pro-art dental lab v. v-strategic

8/9/2019 Pro-Art Dental Lab v. v-Strategic

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Pro-Art Dental Lab v. V-Strategic Group, 986 So.2d 12 !"la., 2##8$

986 So.2d 1244

PRO-ART DENTAL LAB, INC., etc., Petitioner,

.

!-STRATE"IC "RO#P, LLC, etc., Re$%ondent.

No. SC&'-1(9'.

S)%re*e Co)rt o+ orid.

/)0 1&, 2&&8.986 So.2d 1243

David H. Charlip of Charlip Law Group,LC, Hollywood, FL, and Eric A. Jacobs of EricA. Jacobs, P.A., Hollywood, FL, for Peiioner.

Crai! "arne and Cory #. Eichhorn ofGreenber! $rauri!, P.A., For Lauderdale, FL,for %esponden.

LE#&', J.

$his case is before he Cour for review ofhe decision of he Fourh Disric Cour ofAppeal in Pro-Art Dental Lab, Inc. v. V-Strategic Group, LLC,()( 'o.*d +) -Fla. hDCA *//+0, in which he

1(23 'o.*d 4*35

Fourh Disric cerified conflic wih hedecision of he Fifh Disric Cour of Appeal inCrocker v. Diland Corp.,)( 'o.*d 4/(3 -Fla.

)h DCA 4((*0. $he cerified conflic involveshe ineracion of su66ary proceedin!s underchaper )4, Florida 'aues -*//30, and Florida%ule of Civil Procedure 4.)//-c0.4See Pro-Art,()( 'o.*d a +)37)+. #e have and e8ercise our9urisdicion o resolve his conflic. See ar. :,secion -b0-0, Fla. Cons. For he reasonse8plained below, we ;uash he decision of heFourh Disric in Pro-Art and approve hedecision of he Fifh Disric in Crocker.

I. BAC"RO#ND

$his case se6s fro6 a procedurallyconvolued co66ercial landlord7enan dispuebeween he plainiff7responden, :7'rae!icGroup, LLC -landlord0, and he defendan7peiioner, Pro7Ar Denal Lab, &nc. -enan0. $herenal propery is locaed a *4/4 EasHallandale "each "oulevard, 'uie /*,Hallandale, Florida -


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*0 Pro7Ar would a!ree o an earlyer6inaion of is lease -which, as e8ended,would no e8pire unil */440.

0 :7'rae!ic would pay Pro7Ar (),///as consideraion for he early er6inaion to be

depoited in t"e trut account o# Pro-Art$counel until Pro-Art vacated t"e pre!ie.

0 :7'rae!ic and Pro7Ar would eache8ecue !eneral releases of he oher wih re!ardo he Hallandale lease.

1(23 'o.*d 4*+5

$his leer fro6 counsel concluded bysain! ha


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secion *3./4*-*0-f0, Florida 'aues -*//30,vess circui cours, not couny cours, wihe8clusive ori!inal 9urisdicion o eneraine9ec6en acions and -*0 he 6ode of procedurewas i6proper because secion )4./44=s su66aryprocedure does not apply o e9ec6en acions

under chaper 33, Florida 'aues -*//30.

@n April *2, *//3, he couny courconduced a hearin! on Pro7Ar=s 6oion odis6iss. Durin! he hearin!, counsel for :7'rae!ic orally 6oved for defaul based on Pro7Ar=s alle!ed failure o co6ply wih he five7dayresponse period of secion )4./44-40. A heconclusion of he hearin!, he couny courorally denied Pro7Ar=s 6oion o dis6iss andindicaed ha he 6andaory five7day responseperiod liely re;uired he enry of defaul

a!ains Pro7Ar. >everheless, he cour allowedPro7Ar hree days o prepare a response o :7'rae!ic=s ore tenu 6oion for defaul.&66ediaely followin! he April *2 hearin!,Pro7Ar filed an answer and a series ofaffir6aive defenses, which included a denial of:7'rae!ic=s clai6 ha a valid lease7er6inaiona!ree6en e8iss in his case. $he answer wouldhave been i6ely under he Florida %ules ofCivil Procedure, %"ic" apply during e/ect!entaction. See Fla. %. Civ. P. 4.4/-a0-*0-esablishin! a 4/7day response period for

service of an answer afer a cour=s rulin! on a6oion o dis6iss0.

@n ?ay 4, *//3, he couny cour held ahearin! on :7'rae!ic=s 6oion for defaul. Pro7Ar renewed is conenion ha he couny courlaced sub9ec76aer 9urisdicion o eneraine9ec6en acions. #ihou noice o eiher of heparies, he couny cour ua pontea6ended :7'rae!ic=s co6plain by findin! ha ove6ber *+, *//3, he circui couraffir6ed he order and 9ud!6en of he counycour. &n inerprein! he couny cour=s va!ue9urisdicional findin!s, he circui cour held ha-40 even hou!h :7'rae!ic=s co6plain was

specifically desi!naed and specifically sou!he9ec6en, i funcionally sou!h re6oval of aenan under secion 2.*4, Florida 'aues-*//30, raher han e9ec6en under chaper 33-despie he fac ha he su66ons andco6plain e8plicily sou!h e/ect!entand neverreferred o secion 2.*40B -*0 secion 2.*4per6is resor o he su66ary procedureprovided in secion )4./44B and -0 secions

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2.*4 and ./44, Florida 'aues -*//30, vescouny cours wih sub9ec76aer 9urisdicion oenerain enan7re6oval acions.

Pro7Ar hen filed a peiion for wri ofceriorari in he Fourh Disric Cour of Appeal,

which denied he peiion and held ha


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acions 6ay cerainly be si6ilar in so6erespecs, a nu6ber of heir pleadin!re;uire6ens differ,

1(23 'o.*d 4*)45

as 6ay he foru6 in which he plainiff isre;uired file he appropriae co6plain.

For purposes of his decision, here are worelevan disincions beween hese causes ofacion. Firs, e9ec6en acions are sub9ec o hee8clusive ori!inal 9urisdicion of Florida=scircuit cours, while county cours !enerallypossess sub9ec76aer 9urisdicion in unlawful7deainer and enan7re6oval acions -sub9ec oheir a6oun7in7conroversy li6i0. Co!parear.:, */-c0-0, Fla. Cons., and *3./4*-*0-f0,Fla. 'a. -*//30 -vesin! circui cours wihe8clusive ori!inal 9urisdicion in e9ec6enacions0, %it" ./44-407-*0, Fla. 'a. -*//30-vesin! couny cours wih concurren9urisdicion in enan7re6oval acions ande8clusive ori!inal 9urisdicion in unlawful7deainer acions if wihin he couny7coura6oun7in7conroversy li6i0. 'econd, hesu66ary procedure of secion )4./44 appliesdurin! an unlawful7deainer or enan7re6ovalacion bu does no apply durin! an e9ec6enacion. Co!pare 2*./-40, Fla. 'a. -*//30-sain! ha secion )4./44 applies o unlawful7deainer acions0, and 2.*4, Fla. 'a. -*//30-sain! ha secion )4./44 applies o enan7re6oval acions0, %it"ch. 33, Fla. 'a. -*//30-never 6enionin! secion )4./44 e8plicily oroherwise0.

Given he facs of his case, and assu6in!co6pliance wih he a6oun7in7conroversyre;uire6en, :7'rae!ic could have filed eiheran e9ec6en acion in circuit court,an unlawful7deainer acion in county court, or a enan7re6oval acion in county court. See *3./4*-*0

-f0, ./44, Fla. 'a. -*//30Bee alo 33./*4-e9ec6en0, 2*./7./) -unlawful deainer0,2.*/7.*4-enan re6oval or evicion0, Fla. 'a.-*//30B Fla. %. Civ. P. For6s 4.(/ -e9ec6enco6plain0, 4.(2 -unlawful7deainer co6plain0,4.(+ -evicion co6plain0B2ailey v. 2ailey,44'o.*d 2/, 2/) -Fla. 4s DCA 4()(0 -oulinin!he ele6ens of an e9ec6en clai60BPartridge v.Partridge, (/ 'o.*d 344, 34 n. * -Fla. h

DCA *//30 -subsanially si6ilar0B Glover,upra ./7./) -describin! e9ec6en,unlawful deainer, and enan re6oval0.2

>owihsandin! is apparen abiliy o file anunlawful7deainer or enan7re6oval clai6 incouny cour, :7'rae!ic did no do so and,

insead, specifically desi!naed he clai6 andfiled papers as a sui in


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Confor6 wih he Evidence


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court to be clairvoyant in acertaining t"enature o# t"e clai!.< -e6phasis supplied00.

&n su6, :7'rae!ic=s specific ;e/ect!ent;su66ons and specific ;e/ect!ent; co6plainfailed o provide Pro7Ar wih noice ha i faced

-40 a chaper 2 enan7re6oval acion and -*0 analered i6e period for ha disinc, non7pledcause of acion. $he couny cour=s ua ponte,oral a6end6en of he co6plain durin! hehearin! on Pro7Ar=s ?oion o Dis6iss for Lacof 'ub9ec7?aer Jurisdicion hus violaed Pro7Ar=s ri!h o procedural due process and is ri!ho see 6eanin!ful relief in he cours of his'ae. Seear. &, (, *4, Fla. Cons. Due o hisi6proper,ua pontea6end6en, Pro7Ar faceda procedural 6echanis6 which is forei!n oe9ec6en acions -secion )4./44, Florida

'aues -*//300 and, as a resul, suffered anunwarraned defaul 9ud!6en when i was readyo defend a!ains his acion a pled in :7'rae!ic=s e9ec6en co6plain. C#. o. 'C/37**44, KKK 'o.*d a KKK -Fla. July 4/, *//20-addressin! cerified7conflic issuenowihsandin! he fac ha a cenral piece ofdocu6enary evidence, which he disric cour6isapprehended, could have avoided conflic0.?oreover, i is i6poran o clarify and resolvehis conflic for he cours and praciioners ofhis 'ae.

$herefore, we 6us address wheher Florida%ule of Civil Procedure 4.)//-c0 applies durin!

chaper )4 su66ary proceedin!s. As e8plainedin he followin! analysis, we conclude ha hisrule of procedure does apply o cases filedpursuan o chaper )4 unless he saue creain!he cause of acion specifically saes oherwise.

$he procedures provided in chaper )4 andhe Florida Co66ercial Landlord7$enan Ac-i.e., par & of chaper 2, Florida 'aues

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-*//300 are li6ied in heir naure and scope.$herefore, i is no surprisin! ha secion )4./44 he only secion in chaper )4 e8presslysaes ha he


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cour and he defendan was not eniled o anauo6aic defaul.

&n conras, in Pro-Art, he Fourh Disricheld ha secions )4./44 and 2.*4, Florida'aues -*//30, eli6inae all for6s of 6oion

pracice and 6andae he enry of aninsananeous defaul wihou opporuniy obe heard if a defendan does no serve aresponsive pleadin! wihin five days of havin!received he plainiff=s co6plain

"y is plain lan!ua!e, secion )4./44-40re;uires defendans o file all defenses of law orfac in an answer wihin five days of bein!served. $hus, in a su66ary proceedin!, a6oion o dis6iss does no oll he i6e o file ananswerB t"e proper !et"od o# raiing de#ene

uually aerted in a !otion to di!i i toincorporate t"e! in an an%er.

2y not #iling it an%er %it"in #ive day o#being erved, t"e tenant in t"e intant cae

%aived it additional de#ene. Accordin!ly,afer denyin! he 1(23 'o.*d 4*)35 enan=s6oion o dis6iss, he rial cour properlyacceped he alle!aions in he landlord=sco6plain as rue14/5 and appropriaely enered afinal 9ud!6en for possession in favor of helandlord. ()( 'o.*d a +)3 -e6phasis supplied0.

'ecion )4./44-40 provides as follows -assupple6ened by our braceed noaions0

Pleadin!s. Plainiff=s iniial pleadin!shall conain he 6aers re;uired by he saueor rule prescribin! his secion or, if none is sore;uired, shall sae a cause of acion. Allde#ene o# la% or #act "all be contained inde#endant$ an%er %"ic" "all be #iled %it"in day a#ter ervice o# proce 1Florida %ule ofCivil Procedure 4.4/-b0 conains subsaniallysi6ilar lan!ua!e ;7very de#ene in la% or #act

to a clai! #or relie# in a pleading "all beaerted in t"e reponive pleading;5. &f heanswer incorporaes a counerclai6, plainiffshall include all defenses of law or fac in his orher answer o he counerclai6 and shall serve iwihin ) days afer service of he counerclai6.>o oher pleadin!s are per6ied 1rule 4.4//-a0conains subsanially si6ilar lan!ua!e ;>oot"er pleading "all be allo%ed;5.All de#enive

!otion, including !otion to 4ua", "all be"eard by t"e court prior to trial1he saue huse8plicily cone6plaes o!e #or! 1(23 'o.*d4*)+5 o# !otion practice@ furher his lan!ua!eis si6ilar o ha of rule 4.4/-d0 5.

-E6phasis supplied.0 $he plain e8 of hesaue does not 6andae he holdin! of heFourh Disric in Pro-Art. $he Le!islaurelar!ely borrowed lan!ua!e fro6 he %ules ofCivil Procedure and si6ply alered he re;uiredi6e for respondin! o a pleadin! -five daysinsead of he nor6al en or weny affordedunder rule 4.4/-a0-407-00. ?oreover, heLe!islaure did no define wih precision hedivide, if any, ha i envisioned beween hedefenses a pary 6us asser in his or her answeras opposed o hose ha are !enerally per6ied

under he 6oion pracice oulined in rule4.4/-b0, -c0, -e0, and -f0, 6any of which areliely per6issible


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supplied00Bee alo 2lack$ La% Dictionary+++7+2 -2h ed.*//0 -definin! he !enerallyillusraive pariciple


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'ecion )4./44 si6ply does no conain anylan!ua!e providin! for insananeous defauls.Any aleraion hereof should no be by 9udicialdecision.

>eiher secion )4./44, par & of chaper 2,

nor he %ules of Civil Procedure e8plicily saeha rule 4.)//-c0 does no apply o secion 2.*4enan7re6oval acionsB herefore, his ruleshould apply in his cone8. See )4./44, Fla.'a. -*//30B Fla. %. Civ. P. 4./4/ ed. c6. -CE, C.J., and A>'$EAD, J., concur.

#ELL', J., concurs in resul only wih anopinion, in which CA>$E%@, J., concurs.

"ELL, J., concurs in resul only.

PA%&E>$E, J., recused.

777777777777777

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>oes

4. $his case involves he *//3 version of he Florida%ules of Civil Procedure.

*. For his reason, and ohers e8pressed hrou!houhis opinion, we are undersandably concerned wih

he issue of wheher an enforceable lease7er6inaiona!ree6en e8iss in his case. However, his is a;uesion bes addressed by he paries and heappropriae rial cour ha 6i!h consider hisdispue.

. Pro7Ar=s alle!ed couner7offer saed ha :7'rae!ic would deposi he (),/// in he rusaccoun of Pro7Ar=s counsel pendin! er6inaion ofhe leaseB whereas, :7'rae!ic=s alle!ed accepanceof he couner7offer indicaed ha :7'rae!ic wouldno ransfer he funds unil Pro7Ar vacaed heHallandale propery.

. Pro7Ar coninued o rea he ori!inal lease asvalid and coninued payin! ren unil i was evicedfro6 he Hallandale propery on ?ay , *//3. $herehas never been an alle!aion of failure o pay ren inhis case.

). :7'rae!ic abandoned is clai6 for da6a!es onlyafer co66ence6en of he couny7cour hearin! onPro7Ar=s ?oion o Dis6iss for Lac of 'ub9ec7?aer Jurisdicion. $his was liely due o he facha :7'rae!ic was be!innin! o realie he e8en ofhe 9urisdicional and procedural defecs presen in isco6plain. For e8a6ple, even assu6in! ha :7

'rae!ic had ori!inally inended o plead a enan7re6oval acion under chaper 2, Florida 'aues, iwould have been re;uired o plead separae counsfor possession and da6a!es, and t"e da!age count%ould "ave been ub/ect to t"e general :ule o# Civil

Procedure in t"eir entirety, notsecion )4./44. See2.*4, Fla. 'a. -*//30 -5o 6oney 9ud!6en6ay be enered e0cept in co!pliance %it" t"e

3lorida :ule o# Civil Procedure.< -e6phasissupplied00B Ca!ena Inv. 6 Prop. 9g!t. Corp. v.Cro, +(4 'o.*d )(), )(3 -Fla. d DCA *//40-subsanially si6ilar0. Apparenly realiin! his fac,:7'rae!ic dropped is de6and for da6a!es. $he

record does no indicae ha :7'rae!ic provided anyadvance noice of is inen o abandon is da6a!esclai6.

3. &nervenin! 'aurdays, 'undays, and le!al holidaysdo no coun oward he five7day li6i under secion)4./44. See 2erry v. Cle!ent, 3 'o.*d 4/), 4/3-Fla. *d DCA 4(++0 -holdin! ha secion )4./44 doesno provide a i6e7co6puaion procedureB herefore,Florida %ule of Civil Procedure 4./(/-a0 applies,

which saes ha


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-Fla. h DCA 4((+0 -o etate or interetof freehold, or#or a ter! o#!ore t"an + year,or any uncerain ineres of, in orou of any 6essua!es, lands, tene!ent orheredia6ens "all be creaed, 6ade, !raned,tran#erred or releaedin any oher 6anner t"an byintru!ent in %riting, igned in t"e preence o# t%o

ubcribing %itnee by t"e partycreain!, 6ain!,!ranin!, conveyin!, ransferrin! or releasin! suchesae, ineres, or er6 of 6ore han 4 year, or by hepary=s a!en hereuno lawfully auhoried, unless bywill and esa6en, or oher esa6enaryappoin6en, duly 6ade accordin! o lawB and noetate or interet, eiher of freehold, or o# ter! o#

!ore t"an + year,or any uncerain ineres of, in, oor ou of any 6essua!es, lands, ene6ens orheredia6ens, "all be aigned or urrenderedunle it be by intru!ent igned in t"e preence o#

t%o ubcribing %itnee by t"e party o aigningor urrendering, or by he pary=s a!en hereunolawfully auhoried, or by he ac and operaion oflaw. >o seal shall be necessary o !ive validiy o anyinsru6en e8ecued in confor6iy wih his secion.Corporation !ay convey in accordance %it" t"e

proviion o# t"i ection or in accordance %it" t"e

proviion o# . ).*+ and ).*) 'providing #or

e0ecution by a##i0ation o# corporate eal and t"eignature o# certain e0ecutive o##icer(.

Id.-e6phasis supplied0.

44. &n Green v. Sun 8arbor 8o!eo%ner$Aociation, Inc.,+/ 'o.*d 4*34, 4*3 -Fla. 4((20,his Cour relied upon rule 4.4//-a0 in holdin! hawhile


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pro-art dental lab v. v-strategic

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