WPC>! # VUDa % 0(4 0l 0Db 1m 0d 0w w@ F 0JN 0T 0^ 0hJ 0r 0|$ 0 0& 1uU,+ 0dWU,B) BDC- AMpU* D3i0 0@v~vW 0* 0 0T 0 0 0 AO 0D D/ B!!HP LaserJet 4Si/4SiMX PS 600dpiPSCRIPT0 8hZ,Century-WP RegularX($D x3|x0 ((3$ !      0  (#$  0   uvwxyz#,37=CIQYag1.a.i.(1)(a)(i)1)a)(<1$26.  0  3  0  (gfi$0  2(6.  0  .  0  3  0` (#(#    ! D" D# $ D% & Ӏ0 2 0Indent123  2" 0Indent20 23  2, 0Indent30 0 23  26 0Indent40 0 0 23  2@ 0Indent50 0 0 0 23  2J 0Indent60 0 0 0 0 23  2T 0Indent70 0 0 0 0 0 23  2^ 0Indent80 0 0 0 0 0 0 23   ?AGMSYaioIndent0I.A.1.a.(1)(a)i)a)<  9p`(ModernP 8Mac DefaultMac Default ` X<  9p`(Monaco% Line 7 d d%%%%7Border 1dd-'C << G<  9p`(Arial&&&&'dxd  !#d#  ))   YYY FILED)XJuly3,1996CecilW.CrowsonAppellateCourtClerk   _ !#d#  $       PursuanttoT.R.C.P.25.04,thenewDepartmentCommissionerMarjorie NellieCardwellwassubstitutedforCommissionerEvelynC.Robertson, Jr.onFebruary14,1995.("$    PtPtHH(FG(HH(d'`Styl{WP}01  HH  2$HH  Geneva  <Px443!#4$*$$*$ KK  Geneva  Geneva .,6 Monaco   BA Op Monaco  BA Op Monaco (b$0  0` (#(#2A   .3  0 ` (#` (#(xr$0  0` (#(#0 ` (#` (#2A(  0  )3  0 (# (#(U$0  0` (#(#0 ` (#` (#0 (# (#2A(  a  )3  0h(#(#(@$0  0` (#(#0 ` (#` (#0 (# (#0h(#(#2A(   )3  0h(#h(#(t$0  0` (#(#0 ` (#` (#0 (# (#0h(#(#0h(#h(#2A  0  )3  0(#(#($0  0` (#(#0 ` (#` (#0 (# (#0h(#(#0h(#h(#0(#(#2A  a  )3  0p(#(#-C<< CLevel 1Level 2Level 3Level 4Level 5($$   1  ' dxdP Pd ! . &$$Xd&#$$Xd#    K   \RA'\7iXXdd7ћINTHECOURTOFAPPEALSOFTENNESSEEWESTERNSECTIONATNASHVILLE  _____________________________________________________________________________JIMMYSPENCER,    DavidsonChanceryNo.941066I       C.A.No.01A019511CH00496 Plaintiff/Appellant,          Hon.IrvinH.Kilcrease,Jr.,ChancellorٜL(+';+'h|\`  `Lߛv.       MARJORIENELLECARDWELL,̜Commissioner,TennesseeDepartment̜ofMentalHealth&MentalRetardation, Defendant/Appellee.R.EDDIEDAVIDSON,Nashville,AttorneyforPetitioner/Appellant.CHARLESW.BURSON,AttorneyGeneral&Reporter,andEUGENIEB.WHITESELL,AssistantAttorneyGeneral,Nashville,AttorneysforDefendant/Appellee. AFFIRMED OpinionFiled:____________________________________________________________________________ TOMLIN,Sr.J.       JimmySpencer( plaintiff)filedacomplaintintheChanceryCourtofDavidsonCountyagainstEvelynC.Robertson,Jr.,CommissioneroftheTennesseeDepartmentofMentalHealthandMentalRetardation(hereinafter Department) ,   כandtheDepartment(collectivelyreferredtoas defendants)seekingadeclaratoryjudgmentonthegroundsthathisdueprocessrightshadbeenviolatedasaresultofhisterminationasacivilserviceemployee.Defendantsfiledananswerandmotiontodismissorinthealternativeforsummaryjudgment,whichwassupportedbyportionsoftwodepositions.Thechancellorgranteddefendantsmotion,holdingthatthestatehadnotwaiveditssovereignimmunity,andthatthecourtlackedsubjectmatterjurisdictiontoentertainplaintiffssuit.PlaintiffssoleissueonappealiswhethertheϜchancellorerredindismissinghiscomplaint.Wefindnoerrorandaffirm.̛̜ PlaintiffwasemployedasanaccountclerkattheDepartmentscentralofficeinNashville.ByaletterdatedOctober18,1993,theCommissioneradvisedplaintiffthathewasbeingtransferred,effectiveimmediately,totheDepartmentsCloverBottomDevelopmentalCenterinDonelson.PlaintiffwasinstructedtoreporttoworkatCloverBottomthefollowingday.ThisletterwashanddeliveredtoplaintiffonOctober18.Plaintiffdraftedagrievanceregardingtheproposedtransferonthatsamedate,whichhehaddeliveredtotheCommissionerthefollowingday. OnOctober19,1993,theCommissionersentplaintiffaletterbycertifiedmailadvisinghimthatthetransferwasnota grievablematter.TheCommissionerfurtheradvisedplaintiffthatifhefailedtoreporttoworkatCloverBottomwithinthreedaysafterreceiptoftheletter,plaintiffwouldbeconsideredashavingresigned. PlaintiffreceivedtheCommissionersletteronOctober27,1993.Onthatsamedate,plaintiffadvisedDonBarrie,thedirectorofpersonnelatCloverBottom,byphonethathewouldnotbereportingtoCloverBottomuntilhisgrievancewasaddressedandthatifBarriewished,heshouldassignedthepositiontosomeoneelse.PlaintiffdidnotappearatCloverBottomattheappointedtimetobeginhisemployment.ByletterdatedOctober28,1993,mailedtoplaintiffbycertifiedmailonOctober29,1993,theCommissionerconfirmedplaintiffsresignation.Theletterreadsinpertinentpartasfollows:8 ThisletterservestoconfirmyourresignationfromthisdepartmenteffectiveOctober28,1993.OnOctober27,1993,youinformedDr.DonBarrie,DirectorofPersonnel,atCloverBottomDevelopmentalCenter,thatyouwouldnotbereportingtoworkthere.Thissuitfollowed. Becausedefendantsmotionwassupportedbydepositions,thiscourt,asdidthechancellor,treatsthisasamatterofsummaryjudgment.Inrulingonmotionsforsummaryjudgment,boththetrialcourtandthiscourtmustconsiderthemotioninthesamemannerasamotionfordirectedverdictmadeatthecloseofplaintiffsproof"i.e.,wemustviewallaffidavitsanddepositionsinalightmostfavorabletothenonmovingparty,allowallreasonableinferencesinfavorofthatpartyanddiscardallcountervailingevidence.Ifaftersodoing,adisputedissueofmaterialfactismadeoutoranydoubtastotheconclusionstobedrawnfromthatfact,themotionmustbedenied.Byrdv.Hall,847S.W.2d208,21011(Tenn.1993). Theruleofsovereignimmunityinthisstateisbothconstitutionalandstatutory.ArticleI,Section17oftheTennesseeConstitutionprovidesinpartthat SuitsmaybebroughtagainsttheStateinsuchamannerandinsuchcourtsastheLegislaturemaybylawdirect.Thissectionhasbeeninterpretedasagrantofsovereignimmunitytothestate,and,accordingly,nosuitagainsttheStatemaybesustainedabsentexpressauthorizationfromtheLegislature.Coffmanv.CityofPulaski,220Tenn.642,422S.W.2d429(1967). TheLegislaturecodifiedthisconstitutionalprohibitioninT.C.A.2013102(a)(1994),whichreadsasfollows:8 Nocourtinthestateshallhaveanypower,jurisdiction,orauthoritytoentertainanysuitagainstthestate,oragainstanyofficerofthestateactingbyauthorityofthestate,withaviewtoreachthestate,itstreasury,funds,orproperty,andallsuchsuitsshallbedismissedastothestateorsuchofficers,onmotion,plea,ordemurrerofthelawofficerofthestate,orcounselemployedforthestate. InthecaseofStateexrel.Allenv.Cook,171Tenn.605,106S.W.2d858,860(1937),thesupremecourtstated:8 Article1,Section17,oftheConstitutiondelegatingtotheLegislaturethepowertoauthorizesuitsagainstthestate,beinginderogationofthestatesinherentexemptionfromsuit,mustitselfbestrictlyconstrued;hencelegislationauthorizingsuitsagainstthestatemuststrictlypursuetheconstitutionalrequirements,andbesoplain,clear,andunmistakableinitsprovisionsastothemannerandforminwhichsuchsuitsmaybebroughtastoleavenothingtosurmiseorconjecture.Id. PlaintiffbroughtthisactionundertheDeclaratoryJudgmentActassetoutinT.C.A.2914101to113(1980&Supp.1995).Hespecificallyaskedforadeclaratoryjudgmentunder2914103(1980),assertingthathisdueprocessrightshadbeenviolatedbytheCommissionersdecisionthathehadvoluntarilyresignedfromhisemployment.T.C.A.2914103readsasfollows:8 2914103.Constructionofstatutesandwritteninstruments ."Anypersoninterestedunderadeed,will,writtencontract,orotherwritingsconstitutingacontract,orwhoserights,status,orotherlegalrelationsareaffectedbyastatute,municipalordinance,contract,orfranchise,mayhavedeterminedanyquestionofconstructionorvalidityarisingundertheinstrument,statute,ordinance,contract,orfranchiseandobtainadeclarationorrights,statusorotherlegalrelationsthereunder. AlthoughplaintiffconcedesinhisbriefthatT.C.A.2013102(a)prohibitscertainactionsagainstthestate,plaintiffattemptstodistinguishthereliefheseeksfromthetypesofreliefmentionedinthestatutebystatingthathe isnotseekingtogetattheStatestreasury,fundsorproperty.Rather,hecontendsthatheissimplyaskingthetrialcourttoholdthattheCommissionerwaswithoutauthoritytoimposea voluntaryresignationuponhim.AlthoughT.C.A.2914102(a)doesprovidethat Courtsofrecordwithintheirrespectivejurisdictionsshallhavethepowertodeclarerights,status,andotherlegalrelationswhetherornotfurtherreliefisorcouldbeclaimed,oursupremecourtinNorthernTelecom,Inc.v.Taylor,781S.W.2d837,839(Tenn.1989),certdenied496U.S.905(1990),statedthattheabovequotedlanguageϜsimplygivescourtsofrecordthepowertorenderdeclaratoryjudgments withintheirrespectivejurisdictions. InHillv.Beeler,286S.W.2d868,871(Tenn.1956),oursupremeϜcourtinterpretedT.C.A.2013102asprohibitingthecourtsofthisstatefromentertainingadeclaratoryjudgmentactionagainstastateofficer.TheHillcourtstated:8 TheDeclaratoryJudgmentAct[T.C.A.2914101to113]doesnotpermitthefilingofasuitagainsttheStatetoconstruestatutessoitseemstousthatthereisnoauthorityforthesuitbutthat[T.C.A.2013102]expresslyforbidssuchanaction.ThisruleasannouncedinHillhasbeenrepeatedlyaffirmedbyour͜supremecourt.SeeL.L.Bean,Incv.Bracey,817S.W.2d292,297(Tenn.1991);NorthernTelecom,Inc.,781S.W.2dat840;seealsoAmericanCanCo.v.McCanless,193S.W.2d86,90(Tenn.1946). Plaintiffscontentionthathissuitisnotprecludedbecauseitisnotbroughtwithaviewtoreachthestatestreasury,funds,orpropertyasprohibitedbyT.C.A.2013102(a)iswithoutmerit.Thiscourthaspreviouslyheldthatthiscodesectionbarsnotonlysuitswithaviewtoreachstatefunds,butalsosuits withaviewtoreachthestateitself.ϜGreenhillv.Carpenter,718S.W.2d268,272(Tenn.App.1986). Accordingly,thejudgmentofthechancellorisaffirmed.Costsinthiscauseonappealaretaxedtoplaintiff,forwhichexecutionmayissueifnecessary.Ӏ      ________________________________________      TOMLIN,Sr.J.      ________________________________________      CRAWFORD,ϜP.J.   (CONCURS)      ________________________________________      LILLARD,J.   (CONCURS)