Ex Parte Engineering Design Group, LLC, and David Stovall. (in Re Delaney Exchange, LLC, and Springdale Stores…

Summary

The court held that the interest-of-justice prong of Alabama's forum non conveniens statute required transfer of the plaintiffs' action from St. Clair County to Shelby County. Although venue was proper in St. Clair County because of a defendant's residence and a dissolved defendant's former principal place of business, the alleged design, construction, supervision, testing, dam failure, and property-related damages were substantially connected to Shelby County. The court therefore granted mandamus and directed the trial court to transfer the action. Moore, C.J., dissenting, would have denied mandamus because the trial court's refusal to transfer was not arbitrary or capricious.