Johnston v. White-Spunner

Johnston v. White-Spunner, 342 So. 2d 754 (Ala. 1977) related to a boundary dispute that affected sixteen lots in a subdivision. The Johnston court determined that adjusting the boundaries to sixteen lots would affect the owners of all of the lots, and it was error to reapportion the land without having jurisdiction over all parties having an interest in the remaining lots in the subdivision. Id. at 759. By moving the boundaries in their decree, the court held that "owners of that property to the North, to the South, and to the West, upon which the newly established boundary lines impinge, are proper and indispensable parties to this action and must be joined if the decree is not to be void." Id. Thus, joinder of adjacent property owners is necessary in actions that affect title and ownership of the land at issue.