Topic: 2d DCA

Error to enter Summary Judgment while discovery pending – Almond Entertainment, Inc. v. Bayview Loan Servicing, LLC

Bayview Loan filed a commercial foreclosure action against Almond and later moved for summary judgment.  At some point, it is not clear whether it is before or after the MSJ was filed, Almond moved to compel the deposition of Bayview’s corporate representative.  It is also unclear whether that motion to compel was ever ruled on.… Read more

Denial of Fee Award Due to Insufficient Expert Testimony – Raza v. Deutsche Bank

In this foreclosure case, the trial court dismissed the lender’s case for failure to comply with a court order.  The borrower, Raza, moved for prevailing party attorneys’ fees under a flat-fee agreement.  The trial court denied the motion because the expert affidavit failed to state a reasonable number of hours incurred in the case.  The… Read more

Absolute Right to Amend Complaint Until an Answer Is Filed – Williams v. Gaffin Industrial Services

In this wrongful death case, the trial court dismissed the complaint with prejudice on the basis that the plaintiff had previously elected the State’s worker’s compensation remedy, and that this election barred the current claim.  At the hearing on the motion to dismiss, the trial court did not permit the plaintiff to amend the complaint. … Read more

ATOMIC TATTOOS, LLC v. JASON E. MORGAN d/b/a SAINTS & SCHOLARS TATTOOS, 35 Fla. L. Wkly D2033c (Fla. 2d DCA Sept. 10, 2010)

In this non-compete case, a tattoo artist opened a new business less than a year after he had ceased working with his former employer.  The new practice was located about 6 miles from his old employer.  The trial court denied the employer’s motion for temporary injunction despite the defendant’s admission that he had taken a customer… Read more

Addison v. City of Tampa, 35 Fla. L. Wkly D762 (Fla. 2d DCA April 7, 2010)

In this class action, the Plaintiff sued the City of Tampa over the constitutionality of the City’s Occupational License Tax. The Plaintiff then attempted to certify a plaintiffs class of all persons subject to the tax and a defendants class of all municipalities in Florida imposing the tax.  The Trial Court certified each class and the municipalities appealed arguing… Read more

CHRISTIAN N. ZARRA et al. v. KEN BURKE, 35 Fla. L. Weekly D436a (Fla. 2d DCA February 24, 2010)

In this class action case, plaintiffs sued the clerk of court for charging “a reopen fee for cases previously reported as disposed of.”  The trial court dismissed the complaint with prejudice for failure to state a cause of action after two amendments because of “pleading deficiencies.”  The trial court reasoned that a “re-opening fee” could be charged in such… Read more

Hess Corp. v. Denise Grillasca & Kelly Mayzik, 34 Fla. L. Wkly D2629b (Fla. 2d DCA Dec. 23, 2009)

In this consumer class action case, the trial court certified a class against gas stations for failing to provide notice of a temporary hold on customers’ bank accounts after a debit transaction.The appellate court reversed because, under Rule 1.220(b), there were individualized differences among the members of the putative class.The differences included the fact that… Read more