WPC *JcyYoQcow2aJ1 F[A҄Es|?ˏ *їu.J=w; 0QPM9u6WѸ呜 e9Q,d9l %@i &u-/*!sC2),+ΧC}l/Ƴ5\z asblLeSv/E6Q;<צ ]uZ|9ӮٙK}Gqi#v^J9dpA/XKCDe֑LFB9iojo!e0xMV?δ\[ɥũBU.g"\ Ss:F[L wB2xLR.+ 6hTݭ>JN3 }HwdX#˙K? /G|b#\ % ^ # 0/ UN w 4 z  i x mz UN   k 11NEb 0 B 0  D3 D- 0K ASZ 0s 0D A[HP LaserJet 4,,,,,,0)L (`$.8dd8    ("  Z6Times New Roman RegularL-(bk1Xu C:\PROGRA~1\COREL\WORDPE~1\TEMPLATE\CUSTOM~1\REVISE~1.WPTC:\Program Files\Corel\WordPerfect Office 2000\Template\Custom WP Templates\revised standard opinion.wpt3|xU(9 Z6Times New Roman RegularLevel 1Level 2Level 3Level 4Level 5Level 1Level 2Level 3Level 4Level 5Level 1Level 2Level 3Level 4Level 5Level 1Level 2Level 3Level 4Level 5- -(|G2ڢ$ !.8dd8         0  T d(|3 $ !.8dd8     VVVV'dxd)!dxdx( $ Figure  1  ^_X`YE<<CLevel 1Level 2Level 3Level 4Level 5(|3 $ !.8dd8     ($$   1  X[Z&OLE 2.0 Box <=8C HKKKK !.8dd8     _  8XXdd8  @ INTHECOURTOFAPPEALSOFTENNESSEE  @%ATJACKSON# #Ԉ ,   AssignedOnBriefsJuly19,2000 X XX #XX#THE_BOGATIN_ԀLAWFIRM,PLCv._HALLUM_ԀMOTORS,INC.,etal.XX   ` @@ DirectAppealfromtheChanceryCourtforShelbyCounty  h @@No.990383IFloyd_Peete_,Jr.,ChancellorbyInterchange  X @@*AV) ` dE<` A (  @@TTNo.W200000409_COA_ԄR3CVFiledDecember15,_2000_ '  AV) ` dE<` A       X!sXXXAppellee,anArkansascorporation,andAppellant,aDelawarecorporationauthorizedtodobusiness  inArkansasandTennessee,enteredintoanassetsalesagreementforthesaleandpurchaseofassets  relatingtoanautomobiledealershipinWestMemphis,Arkansas.Earnestmoneywasplacedin  escrowwiththe_Bogatin_ԀLawFirm,PLCinMemphis,Tennessee.Disputeconcerningtheassetsales z agreementarose,andbothpartiesmadeclaimtotheearnestmoney.The_Bogatin_ԀLawFirmfileda f complaintforinterpleaderinShelbyCounty,Tennessee.Appelleefiledamotiontodismissbased R uponimpropervenuewhichthetrialcourtgranted.Wereverse,findingthatvenueinShelbyCounty > wasproperandthatAppelleesubmittedtojurisdictioninShelbyCounty,Tennessee.#XXX X!sP##XX#XX *z D Tenn.R.App.P.3AppealasofRight;JudgmentoftheChanceryCourtReversed;and R Remanded  B   #X #XX.DavidR.Farmer,J.,deliveredtheopinionofthecourt,inwhichW.FrankCrawford,P.J.,W.S., " andHollyK.Lillard,J.,joined.  RogerA.Stone,Memphis,Tennessee,fortheappellant,JohnB._Naughton_,Sr.,HoldingCompany,   Inc. !  WilliamL._Hendricks_,Jr.,Memphis,Tennessee,fortheappellee,_Hallum_ԀMotors,Inc. r#" x  OPINION #XX #XX R% $ #XX #  XX X!sXXX  _Hallum_ԀMotors,Inc.(_Hallum_ԀMotors)andJohnB._Naughton_,Sr.,HoldingCompany,Inc. 2'"& (_Naughton_)enteredintoanassetsalesagreement(agreement)whereby_Hallum_ԀMotorsagreedto (n#' purchasefrom_Naughton_ԀcertainassetsassociatedwithaChevroletautomobiledealershiplocated  )Z$( inWestMemphis,Arkansas._Hallum_ԀMotorsisanArkansascorporationdoingbusinessin )F%) Arkansas,and_Naughton_ԀisaDelawarecorporationauthorizedtodobusinessinArkansasand *2&* Tennessee.David_Porteous_ԀofThe_Bogatin_ԀLawFirmwasnamedastheescrowagent,and,pursuant +'+  totheagreement,_Hallum_ԀMotorsdeposited$50,000withThe_Bogatin_ԀLawFirm.Uponreceiptof , (, the$50,000,Mr._Porteous_ԀopenedaninterestbearingsavingsaccountwithFirstTennesseeBankin  Memphis,Tennessee,anddepositedthefundsthere.     Regardingtheescrowarrangement,theagreementprovidedasfollows: t 0  IfBuyershallbeindefaultunderthetermsofthisAgreement,thentheEscrowAgentshall L  paythedownpaymentorearnestmoneytoSeller,andthisAgreementshallthereafterbenull 8  andvoid.IfSellershallbeindefaultunderthetermsofthisAgreement,oriftheconditions $ t precedenttoBuyersobligationtocloseandconsummatethisAgreementcannotbemet,for  ` anyreasonwhatsoever,thentheEscrowAgentshallreturnthe$50,000.00downpayment  L  orearnestmoneytoBuyer,andthisAgreementshallthereafterbenullandvoid.Buyerand  8  SelleragreetoholdharmlessandindemnifytheEscrowAgent,includinganyandallcosts $  andattorneysfeeswhichEscrowAgentmayincur,foranyandallactionsoftheEscrow   AgenttakenordonepursuanttothetermsofthisAgreement. (#(# Mr._Porteous_Ԁreceivedlettersfromboth_Hallum_ԀMotorsand_Naughton_._Hallum_ԀMotorsrequested   Mr._Porteous_Ԁpayitthe$50,000,claimingthattheconditionsprecedenthadnotbeenmet._Naughton_ p claimeditwasduethe$50,000because_Hallum_ԀMotorsbreachedthecontract.The_Bogatin_ԀLaw \ FirmfiledaComplaintforInterpleader,requestingthechancerycourtinShelbyCountytorequire H _Hallum_ԀMotorsand_Naughton_Ԁtosettletheirrightstothe$50,000beingkeptinescrow._Hallum_ 4 Motorsfiledamotiontodismissbasedonimpropervenue.Thetrialcourtgrantedthemotionto  p dismissandorderedthecausetobe transferredtoanArkansascourtwherevenueisproper.  \ Additionally,thetrialcourtorderedthatthe$50,000beingheldinescrowbeplacedwiththe H respectiveArkansasCourtClerkupontherefilingofthematter._Naughton_Ԁappealed,raisingthe 4 issueofwhetherthetrialcourterredindismissingThe_Bogatin_ԀLawFirmsComplaintfor   InterpleaderbaseduponitsfindingthatShelbyCounty,Tennessee,wasnotapropervenueforthis   causeandthatthemattershouldbetransferredtotheproperArkansascourt.    Venueisthepersonalprivilegeofadefendanttobesuedinparticularcounties. Kanev.  Kane ,547S.W.2d559,560(Tenn.1977).BothAppellantandAppelleerelyonsection204101 l oftheTennesseeCodeforthedeterminationofthepropervenueforthisaction.Section204101 X  providesthat [_i]n_Ԁallcivilactionsofatransitorynature,unlessvenueisotherwiseexpressly D! providedfor,theactionmaybebroughtinthecountywherethecauseofactionaroseorinthe 0"  countywherethedefendantresidesorisfound.Tenn.CodeAnn.204101(a)(1994); seealso  #l!  _Romines_Ԁv.K&S_Engg_ԀContractingCo.,Inc. ,556S.W.2d85(Tenn.1977).However,statutory $X" provisionsrequiringthattransitoryactionsbebroughtinthecountyofthedefendantsresidencedo $D # notapplytoactionsinvolvinganonresidentdefendant. See 77Am._Jur_.2d Venue 37(1997). %0!$ Rather,intheabsenceofanyotherstatutoryprovisiondesignatingthecountyinwhichactions &"% againstnonresidentdefendantsaretobebrought,venueisproperinthecountywherethedefendant '#& canbefoundandservedwithprocessorinthecountywherethedefendantmayenteranappearance. (#'  Seeid.;seegenerally  Curtisv.Garrison ,364S.W.2d933(Tenn.1963)(generally,suitsgrowing )$(  outofpersonaldifferencesbetweenlitigants,whetherarisingoutoftortorcontract,followdefendant |*%) andmaybeinstitutedagainsthimwhereverfound); _Harbison_Ԁv.Welch ,258S.W.2d755(Tenn.  1953)(plaintiffmaybringtransitoryactionwhereverdefendantcanbefound).     Venueisproperwhereadefendantcanbefoundandservedwithprocess.Accordingly, t venueisproperin_Crittenden_ԀCounty,Arkansas,because_Hallum_ԀMotorshasitsprincipalplaceof ` businessthereandcanbefoundandservedwithprocessthere.Undoubtedly,however,_Hallum_ L  MotorswasservedwithprocessinShelbyCountysince,priortofilingitsmotiontodismissfor 8  impropervenue,anoticeofappearancewasfiledby_Hallum_ԀMotorsattorneyandaconsentorder $ t wasenteredallowing_Hallum_ԀMotorsadditionaltimetoanswer.Also,_Hallum_ԀMotorsdidnot  ` contestservice.Therefore,venueinShelbyCountyisproper.  L    _Hallum_ԀMotorsappellatebriefcouldbeinterpretedasanargumentbasedonforumnon $  _conveniens_.However,forumnon_conveniens_Ԁwasnotabasisforthemotionfiledinthetrialcourt,   anditwasnotabasisforthetrialcourtsorder.Thus,wedeclinetoaddressthatissuehere.     Thediscretionofthetrialcourtinrulingonamotionforachangeofvenuewillbereversed   whereanabuseofdiscretionplainlyappears.Basedupontheforegoing,thiscourtfindsthatvenue p wasproperinShelbyCounty,Tennessee;hence,thetrialcourterredbydismissingtheinterpleader \ action.Furthermore,thetrialcourterredbytransferringthecasetoArkansas. H p0  [_S]tatutory_Ԁprovisionsforchangeofvenueareintendedtoprovideforachange  p oftheplaceoftrialfromacourtinonecountytothesamekindofcourtin  \ anothercounty;theyarenotdesignedtoauthorizethetransferofanactionfrom H onecourttoanotherdifferentlyorganizedcourtoronepossessingadifferent 4 jurisdiction[.] hh p77Am._Jur_.2d Venue 51(1997). Seegenerally  Smithv.Smith ,518S.W.2d510,511(Tenn.  1975)(findingnoauthoritytotransfercauseofactionfromchancerycourtinMarioncountyto  chancerycourtinDavidsoncounty); InterSouthernLifeIns.Co.v.Pierce ,31S.W.2d692,692  (Tenn.1930)(holdingthatchancerycourtofWashingtoncountydidnothavethepowertotransfer l actiontochancerycourtinGreenecounty). X    Basedupontheforegoing,wefindthatthetrialcourterredingranting_Hallum_ԀMotors 0"  motiontodismissbaseduponimpropervenue.Wereversethetrialcourtsorderandremandthis #l! caseforfurtherproceedingsconsistentwiththisopinion.Thecostsofthisappealaretaxedto $X" _Hallum_ԀMotors,Inc.anditssurety,forwhichexecutionmayissueifnecessary. x  $D # #XXX X!s #   `     h     ___________________________________ ($'    `     h     DAVIDR.FARMER,JUDGE