ANDREW ESPOSITO, APPELLANT,
v.
JEAN HORNING, APPELLEE
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Esposito appealed from orders granting and maintaining a preliminary injunction requiring a boat to be held at a boatyard in a dispute with Horning over ownership and a claimed repair contract. The Fourth District Court of Appeal reversed, holding that the preliminary injunction was improper because the complaint lacked allegations of irreparable injury, an adequate remedy at law existed through damages claims, and the boat was not shown to be unique or peculiar property.
The preliminary injunction was improper and must be reversed. A preliminary injunction cannot be granted absent pleading and proof of irreparable injury. Moreover, where an adequate remedy at law exists through damages claims, injunctive relief is not warranted. Finally, an injunction for return or retention of personal property requires that the property be peculiar or unique, which was not established for the boat here.
[1] A preliminary injunction may not be granted without an allegation and proof of irreparable injury.
[2] Injunctive relief is unavailable when an adequate remedy at law, such as monetary damages, exists.
Previewing 2 of 6 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 allowance of a preliminary injunction was erroneous on at least three grounds. The complaint is devoid of any allegation of irreparable injury. Absent such pleading and proof, a preliminary injunction may not lawfully be entered.”
Establishes that the complaint failed to allege irreparable injury, which is a fundamental requirement for preliminary injunctive relief.
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Join FLexlaw to unlock all legal intelligenceHorning purchased a boat from Esposito under an alleged contract whereby Esposito was to repair it and the boat was to be sold within two weeks with p…
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DOWNEY, Judge.
Appellee, Jean Horning, filed suit against appellant, Andrew Esposito, in four counts. Count I sought declaratory relief, while the other three counts sought damages for breach of contract and fraudulent misrepresentation. The subject matter of the suit was a boat purchased by appellee, title to which ended up in appellant’s name. An amended complaint was filed, adding, in part, a count for preliminary injunction.
The trial court entered a preliminary injunction not contained in the record. However, it appears the order required the boat to be kept at a boatyard rather than in the possession of the appellant. On February 3, 1982, the trial court denied appellant’s motion to dismiss the "complaint and modified the preliminary injunction by requiring the boat to be kept at the same boatyard and charges to be paid by appellee. On February 11, 1982, the court denied appellant’s motions to dissolve the preliminary injunction and have the boat returned to him.
Appellant seeks reversal of the orders of February 3, 1982, and February 11, 1982. Three points are presented to demonstrate error.
First, appellant contends error was committed in granting a preliminary injunction where irreparable injury was not pleaded and where there was no proof the boat was unique or peculiar, justifying an injunction.
Second, appellant contends that the entire complaint was barred by the statute of frauds.
Third, appellant argues that the grant of a preliminary injunction without a reasonable bond was improper. Without any extended discussion, we hold there is no merit to the second and third points.
However, the first point clearly demonstrates error. The allowance of a preliminary injunction was erroneous on at least three grounds. The complaint is devoid of any allegation of irreparable injury. Absent such pleading and proof, a preliminary injunction may -not lawfully be entered. Next, a preliminary injunction may not be entered if there is an adequate remedy at law. The controversy at hand involves a boat, which appellee claims she bought pursuant to a contract with appellant, who was to repair the boat. In two weeks, she alleges, the boat was to be sold and the profit divided.
Appellee contends that appellant improperly took title in his name and now refuses to comply with the contract. Appellee has claimed damages in a number of counts and, if the complaint is proven, she should recover for her damages. That is an adequate remedy at law. Lastly, an injunction will not be granted for the return or retention of personal property unless the property is peculiar or unique. See: Price v. Gordon, 129 Fla. 715, 177 So. 276 (Fla.1937); 17 Fla.Jur., Injunctions § 31. All three of these rules are neatly set forth by the court in First National Bank in St. Petersburg v. Ferris, 156 So. 2d 421 (Fla. 2d DCA 1963): Basic to jurisdiction in equity is the rule that there must be a lack of an adequate remedy at law, and injunctive relief will not lie unless irreparable injury will result otherwise. Stoner v. South Peninsular Zoning Commission, (Fla.1954) 75 So. 2d 831; 17 Fla.Jur. Injunctions sections 17 and 77, pages 385 and 433. The injury must be of a peculiar nature, so that compensation in money cannot atone for it; or, as the rule has been otherwise .stated, it must be of such a nature that it cannot be redressed in a court of law. Indian River Steam-Boat Co. v. East Coast Transp. Co., 1891, 28 Fla. 387, 10 So. 480, 487; Egan v. City of Miami, 1938, 130 Fla. 465, 178 So.
132.
Thus, generally, equity will not injunctively command return of personal property unless it is of peculiar value and character and unless its loss or retention by one not entitled to it cannot be fully compensated in damages. Price v. Gordon, 1937, 129 Fla. 715, 177 So. 276; 17 Fla.Jur. Injunctions, section 31, page 393.
* # * * * *
A complainant, in alleging irreparable injury, must state facts which will enable the court to judge whether the injury will in fact be irreparable, and mere general allegations of irreparable injury will not suffice. Williams v. Dormany, 1930, 99 Fla. 496, 126 So. 117; Davis v. Wilson, 1939, 139 Fla. 698, 190 So. 716; Stoner v. South Peninsular Zoning Commission, supra. The facts comprising such injury must be presented clearly so that the court may determine the exact nature and extent of the possible injury. Charlotte Harbor & N. R. Co. v. Lancaster, 1915, 70 Fla. 200, 69 So. 720; Egan v. City of Miami, supra. If the injury complained of is doubtful, eventual, or contingent, injunctive relief will not be afforded. Shivery v. Streeper, 1888, 24 Fla. 103, 3 So. 865.
In testing the complaint to see if it can withstand a motion to dismiss for failure to state a cause of action for injunctive relief, the well-pleaded facts are admitted, but not conclusions of law or the opinions of the pleader. American Can Co. v. City of Tampa, 1943, 152 Fla. 798, 14 So. 2d 203; Wallace Bros. v. Yates, Fla.App.1960, 117 So. 2d 202. Rather, there must be something more than this in order for a court to intervene by injunction. American Fire & Gas Co. v. Rader, 1948, 160 Fla. 700, 36 So. 2d 270.
For the foregoing reasons we must reverse the granting of the preliminary injunction.
With the hope of assisting in the ultimate disposition of the case upon remand, we note that, while this non-final appeal was pending from the unsuperseded three orders in question, the trial court proceeded to final hearing and entered a final judgment on June 11,1982. The court found in favor of appellee and directed sale of the boat and disposition of the proceeds as prayed for by appellee. That judgment is, of course, a nullity, Waltham A. Condominium Association v. Village Management, Inc., 330 So. 2d 227 (Fla. 4th DCA 1976).
While the trial court had jurisdiction to proceed with the case pending disposition of the non-final appeal, proceeding to final judgment and disposition of the cause had the effect of usurping the jurisdiction of this court.1 This may all sound like legal gobbledegook to some since, upon remand, the trial judge can be expected to re-enter a similar final judgment. We concede that may be true, but jurisdiction is not a question a court can take or leave, and a judgment entered without jurisdiction is void.2
Accordingly, we reverse the order appealed from granting and maintaining the preliminary injunction and remand the cause to the trial court to proceed to final determination of the cause. REVERSED AND REMANDED, with directions.
GLICKSTEIN and DELL, JJ., concur. . Upon entry of the final judgment, appellant moved the court to stay said judgment while this appeal was pending. We granted that stay order. Almost simultaneously appellee asked us to dismiss the appeal as moot! The latter motion was denied.
. Rule of Appellate Procedure 9.130(f) also requires this result.
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Clark v. Allied Assocs., Inc., 477 So. 2d 656 (Fla. 5th DCA 1985)…mmand return of personal property unless it is of peculiar value and character and unless its loss or retention by one not entitled to it cannot be fully compensated in damages. Price v. Gordon, 129 Fla. 715, 177 So. 276 (1937); Esposito v. Horning, 416 So. 2d 896 (Fla. 4th DCA 1982). Here, the property is not of a peculiar value and character and the money damages award adequately compensated the plaintiff. Nor were the machines ever originally the property of the plaintiff. An injunctive order should never…
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Johnson v. Harris, 645 So. 2d 96 (Fla. 5th DCA 1994)…o-part test of judicial immunity: 1) ruling in the foreclosure action was a judicial act, and 2) Judge Harris still had subject matter jurisdiction in the case even while the non-final order was on appeal. Fla.R.App.P. 9.130(f); Esposito v. Horning, 416 So. 2d 896 (Fla. 4th DCA 1982) (while non-final order was on appeal trial court had jurisdiction to proceed with the case but not to enter a final judgment). Ms. Cooper, acting on behalf of Judge Harris, shares his absolute immunity.2 Because Judge Harris and…
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Connor Realty, Inc. v. Ocean Terrace N. Condo. Ass'n, 572 So. 2d 4 (Fla. 4th DCA 1990)…ort Lauderdale, 533 So. 2d 1208 (Fla. 4th DCA 1988); Hirschorn v. Superior Realty of Florida, 450 So. 2d 510 (Fla. DCA 1984); Darden v. Police and Fire Civ. Service Bd., City of Riviera Beach, 423 So. 2d 543 (Fla. 4th DCA 1982); Esposito v. Horning, 416 So. 2d 896 (Fla. 4th DCA 1982). The final judgment and subsequent orders were entered without jurisdiction and they are a nullity. Accordingly, we reverse the final judgments and subsequent orders and remand for further proceedings. However, the reversal is…
Previewing 3 of 17 citing cases — full citator treatment, depth of discussion, and citing context are member features.
Join FLexlaw to unlock all legal intelligenceAuthorities Cited (14 total)
- Williams v. Dormany, 99 Fla. 496 (Fla. 1930)
- Egan v. The City of Miami, 130 Fla. 465 (Fla. 1938)
- Davis v. Wilson, 139 Fla. 698 (Fla. 1939)
- Indian River Steamboat Co. v. E. Coast Transp. Co., 28 Fla. 387 (Fla. 1891)
- Waltham A. Condo. Ass'n v. Vill. Mgmt., Inc., 330 So. 2d 227 (Fla. 4th DCA 1976)
- Am. Fire & Cas. Co. v. Rader, 160 Fla. 700 (Fla. 1948)
- Price v. Gordon, 129 Fla. 715 (Fla. 1937)
- Polakow v. Bone & Schultz Corp., 156 So. 2d 421 (Fla. 3d DCA 1963)
- The First Nat'l Bank IN ST. Petersburg v. Ferris, 156 So. 2d 421 (Fla. 2d DCA 1963)
- Am. CAN Co. v. City OF Tampa, 152 Fla. 798 (Fla. 1942)