No. 27927 (Aug. 31, 2009)
Opinion pdf
OPINION OF THE COURT BY FUJISE, J.
This case arises out of the award of a capital improvements contract to a general contractor without certain specialty licenses. It comes before this court to review the judgment and order entered by the Circuit Court of the First Circuit (circuit court) ruling that it lacked jurisdiction over the matter.
. . . .
Plaintiffs challenge, in their single point on appeal, the circuit court's ruling that Plaintiffs were required to exhaust their administrative remedies under HRS Chapter 444 before bringing the instant lawsuit and, as Plaintiffs had not done so, the circuit court lacked jurisdiction to consider Plaintiffs' case. "A trial court's dismissal for lack of subject matter jurisdiction is a question of law, reviewable de novo." Casumpang v. ILWU, Local 142, 94 Hawai‘i 330, 337, 13 P.3d 1235, 1242 (2000).
. . . .
The April 11, 2006 Final Judgment of the Circuit Court of the First Circuit is hereby affirmed. [footnote omitted]
