MORRIS LAPIDUS, D/B/A MORRIS LAPIDUS ASSOCIATES, APPELLANT,
v.
CITIZENS FEDERAL SAVINGS AND LOAN ASSOCIATION, A UNITED STATES CORPORATION, APPELLEE
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An architect challenges a jury verdict in favor of a savings and loan association, arguing he should receive a setoff or credit for amounts the plaintiff settled with his co-defendants (an engineer and contractor). The Florida appellate court affirmed, holding that setoff statutes apply only to tort liability for the same injury and do not apply to breach of contract claims, and the co-defendants were not joint obligors on the underlying contract.
The court held that (1) no setoff is required where the jury was instructed to base its verdict solely on the defendant architect's tortious acts and contractual breaches, with no evidence to overcome the presumption the jury followed instructions; (2) setoff under Florida's comparative fault statutes applies only where the co-defendant's settlement is for the same tort or injury and only where damages cannot be apportioned; (3) setoff statutes are inapplicable to breach of contract claims as they are expressly restricted to torts; and (4) the architect's contractual liability was not extinguished because the released co-defendants were not joint obligors on the underlying contract with the plaintiff.
[1] A trial court may refuse to set off the amount of a settlement with co-defendants from a judgment against a remaining defendant when the jury was instructed to base its v…
[2] The statutory right of setoff for settlements with co-defendants applies only when the co-defendant's settlement is for the same tort or injury as that committed or cause…
Previewing 2 of 5 headnotes on this case. FLexlaw’s editorially structured points of law — every proposition, pinpointed — are reserved for members.
Join FLexlaw to unlock all legal intelligence“the right of setoff set forth in Sections 768.041 and 768.31(5), Florida Statutes (1979), applies only where the co-defendant's settlement is for the same tort or injury as the one committed or caused by the tortfeasor seeking setoff”
Establishes the scope of setoff rights under Florida law—limited to settlements of the same tort or injury.
Previewing 1 of 3 key quotes on this case — the court’s exact language, pinpointed for members.
Join FLexlaw to unlock all legal intelligenceMorris Lapidus, an architect, was sued by Citizens Federal Savings and Loan Association for negligence and breach of contract. Citizens Federal also s…
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PER CURIAM.
The final judgment of the trial court entered pursuant to a jury verdict in favor of Citizens Federal Savings and Loan Association against an architect, Morris Lapidus, d/b/a Morris Lapidus Associates, challenged solely on the ground that Lapi-dus was entitled to a setoff against, or extinguishment of, the judgment against him, is affirmed upon a holding that (1) the trial court was correct in refusing to set off from the amount of the judgment the amount for which Citizens Federal released Lapidus’ two co-defendants (an engineer and contractor), where the jury was instructed to base its verdict upon the tortious acts and contractual breaches for which Lapidus alone was responsible,1 the record suggests nothing to overcome the presumption that the court’s instructions were followed, see Putnam Lumber Co. v. Berry, 146 Fla. 595, 2 So. 2d 133 (1941); Bell v. Baptist Memorial Hospital, Inc., 363 So. 2d 28 (Fla. 1st DCA 1978); Leisure Group, Inc. v. Williams, 351 So. 2d 374 (Fla. 2d DCA 1977); National Car Rental System, Inc. v. Holland, 269 So. 2d 407 (Fla. 4th DCA 1972), and there was sufficient evidence to support the jury’s verdict; (2) the right of setoff set forth in Sections 768.041 and 768.31(5), Florida Statutes (1979), applies only where the co-defendant’s settlement is for the same tort or injury as the one committed or caused by the tortfeasor seeking setoff, Devlin v. McMannis, 231 So. 2d 194 (Fla.1970), and where, as here, the record fairly reflects that the jury could apportion the damages for which Lapidus was solely responsible, setoff is not re quired, Insurance Company of North America v. Edmondson, 354 So. 2d 887 (Fla. 1st DCA 1977); (3) to the extent that the jury’s verdict was in part or in whole an award of damages on account of a breach of contract,2 a distinct cause of action brought against Lapidus only, Sections 768.041 and 768.31(5), Florida Statutes (1979), expressly restricted to torts, are inapplicable, see Penza v. Neckles, 344 So. 2d 1282 (Fla.1977); cf. Devlin v. McMannis, supra (holding that a suit by the estate of a minor decedent and a suit by the minor’s parents for wrongful death were separate causes of action requiring separate setoffs); and (4) the liability of Lapidus for breach of contract was not extinguished under the common law rule that the release of a joint and several obligor releases all others, since the co-defendant contractor and engineer, whom Citizens Federal released, were not obligors on the contract between Lapidus and Citizens Federal, Newsome v. Finch, 375 So. 2d 1144 (Fla. 1st DCA 1979); compare Penza v. Neckles, supra.
Affirmed.
. In pertinent part, the trial court’s instruction read:
“I instruct you that the Plaintiff, Citizens Federal Savings and Loan Association, is not entitled to recover from the Defendant, Morris Lapidus Associates, for the negligence, breach of contract or errors of the engineer, H. J. Ross and Associates, but is only entitled to recover for any breach of contract or negligence of the Defendant, Morris Lapidus Associates, with reference to its duties and responsibilities.” (T. 1321).
“I instruct you that Plaintiff, Citizens Federal Savings and Loan Association, is not entitled to recover from the Defendant, Morris Lapi-dus Associates, for the negligence, breach of contract, or errors of the contractor, M. R. Harrison Company, but is only entitled to recover for any breach of contract or negligence of the Defendant, Morris Lapidus Associates, with reference to its duties and responsibilities.” (T. 1321-1322).
. No special verdict or special interrogatories were requested by Lapidus. We may therefore sustain the verdict on the breach of contract theory even if it could not be sustained on the tort theory. Colonial Stores, Inc. v. Scarbrough, 355 So. 2d 1181 (Fla.1978).
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Allstate Ins. Co. v. A. D. H., Inc., 397 So. 2d 928 (Fla. 3d DCA 1981)…ficient evidence to show it to be with fault, we could sustain the verdict, if supportable, on a theory of vicarious negligence. Colonial Stores, Inc. v. Scarbrough, 355 So. 2d 1181 (Fla.1978); Lapidus v. Citizens Federal Savings & Loan Association, 389 So. 2d 1057 (Fla. 3d DCA 1980). . While A.D.H.’s burden to establish the defense of estoppel by judgment is to show Bab-cock was previously found at fault, we make clear that in order to prevail in the indemnity action, it is Babcock’s burden to prove it was f…
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Lopez-Gomez v. Diaz, 405 So. 2d 1003 (Fla. 3d DCA 1981)…PER CURIAM. Affirmed. Devlin v. McMannis, 231 So. 2d 194 (Fla.1970); City of Tamarac v. Garchar, 398 So. 2d 889 (Fla. 4th DCA 1981); Lapidus v. Citizens Federal Savings and Loan Association, 389 So. 2d 1057 (Fla. 3d DCA 1980); Insurance Company of North America v. Edmondson, 354 So. 2d 887 (Fla. 1st DCA 1977).…
Authorities Cited
- Colonial Stores, Inc. v. Doyle Wayne Scarbrough, 355 So. 2d 1181 (Fla. 1977)
- Devlin v. McMANNIS, 231 So. 2d 194 (Fla. 1970)
- Nat'l CAR Rental Sys., Inc. v. Holland, 269 So. 2d 407 (Fla. 4th DCA 1972)
- Putnam Lumber Co. v. Berry, 146 Fla. 595 (Fla. 1941)
- Penza v. Neckles, 344 So. 2d 1282 (Fla. 1977)
- Leisure Grp., Inc. v. Williams, 351 So. 2d 374 (Fla. 2d DCA 1977)
- Ins. Co. OF N. Am. & J. S. Neviaser v. Edmondson, 354 So. 2d 887 (Fla. 1st DCA 1977)
- Bell v. Baptist Mem'l Hosp. Inc., 363 So. 2d 28 (Fla. 1st DCA 1978)
- Newsome v. Finch, 375 So. 2d 1144 (Fla. 1st DCA 1979)