§6-6-591. Right of action and venue - Usurpation, etc., of office or franchise, etc.

(a) An action may be commenced in the name of the state against the party offending in the following cases:

(1) When any person usurps, intrudes into or unlawfully holds or exercises any public office, civil or military, any franchise, any profession requiring a license, certificate, or other legal authorization within this state or any office in a corporation created by the authority of this state;

(2) When any public officer, civil or military, has done or suffered any act by which, under the law, he forfeits his office; or

(3) When any association, or number of persons, acts within this state as a corporation without being duly incorporated.

(b) The judge of the circuit court may direct the action to be commenced when he believes that any of the acts specified in subsection (a) of this section can be proved and it is necessary for the public good, or it may be commenced without the direction of such judge on the information of any person giving security for the costs of the action, to be approved by the clerk of the court in which the action is brought.

(c) An action under this section must be commenced in the circuit court of the county in which the acts are done or suffered or, if to try the right to a corporate office, in the circuit court of the county in which the corporation has its principal office or, if it has no principal office, in any county in which it does business.

(Code 1852, §§2654-2656; Code 1867, §§3082-3084; Code 1876, §§3422-3424; Code 1886, §§3170, 3171; Code 1896, §§3420-3422; Code 1907, §§5453-5455; Code 1923, §§9932-9934; Code 1940, T. 7, §§1136-1138.)