NEW RIVER YACHTING CENTER, INC. AND CERTAIN UNDERWRITERS AT LLOYDS OF LONDON, APPELLANTS,
v.
RONALD DARIO BACCHIOCCHI A/K/A B. A. DARIO, INDIVIDUALLY AND D/B/A DARIO FARMS, PROVIDENCE WASHINGTON INSURANCE COMPANY, AETNA CASUALTY AND SURETY COMPANY, AMERICAN EMPLOYERS INSURANCE COMPANY, FIREMAN'S FUND INSURANCE COMPANY, MAURICE M. MCCRATER AND JEANNETTE MCCRATER, HIS WIFE, APPELLEES
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The court held that the trial court did not abuse its discretion in denying leave to amend cross-claims after the time limit had expired and that a prior summary judgment was res judicata, barring further litigation.
[1] A trial court has discretion to deny leave to amend a pleading when a party has failed to comply with a court-ordered deadline for amendment.
[2] Dismissal of a claim with prejudice, followed by an unsuccessful appeal of that dismissal, may render a subsequent motion to amend the same claim barred by res judicata.
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Join FLexlaw to unlock all legal intelligenceAppellants, as defendants in a personal injury suit, filed cross-claims for contribution and indemnity against other defendants. Their cross-claim aga…
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UPCHURCH, JOHN J., Associate Judge.
Two issues are presented on appeal. The first concerns the trial court’s denial of appellants’ motion for leave to amend their cross-claim against the corporate appellees some seven months after having been granted twenty days within which to do so. The second concerns the denial of leave to amend the cross-claim against appellee Bac-chiocchi in light of an earlier final summary judgment on the cross-claim which was unsuccessfully appealed.
Having found no abuse of discretion in the first instance, and no error in the second, we affirm.
Appellants and appellees were parties defendant in a personal injury action filed by Maurice M. and Jeannette McCrater. Appellants settled with the McCraters and filed cross-claims against appellees seeking contribution and indemnity. The cross-claim against the corporate appellees was dismissed with prejudice on September 28, 1978. However, despite the dismissal “with prejudice”, the trial court granted appellants twenty days within which to file an amended cross-claim. Appellants did not amend, but instead chose to treat the dismissal as final and appealed the decision to this Court. The appeal was dismissed April 10, 1979 on motion of appellants. Thereafter, on May 10, 1979, appellants changed direction and moved for leave to amend their cross-claims against the corporate cross-defendants. The motion was denied and the ease dismissed, the court holding that appellants had failed to demonstrate any justiciable grounds or excuse which would serve as a basis for permitting amendment of the cross-claims some seven months after the order allowing twenty days to amend. Appellants claim the proper test is not whether there was an excuse for delay, but whether the late amendment would prejudice the opposing party.
We find that the trial court had jurisdiction to entertain the motion to amend as the dismissal “with prejudice” granted leave to amend. The court thus retained control of the litigation and the subject order was nonfinal. Hancock v. Piper, 186 So. 2d 489 (Fla.1966).
Resolution of this issue requires an analysis of Fla.R.Civ.P. 1.190 dealing with amendments of pleadings, and Fla.R.Civ.P. 1.420 dealing with dismissal for violation of a court order. Fla.R.Civ.P. 1.190 provides that leave to amend shall be freely given when justice so requires. Under the rule, a test of prejudice is the primary consideration in determining whether a motion for leave to amend should be granted. Wackenhut Protective Systems v. Key Biscayne, 350 So. 2d 1150 (Fla. 3rd D.C.A. 1977). Leave to amend should not be denied unless the privilege has been abused or the complaint is clearly not amendable. Osborne v. Delta Maintenance and Welding, 365 So. 2d 425 (Fla. 2nd D.C.A. 1978). This determination should be governed by a policy favoring resolution of cases on their merits, unless the privilege be abused. Enstrom v. Dixon, 354 So. 2d 1251 (Fla. 4th D.C.A. 1978).
On the other hand, none of these cases involve violation of a court order setting a time limit for amendment. Fla.R.Civ.P. 1.420(b) provides for involuntary dismissal for failure to comply with any order of the court. This rule has been applied to uphold the trial court’s discretion in dismissing for failure to amend a pleading within the time limit set by the court. Lasley v. Cushing, 244 So. 2d 770 (Fla. 1st D.C.A. 1971), E & E Electric Contractors, Inc. v. Singer, 236 So. 2d 195 (Fla. 3rd D.C.A. 1970), Miami Auto Auction Inc. v. Friendly Enterprises, Inc., 251 So. 2d 69 (Fla. 3rd D.C.A. 1972), National Shawmut Bank of Boston v. Woodard, 220 So. 2d 636 (Fla. 3rd D.C.A. 1969).
We find that the application of Fla. R.Civ.P. 1.420(b) in this case was solely within the sound discretion of the trial court and nothing appears from the record to suggest that there was an abuse of that discretion.
Appellants also challenge the granting of appellee Bacchiocchi’s motion to strike their motion for leave to amend their cross-claim against him, and the consequent final dismissal of that claim with prejudice.
The trial court granted Bacchiocchi’s motion for final summary judgment on December 15, 1978. The final summary judgment contained no words of limitation; it was apparently dispositive of all issues between the parties. Appellants treated it as such, appealed the judgment, and that appeal was subsequently dismissed. The trial court refused to entertain appellants’ later motion for leave to amend, holding that the earlier summary judgment effectively closed the door to relitigation of the same cause of action.
We find the summary final judgment is res judicata and serves as a bar to further litigation of the same claim. Once a party has had an opportunity to litigate a matter in an action in a court of competent jurisdiction, he should not be permitted to litigate it again to the harassment and vexation of his opponent. 19 Fla.Jur., Judgment and Decrees, Section 104; Gray v. Gray, 91 Fla. 103, 107 So. 261 (1926); Coral Realty Co. v. Peacock Holding Co., 103 Fla. 916, 138 So. 622 (1931); Caldwell v. Mass Bonding and Ins. Co., 158 Fla. 677, 29 So. 2d 694 (1947); U. S. Gypsum Co. v. Columbia Casualty Co., 124 Fla. 633, 169 So. 532 (1936).
Appellants have failed to demonstrate error, and accordingly, the judgment is AFFIRMED.
DOWNEY and HURLEY, JJ., concur.
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Carolann D. Kozel v. Ostendorf, 629 So. 2d 817 (Fla. 1993)…rections that the trial court be ordered to reconsider in light of the new factors established in this opinion. It is so ordered. BARKETT, C.J., and OVERTON, SHAW, GRIMES, KOGAN and HARDING, JJ., concur. . New River Yachting, Inc. v. Bacchiocchi, 407 So. 2d 607 (Fla. 4th DCA 1981), review denied, 415 So. 2d 1360 (Fla.1982); Neida’s Boutique, Inc. v. Gabor and Co., 348 So. 2d 1196 (Fla. 3d DCA 1977), cert. denied, 366 So. 2d 883 (Fla.1978); Reynolds v. Deep South Sports, Inc., 211 So. 2d 37 (Fla. 2d DCA 196…
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Lasar Mfg. Co., Inc. v. Bachanov, 436 So. 2d 236 (Fla. 3d DCA 1983)…h DCA 1982); Versen v. Versen, supra. Under Rule 1.190, a test of prejudice to the defendant is the primary consideration in determining whether a motion for leave to amend should be granted or denied. New River Yachting Center, Inc. v. Bacchiocchi, 407 So. 2d 607 (Fla. 4th DCA 1981), rev. denied, 415 So. 2d 1360 (Fla.1982); Wackenhut Protective Systems, Inc. v. Key Biscayne Commodore Club Condominium I, Inc., 350 So. 2d 1150 (Fla. 3d DCA 1977); Penn Cork & Closures, Inc. v. Piggyback Shippers Ass’n of Florid…
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Bill Williams AIR Conditioning & Heating, Inc. v. Haymarket Coop. Bank, 592 So. 2d 302 (Fla. 1st DCA 1991)…ng constitutes an abuse of discretion unless it clearly appears that allowing the amendment would prejudice the opposing party; the privilege to amend has been abused; or amendment would be futile. See New River Yachting Center, Inc. v. Bacchiocchi, 407 So. 2d 607 (Fla. 4th DCA 1981), review denied, 415 So. 2d 1360 (Fla.1982). Bill Williams’ proposed third amended answer added nothing new to the issues involved in the case. It is apparent that the principal reason why the motion was filed was so that Bill Wi…
Previewing 3 of 35 citing cases — full citator treatment, depth of discussion, and citing context are member features.
Join FLexlaw to unlock all legal intelligenceAuthorities Cited (11 total)
- Gray v. Gray, 91 Fla. 103 (Fla. 1926)
- United States Gypsum Co. v. Columbia Cas. Co., 124 Fla. 633 (Fla. 1936)
- Hancock v. Wilford J. Piper and Alida Piper, 186 So. 2d 489 (Fla. 1966)
- Osborne v. DELTA Maint. & Welding, Inc., 365 So. 2d 425 (Fla. 2d DCA 1978)
- Coral Realty Co. v. Peacock Holding Co., 103 Fla. 916 (Fla. 1931)
- E & E Elec. Contractors, Inc. v. Myron Singer and Eleanor Singer, 236 So. 2d 195 (Fla. 3d DCA 1970)
- Wackenhut Protective Sys., Inc. v. KEY Biscayne Commodore Club Condo. I, Inc., 350 So. 2d 1150 (Fla. 3d DCA 1977)
- Millard F. Caldwell v. Mass. Bonding & Ins. Co., 158 Fla. 677 (Fla. 1947)
- Trazysie Enstrom v. Liisa A. Dixon, 354 So. 2d 1251 (Fla. 4th DCA 1978)
- Lasley v. Gibb Cushing, 244 So. 2d 770 (Fla. 1st DCA 1971)