SUWANNEE COUNTY, FLORIDA, APPELLANT,
v.
ENOCH E. GARRISON, JR., SARA L. GARRISON AND ENOCH E. GARRISON, III, APPELLEES
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.
Suwannee County sought a declaratory judgment to determine whether a road across the Garrisons' property had become vested in the County under Florida Statutes Section 95.361. The trial court awarded attorney's fees to the Garrisons, but the appellate court reversed, holding that neither Section 95.361 nor the Declaratory Judgments Act provides for attorney's fees in such proceedings.
Attorney's fees cannot be awarded in a Section 95.361 dedication proceeding because neither that statute nor Chapter 86 (Declaratory Judgments Act), particularly Section 86.081, provides for such an award. The comparison to inverse condemnation or eminent domain proceedings is foreclosed because the Garrisons did not assert a taking, demand damages, or claim attorney's fees in their pleadings, and the jury verdict addressed only whether the road was public or private property.
[1] Attorney's fees are generally not recoverable unless provided for by statute, contract, or the creation of a fund.
[2] Florida Statute Section 95.361, which addresses the dedication of roads to public entities, does not provide for the award of attorney's fees.
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“Section 95.361 makes no provision for an award of attorney's fees in litigation to determine whether a roadway has become dedicated to the public and title vested in a public entity (county, municipality, or state) under its terms.”
Establishes the primary holding that the statute does not authorize attorney's fees in dedication proceedings.
Previewing 1 of 3 key quotes on this case — the court’s exact language, pinpointed for members.
Join FLexlaw to unlock all legal intelligenceSuwannee County filed a declaratory judgment action to establish that a road crossing the Garrisons' property had become dedicated to the public and v…
The full statement of facts, procedural history, and disposition for this case are member content.
Join FLexlaw to unlock all legal intelligence© FLexlaw, Inc. — AI-generated enrichments are proprietary. All rights reserved.
Explore caselaw by topic → Browse Attorney'S Fees Award Criteria cases and more on FLexlaw
LARRY G. SMITH, Judge.
The County appeals an order awarding attorney’s fees to appellees, contending that none of the bases for an award of attorney’s fees1 was presented by the County’s declaratory judgment action seeking a determination of whether a road across appellees’ property had become vested in the County under the provisions of Section 95.361, Florida Statutes.2 We agree with the County’s contentions and reverse.
Section 95.361 makes no provision for an award of attorney’s fees in litigation to determine whether a roadway has become dedicated to the public and title vested in a public entity (county, municipality, or state) under its terms. Furthermore, Chapter 86, Florida Statutes (Declaratory Judgments), particularly Section 86.081, providing specifically for the award of costs, makes no provision for, and cannot be expanded to include, attorney’s fees. Hams v. Richard N. Groves Realty, Inc., 315 So. 2d 528 (Fla. 4th DCA 1975).
In the final judgment the trial court reserved jurisdiction to award attorney’s fees, “if applicable.” However, neither the final judgment, which was entered pursuant to the jury’s verdict, nor the post-judgment order awarding costs and attorney’s fees, included any finding or reference to the grounds upon which the award of attorney’s fees was based. Appellees assert, however, that attorney’s fees were properly awarded because the sovereign power of eminent domain is implicated by the County’s actions, in that the County had used portions of appellees’ property, and sought by means of the present suit to perfect title to it under Section 95.361. Appellees liken the proceedings below to “inverse condemnation,” citing State Road Department v. Bender, 147 Fla. 15, 2 So. 2d 298 (1941), and State Road Department v. Lewis, 190 So. 2d 598 (Fla. 1st DCA 1966).
Assuming, without deciding, that a comparison to these and similar cases may be made under the factual premises urged by appellees, we think such a comparison here is foreclosed for two reasons: First, neither by their answer, nor by their counterclaim or any other pleading filed below, did appellees assert any taking of their property by the County or demand damages for its use;3 nor did they claim attorney’s fees.4 Second, the jury verdict (which was in special interrogatory form) conclusively demonstrates that the only issue submitted to and determined by the jury was whether the road was a private road and therefore the property of appel-lees, or was instead a public road. Appel-lees’ contention that other issues were tried by the express or implied consent of the parties is unavailaing in view of the failure to have these issues submitted to the jury. 32 FlaJur. “Trial,” § 258. Whether appel-lees might have been able to make out a case of “taking,”5 by reason of the County’s trespass upon or damage to their property or otherwise, is now moot.
It appears that the action filed by the County in this instance was more in the nature of a proceeding to determine ownership or the right to public use and possession, rather than to acquire appellees’ property.6 There would seem to be no more justification for assessment of attorney’s fees against the County for its attempt to clarify the status of the road, in the light of Section 95.361, than there would be to hold that the County must pay attorney’s fees to property owners over whose land a roadway is lawfully acquired pursuant to the statute.7 As stated by the court in State, Department of Transportation v. Florida East Coast Railway Company, supra (footnote 6), title becomes vested under the statute not by adverse possession, “but by a dedication conclusively presumed by law.” We see a logical inconsistency in the notion that the public, as recipients of a benefit by “dedication” must nevertheless pay for the privilege by assuming the burden of attorney’s fees incurred by those who might contest the dedication. The legislature could, of course, provide for attorney’s fees in connection with Section 95.361 dedications, but it has not done so.
Finally, we have considered appel-lees’ suggestion that the trial judge might have based the award of attorney’s fees on Section 57.105, Florida Statutes. Aside from our natural reluctance to assume that the trial judge would submit to the jury a case having “a complete absence of a justiciable issue of either law or fact,” we ob serve that appellees have pointed to no finding by the trial court to support an award under this statute.8
For the foregoing reasons, the order appealed is reversed.
ROBERT P. SMITH, Jr., Chief Judge, and WENTWORTH, J., concur. . The award of attorney’s fees is in derogation of the common law, and is authorized where there is a contractual or statutory provision, or where services have been performed by an attorney in creating or bringing into court a fund or other property. Rivera v. Deauville Hotel Employees Service Corporation, 277 So. 2d 265 (Fla.1973); Kittel v. Kittel, 210 So. 2d 1 (Fla.1967); Polk County v. Deaton, 352 So. 2d 571 (Fla. 2nd DCA 1977).
. Section 95.361 provides that when a road constructed by a county, municipality, or the state, has been maintained or repaired continuously and uninterruptedly for four years by the governmental entity, the road shall be deemed to be dedicated to the public, and title to the road becomes vested in the public entity.
. Kornbluh v. Lowenberg, 401 So. 2d 880 (Fla, 3rd DCA 1981).
. This court has applied the rule that when attorney’s fees are authorized by a statute, they must be specifically claimed in the pleadings. Johnson v. Johnson, 346 So. 2d 591 (Fla. 1st DCA 1977). Other districts have taken the view that it is not essential, but is the better practice, to specifically plead entitlement to attorney’s fees under a statute. Autorico, Inc. v. Government Employees Insurance Company, 398 So. 2d 485 (Fla-3rd DCA 1981); Ocala Music & Marine Center v. Caldwell, 389 So. 2d 222 (Fla. 5th DCA 1980). As indicated, here there is no specific statutory provision for attorney’s fees.
. For definition of a “taking” see Poe v. State Road Department, 127 So. 2d 898, 900 (Fla. 1st DCA 1961); and for further discussion and application in a particular case (state holding over after expiration of lease), see State, Department of Health and Rehabilitative Services v. Scott,-So. 2d-(Fla. 2nd DCA 1982), 7 FLW 1436, opinion filed July 2, 1982.
. Based upon the circumstances revealed by the County’s complaint and its attachments, it is fair to observe that the action below was taken in response to appellees’ closing of the road, and as an alternative to other action, possibly in the nature of injunctive relief.
.Cf. State, Department of Transportation v. Florida East Coast Railway Company, 262 So. 2d 480 (Fla. 3rd DCA 1972), in which the State, although it claimed a dedication of the right of way sought under Section 337.31 (the predecessor of the present Section 95.361, Florida Statutes), filed a condemnation action, thereby unequivocally invoking the State’s power of eminent domain and incurring liability for the landowner’s attorney’s fees in defending the litigation. See also Estate of Hampton v. Fairchild-Florida Construction Company, 341 So. 2d 759 (Fla. 1977), at 761, note 3, pointing out that attorney’s fees are awarded in eminent domain cases, regardless of whether the condemnee’s land is actually taken. Although the Hampton case is distinguishable (involving dispute between private parties), it is interesting to note the opinion, at 761, discussing and rejecting appellees argument therein that proceedings to establish a statutory way of necessity are in reality eminent domain proceedings, and the comment: “The mere fact that statutes alter rights and remedies known at common law obviously affords no basis for the award of attorneys’ fees in actions brought under them.”
. As already noted, the order awarding attorney’s fees contained no explanation of the grounds for the award. A finding of no justiciable issue is essential to sustain an award under Section 57.105. Whitten v. Progressive Casualty Insurance Co., 410 So. 2d 501, 506 (Fla.1982); Autorico, Inc. v. Government Employees Insurance Company, supra (footnote 3), at 488; Allen v. Estate of Dutton, 394 So. 2d 132, 134 (Fla. 5th DCA 1980).
Cases With Similar Vibessemantic neighbors from the corpus
Citator
Cited By
-
Price v. Avery L. Tyler, 890 So. 2d 246 (Fla. 2004)…o. 2d 1078, 1079 (Fla.1984); see also Edgar v. Cape Coral Med. Ctr., Inc., 664 So. 2d 1068, 1069 (Fla. 2d DCA 1995) (holding appellants were not entitled to attorney’s fees under section 86.081, Florida Statutes (1993)); Suwannee County v. Garrison, 417 So. 2d 1070, 1071 (Fla. 1st DCA 1982) (holding that “[sjection 86.081, providing specifically for the award of costs, makes no provision for, and cannot be expanded to include, attorney’s fees”); Harris v. Richard N. Groves Realty, Inc., 315 So. 2d 528, 529 (Fl…
-
Sheriff OF Alachua Cnty. v. Hardie, 433 So. 2d 15 (Fla. 1st DCA 1983)…’s fees; Hardie counters that the award was insufficient. We agree with the Sheriff that the award was erroneous. Attorney’s fees may only be awarded if there is a contractual or statutory basis to support such an award. Suwannee County v. Garrison, 417 So. 2d 1070, 1071 n. 1 (Fla. 1st DCA 1982). Because there is no contractual basis for fees in this case, the award may stand only if justified under Section 57.105, Florida Statutes (1981), which provides that “[t]he court shall award a reasonable attorney’s fe…
-
Harris v. Haught, 435 So. 2d 926 (Fla. 1st DCA 1983)…e issue of either law or fact raised by the losing party.” Since we are unable to agree that the issues raised by appellant were entirely frivolous, we reverse that portion of the final judgment awarding attorney’s fees. Suwannee County v. Garrison, 417 So. 2d 1070 (Fla. 1st DCA 1982); Whitten v. Progressive Casualty Ins. Co., 410 So. 2d 501 (Fla.1982); Allen v. Estate of Dutton, 384 So. 2d 171 (Fla. 5th DCA 1980). The judgment is affirmed in part and reversed in part, and the case is remanded for entry of an…
Previewing 3 of 8 citing cases — full citator treatment, depth of discussion, and citing context are member features.
Join FLexlaw to unlock all legal intelligenceAuthorities Cited (15 total)
- Whitten v. Progressive Cas. Ins. Co., 410 So. 2d 501 (Fla. 1982)
- Kittel v. Anne B. Kittel, 210 So. 2d 1 (Fla. 1967)
- Est. of Eunice G. Hampton v. Fairchild-Florida Constr. Co., 341 So. 2d 759 (Fla. 1976)
- State Rd. Dep't of the State of Fla. v. Bender, 147 Fla. 15 (Fla. 1941)
- POE v. State Rd. Dep't of Fla., 127 So. 2d 898 (Fla. 1st DCA 1961)
- Rivera v. Deauville Hotel, 277 So. 2d 265 (Fla. 1973)
- Peadon v. State, 398 So. 2d 485 (Fla. 1st DCA 1981)
- Johnson v. Johnson, 346 So. 2d 591 (Fla. 1st DCA 1977)
- Carola D. Allen v. In re The Est. of Ellen C. Dutton, 394 So. 2d 132 (Fla. 5th DCA 1980)
- State Rd. Dep't of Fla. v. Lewis, 190 So. 2d 598 (Fla. 1st DCA 1966)