Pace v. UTILITIES BD. OF CITY OF FOLEY

Decision Date05 November 1999
Citation752 So.2d 510
PartiesRobert Ashley PACE, Jr., et al. v. The UTILITIES BOARD OF the CITY OF FOLEY.
CourtAlabama Court of Civil Appeals

W. Donald Bolton, Jr., and Oliver J. Latour, Jr., Foley, for appellants. Warren C. Herlong, Jr., and Joseph D. Steadman of Helmsing, Sims & Leach, P.C., Mobile, for appellee.

YATES, Judge.

On January 28, 1998, the Utilities Board of the City of Foley ("the Board"), sued Robert Ashley Pace, Jr., Katherine Ann Pace, Janice Pace Reeves, and Blackwater Ranch, Inc. (hereinafter collectively referred to as "Pace"), in the Probate Court of Baldwin County, seeking the condemnation of certain lands owned by Pace for use as a perpetual easement and substation site. In May 1998, the commissioners appointed by the probate court to determine the amount of compensation due to Pace filed their report, fixing the amount of compensation at $46,273. On June 11, 1998, the probate court entered a judgment in that amount and ordered condemnation of the property.

On July 8, 1998, Pace filed a notice of appeal in the Circuit Court of Baldwin County, seeking a trial de novo of the issues, pursuant to § 18-1A-283, Ala.Code 1975. Thereafter, on July 15, 1998, Pace filed the same notice of appeal in the probate court. On August 6, 1998, the Board moved the circuit court to dismiss the appeal as untimely. The court denied the Board's motion on September 22, 1998. Following an ore tenus proceeding, the court, on January 27, 1999, entered an order purporting to affirm the condemnation of the lands by the probate court. Pace appealed. This case was transferred to this court by the supreme court, pursuant to § 12-2-7(6), Ala.Code 1975.

The Board argues that Pace's appeal from the probate court to the circuit court was untimely and that this appeal should, therefore, be dismissed. It is well settled law that "`jurisdictional matters are of such magnitude that we take notice of them at any time and do so even ex mero motu.'" Singleton v. Graham, 716 So.2d 224, 225 (Ala.Civ.App.1998) (citation omitted). Section 18-1A-283, Ala.Code 1975, specifically provides:

"Any of the parties may appeal from the order of condemnation to the circuit court of the county within 30 days from the making of the order of condemnation by filing in the probate court rendering that judgment a written notice of appeal,... and on such appeal, the trial shall be de novo, and it shall be necessary to send up the proceedings only as to the parties appearing or against whom an appeal is taken."

(Emphasis added.) "The requirements of § 18-1-20 [now § 18-1A-283] [are] mandatory and jurisdictional." Housing Authority of the City of Decatur v. McRae, 421 So.2d 133 (Ala.Civ.App.1982)

. Failure to perfect an appeal in accordance with § 18-1A-283 deprives the circuit court of jurisdiction to hear the appeal. Ex parte City of Irondale, 686 So.2d 1127 (Ala.1996). The record indicates that Pace's notice of appeal from the probate court's order of condemnation was filed and date-stamped in the circuit court at 2:46 p.m. on July 8, 1998. This was 27 days after the probate court had entered its order of June 11, 1998. Subsequently, the same notice of appeal was filed and date-stamped in the probate court at 2:50 p.m. on July 15, 1998. This was done 34 days after the probate court had entered its...

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15 cases
  • Kyles v. Kyles
    • United States
    • Alabama Court of Civil Appeals
    • January 29, 2016
    ...matters are of such magnitude that we take notice of them at any time and do so even ex mero motu. ’ ” Pace v. Utilities Bd. of Foley, 752 So.2d 510, 511 (Ala.Civ.App.1999) (quoting Singleton v. Graham, 716 So.2d 224, 225 (Ala.Civ.App.1998) ). We also note that an untimely filed notice of a......
  • Parker v. Parker
    • United States
    • Alabama Court of Civil Appeals
    • June 23, 2006
    ...matters are of such magnitude that we take notice of them at any time and do so even ex mero motu.'" Pace v. Utilities Bd. of Foley, 752 So.2d 510, 511 (Ala.Civ.App.1999) (quoting Singleton v. Graham, 716 So.2d 224, 225 (Ala.Civ.App. 1998)). We also note that an untimely filed notice of app......
  • Zeanah v. Stewart Animal Clinic, PC
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    • Alabama Court of Civil Appeals
    • November 5, 1999
    ... ... See § 25-5-110(4), Ala. Code 1975; Young v. City of Huntsville, 342 So.2d 918 (Ala.Civ.App.1976), cert. denied, 342 So.2d ... ...
  • Ala. Power Co. v. Armstrong (Ex parte Ala. Power Co.)
    • United States
    • Alabama Supreme Court
    • March 2, 2018
    ...than 30 days after appealable order was entered), or a notice of appeal filed in the wrong court, see, e.g., Pace v. Utilities Bd. of Foley, 752 So.2d 510, 511 (Ala. Civ. App. 1999) (holding that "a notice of appeal filed in the circuit court within the 30–day period will not suffice to per......
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