A. M. MOORE, APPELLANT,
v.
LEISURE POOL SERVICE, INC., APPELLEE

Fla. 5th DCA | 1982-03-17
No. 81-809
DAUKSCH, C. J., and SHARP, J., concur.
412 So. 2d 392 Florida District Court of Appeal, Fifth District (1982) Positive Treatment
Cited by 6 cases

AI-generated. These summaries, headnotes, and key points are machine-generated and may contain errors or omissions. Always verify against the full opinion text below. Not legal advice.

Synopsis

Moore appeals a judgment awarding Leisure Pool Service a mechanic's lien and damages for breach of contract over a swimming pool construction dispute. The court affirmed the damages award for the unpaid pool sweep but reversed the mechanic's lien foreclosure because Moore's spouse, as a co-owner by tenancy by the entirety, was an indispensable party who was not joined in the action.


Holding

The appellate court affirmed the $704.80 damages award for breach of contract but reversed the mechanic's lien foreclosure and award of attorney's fees. The court held that the motion to dismiss for failure to join an indispensable party was timely under Florida Rule of Civil Procedure 1.140(h)(2) and should have been considered on the merits; Moore's spouse was an indispensable party to the lien action as a co-owner of the property by tenancy by the entirety.


Headnotes

[1] A trial court's finding that a specific item was not included in a contract is presumed correct on appeal.

[2] The failure to join an indispensable party can be raised by a motion for judgment on the pleadings or at trial.

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Key Quotes

“Florida Rule of Civil Procedure 1.140(h)(2) provides that the failure to join an indispensable party may be raised by motion for judgment on the pleadings or at trial on the merits.”

Establishes that the motion to dismiss for failure to join an indispensable party was timely and should have been considered on the merits

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Facts & Procedural History

Moore contracted with Leisure Pool Service to build a swimming pool. A dispute arose over whether an automatic pool sweep was included in the contract…

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Opinion of the Court
FRANK D. UPCHURCH, Jr., Judge.

FRANK D. UPCHURCH, Jr., Judge.

Appellant Moore appeals from a final judgment of foreclosure granting appellee Leisure Pool Service, Inc. a mechanic’s lien and damages in the amount of $704.80 for breach of a contract to build a swimming pool on the Moores’ property. The trial court also awarded Leisure Pool attorney’s fees and costs.

Moore and Leisure Pool disagreed on whether an automatic pool sweep was included in the contract price. Moore withheld $704.50, the balance unpaid at the time Leisure Pool refused to deliver the pool sweep. Leisure Pool filed a claim of lien and later sued to foreclose the lien. In the alternative, Leisure Pool sought damages in the amount of $704.80 for breach of contract.

The record supports the court’s finding that the pool sweep was not a part of the contract. The trial court’s decision comes to us clothed with a presumption of correctness. Zinger v. Gattis, 382 So. 2d 379 (Fla. 5th DCA 1980). We therefore affirm the award of $704.80 as damages for breach of contract.

The claim of lien and the suit to foreclose the lien were in the name of A. M. Moore individually. On the day of the trial, Moore filed a motion for judgment on the pleadings or, in the alternative, to dismiss the action for lack of an indispensable party. Moore alleged that he and his wife were owners as tenants by the entirety of the property involved and therefore she was an indispensable party. The court denied the motion on the basis that it was untimely. This was error. Florida Rule of Civil Procedure 1.140(h)(2) provides that the failure to join an indispensable party may be raised by motion for judgment on the pleadings or at trial on the merits.

As the motion was timely, the trial court should have considered it on its merits. We note that in Marson v. Comisky, 341 So. 2d 1040 (Fla. 4th DCA 1977), the court held that where a mechanic’s lien was alleged against real property owned by a defendant and his wife, the wife was an indispensable party and failure to join her as a co-defendant rendered the complaint defective. We also reject Leisure Pool’s argument that the court could proceed without making the wife a party on the basis that she was actually or constructively before the court. The wife was not served. She made no appearance by filing a pleading. The court did not acquire jurisdiction over her simply because she testified as a witness and was in the company of her husband during the trial. We therefore reverse the imposition and foreclosure of the mechanic’s lien and remand for a hearing on the motion to dismiss.

Under the contract with Leisure Pool, Moore was obligated to pay a reasonable attorney’s fee for any action deemed necessary by Leisure Pool to enforce its rights under the agreement. Leisure Pool also claimed entitlement to recover a reasonable attorney’s fee as the prevailing party in an action to enforce a mechanic’s lien. § 713.-29, Fla.Stat. (1981). In light of our decision to reverse the lien foreclosure and to remand for a hearing on the motion to dismiss this count, we also reverse the award of attorney’s fees and remand for reconsideration of this matter. AFFIRMED in part, REVERSED and REMANDED in part.

DAUKSCH, C. J., and SHARP, J., concur.


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Citator

Cited By

  • Horn v. Corkland Corp., 518 So. 2d 418 (Fla. 2d DCA 1988)
    …find costs are properly taxed against her in favor of Corkland. Although joined late in the proceedings, she was an indispensable party and, as stipulated, her omission as an original party was a clerical error. Moore v. Leisure Pool Service, Inc., 412 So. 2d 392 (Fla. 5th DCA 1982). The order denying costs to the Homs and to Corkland is reversed and remanded for further proceedings in accord with this opinion. In all other respects the final judgment is affirmed. SCHEB, A.C.J., and SCHOONOVER, J., concur.…
  • Anton Svadbik and John S. Svadbik v. Svadbik, 776 So. 2d 968 (Fla. 3d DCA 2000)
    …’s divorce trial. The husband and his father argue that the father was never served, that he filed no appearance, and that he was not a party to the proceeding. In support thereof, the husband and his father cite Moore v. Leisure Pool Service, Inc., 412 So. 2d 392 (Fla. 5th DCA 1982). In Moore, a pool company brought suit to foreclose a mechanic lien on property that was held by a husband and wife as tenants by the entireties. At trial, the husband moved for a judgment on the pleadings or a dismissal of the…
  • Barton Int'l Consultants, Inc. v. Springer, 417 So. 2d 1026 (Fla. 3d DCA 1982)
    …he trial court’s order denying defendant’s motion to dismiss for lack of jurisdiction is affirmed. Engineered Storage Systems, Inc. v. National Partitions & Interiors, 415 So. 2d 114 (Fla. 3d DCA 1982); American Foam Industries, Inc. v. Mastercraft, 412 So. 2d 392 (Fla. 3d DCA 1982). Affirmed.…

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