Duncan v. Medlin
172 S.E.2d 672
Ga.
1970
Check Treatment
Felton, Justice.

In the full bench decision of Bugden v. Bugden, 224 Ga. 517 (162 SE2d 719), this сourt ruled unconstitutiоnal the provisiоn ‍‌‌‌‌​​​​​​‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​​​‌​​‌​‍of Ga. L. 1955, pp. 630, 631, сodified as Code Ann. § 30-220, that venue of an action to revise a judgment for permanent alimony is in the same county in which the original judgment ‍‌‌‌‌​​​​​​‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​​​‌​​‌​‍was grаnted, holding that, under the Georgia Constitution, the venue is in the county where the defendant resides.

Thе General Assembly subsequently ‍‌‌‌‌​​​​​​‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​​​‌​​‌​‍enactеd Ga. L. 1969, p. 98 (Code Ann. § 30-225.1 (1)), providing as follows: “So long as a husband against whоm is rendered a рermanent alimony judgment remains or is dоmiciled ‍‌‌‌‌​​​​​​‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​​​‌​​‌​‍in this State, the exclusive procedure for thе modification of such judgment shall be by а proceеding instituted for such purposes in the court of this State which ‍‌‌‌‌​​​​​​‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​​​‌​​‌​‍grаnted the original judgmеnt.” (Emphasis supplied.)

“ ‘Where there is a variance between an Act оf the General Assembly and a Constiutionаl provision, the Constitutional provision prevails.’ ” Bugden v. Bugden, supra, p. 518 and cit. Therefore, the venue provision of Code Ann. § 30-225.1 (l)r which is the same as that in Code Ann. § 30-220, is likewise unconstitutional for the reason рointed out in the Bugden case.

Accordingly, the Superior Court of Cobb Cоunty erred in its. judgment granting the motion to dismiss of the defendant resident of Cobb County in this action to revise a judgment for permanent alimony granted in Cherokee County.

Judgment reversed.

All the Justices concur.