s i s t e d Rosa Norma s t a t e d

in

r e s p o n d i n g to the she the contacted wrong

J a n u a r y 16, by

2006, l e t t e r . advised the

that had key her

Martin

telephone, gave him

him

that

"they and

property," "the the

and

parcel

number

number o f to send

property." parcel and that and she

Norma s t a t e d t h a t M a r t i n key did numbers so on to him via 23,

asked

facsimile 2006. The

transmission

January

record includes a facsimile transmission to Martin key # & with county a handwritten parcel ID

cover sheet

addressed

note s t a t i n g s i m p l y : #'s." The cover was

" P l s . check does not sent

sheet

i n d i c a t e whether the f a c s i m i l e t r a n s m i s s i o n

actually

5

1080335 or or received. denying
4

Mooring

d i d not

submit

any

evidence confirming communications. counsel, Road I.D.: Rd., she,

Norma's t e s t i m o n y r e g a r d i n g t h o s e on "Ms. November Rosa 8, 2006, at the

Subsequently, Mooring address wrote to

through 1119

Hunter"

Hannon

concerning:

"Mobile Property

County Address: 1119

Parcel Hannon

R023205400007070.02, M o b i l e , AL." Rosa, nor

I n her a f f i d a v i t , r e c e i v e d any 16, 2006, 8,

Norma s t a t e d t h a t n e i t h e r communications letter 2006, and the from

Herbert

Mooring 8, the was the take

between 2006,

the

January The

November referenced Mooring of

letter. 16, to

November letter and

letter Rosa

January going

2006,

advised

that

"move The

forward letter

with

obtaining that

possession i f she

property."

a d v i s e d Rosa

d i d not

T h e c o v e r s h e e t a l s o d i d n o t i n d i c a t e how many, i f a n y , documents were a t t a c h e d . However, the f o u r pages f o l l o w i n g the cover sheet i n the r e c o r d are a deed, a Commissioner's r e c o r d , a n d t h e u n a u t h e n t i c a t e d map identified i n note 3, supra. The d e e d s h o w s a 2 0 0 2 t r a n s f e r o f p r o p e r t y t o H e r b e r t H u n t e r , J r . ; i t i n c l u d e s o n l y a metes and bounds d e s c r i p t i o n , b u t i t i d e n t i f i e s t h e a d d r e s s o f t h e g r a n t e e as 1119 H a n n o n Road. The C o m m i s s i o n e r ' s r e c o r d s t a t e s t h a t P a r c e l 70 i s l o c a t e d a t 1119 H a n n o n R o a d a n d i d e n t i f i e s H e r b e r t as t h e owner. The map a p p e a r s t o h a v e b e e n p r e p a r e d l a t e r , perhaps by t h e H u n t e r s ' a t t o r n e y , b e c a u s e i t i n c l u d e s h a n d w r i t t e n n o t e s s t a t i n g : " c l i e n t ' s p r o p L o t 70; p r o p e r t y d e s c r i b e d i n comp. i s 7 0 . 0 2 . " Presumably, " c l i e n t " r e f e r s to the Hunters a n d "comp." r e f e r s t o M o o r i n g ' s c o m p l a i n t i n i t s a c t i o n t o quiet t i t l e .
4

6

1080335 a c t i o n to purchase Mooring's i n t e r e s t i n the property, would Norma "take appropriate stated i n her legal action to obtain Mooring

possession." this ...

affidavit:

" I personally

contacted

law f i r m , within a

[i.e., week

Mooring's we

c o u n s e l , ] f o r my this

mother-in-law and

after

received

letter,

furnished them that that

them w i t h

a l l o f t h e v e r y same i n f o r m a t i o n P a r c e l # was Mooring Norma's different d i d not

showing

t h e Key # and C o u n t y they had." Once or

f r o m t h e one any as

again, denying

submit

evidence to those

confirming

testimony

communications. On July 20, named 2007, Mooring in sued the Rosa and Circuit several Court

fictitiously ("the 2007

defendants

Mobile in an

action"). occupy,

Mooring possess, or

stated claim

i t s complaint: interest in the

"Defendants

p r o p e r t y l o c a t e d a t 1119 more p a r t i c u l a r l y attached. quitclaim the The deed

Hannon Road, M o b i l e , A l a b a m a i n t h e 2002 t a x d e e d , attached a copy of

... , a n d was 2006 from quiet

described"

which the Rosa to

complaint to Mooring.

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