STRATTON OF FLORIDA, INC. AND ST. PAUL FIRE AND MARINE INSURANCE COMPANY, APPELLANTS,
v.
EUGENE CERASOLI, APPELLEE

Fla. 2d DCA | 1983-01-12
No. 82-958
GRIMES, A.C.J., and SCHEB, J., concur.
426 So. 2d 59 Florida District Court of Appeal, Second District (1983) 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

Stratton of Florida and its surety St. Paul Fire and Marine Insurance appealed a judgment awarding damages to sub-subcontractor Cerasoli for unpaid labor. The court reversed, holding that Cerasoli failed to comply with the statutory requirement to serve written notice to the contractor within forty-five days and therefore could not recover against the general contractor or its surety.


Holding

The court held that a sub-subcontractor is precluded from recovering against a general contractor or its surety if the sub-subcontractor fails to serve the required written notice within forty-five days after beginning work. The statutory language in section 713.23(1)(f) explicitly bars such actions when both notices have not been given.


Headnotes

[1] A sub-subcontractor must serve a written notice to contractor within forty-five days after first beginning to furnish labor, materials, or supplies to recover from a gene…

[2] Failure to serve a timely notice to contractor, as required by statute, precludes an action against the contractor or surety for labor or materials.

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Key Quotes

“no action for the labor or materials or supplies may be instituted or prosecuted against the contractor or surety unless both notices have been given”

This statutory language from section 713.23(1)(f) establishes the bar to Cerasoli's action against the general contractor and surety for failure to provide timely notice.

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Facts & Procedural History

In July 1980, Stratton contracted with a property owner for construction of Port LaBelle Inn and Country Club. In February 1981, Stratton subcontracte…

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Opinion of the Court
RYDER, Judge.

RYDER, Judge.

Stratton of Florida, Inc. and its surety, St. Paul Fire and Marine Insurance Company, appeal from the final judgment awarding damages to appellee Cerasoli. We reverse.

The facts adduced below show that in July of 1980, appellant Stratton entered into a general contract with the owner of realty in Hendry County for construction of a project known as Port LaBelle Inn and Country Club. In February 1981, appellant Stratton entered into a subcontract with Kent Associates, Inc., whereby Kent was to perform certain stud, wallboard, lath and stucco work. Kent Associates subcontracted a portion of the stud, wallboard and stucco work to appellee Cerasoli. In connection with the general contract, Stratton posted a payment bond for the project with appellant St. Paul, pursuant to section 713.-23, Florida Statutes (1981).

Appellee Cerasoli began work on the contract on May 14, 1981. Appellee’s services were terminated by Kent Associates on July 8, 1981, and appellee mailed notices to contractor and notices of nonpayment to appellant Stratton on July 8, 1981. The notices were delivered on July 17, 1981.

Appellee filed a complaint seeking damages against Stratton and St. Paul, and appellants’ answer set forth defenses including that appellee failed to comply with the forty-five day notice to contractor provision of section 713.23, Florida Statutes (1981). Following a bench trial, the court found for appellee, ordering appellants to pay the amount owed of $14,761.50.

On appeal, appellants argue that in order to recover from a general contractor or its surety not in privity, a sub-subcontractor must serve a written notice to contractor within forty-five days after first beginning to furnish labor, materials or supplies. We agree. Section 713.23(l)(d), Florida Statutes (1980 Supp.), provides that notice must be given. Section 713.23(l)(f) provides that “no action for the labor or materials or supplies may be instituted or prosecuted against the contractor or surety unless both notices have been given.” It is undisputed below that appellee did not serve the notice required by section 713.-23(l)(d) within forty-five days after beginning to furnish labor, materials or supplies. Thus, the action by appellee below is precluded by the statute.

We acknowledge that prior to the 1977 legislative amendments to the mechanic’s lien law, a lienor failing to serve timely notice could still recover from the owner as a nonpriority lienor. Crane Co. v. Fine, 221 So. 2d 145 (Fla.1969). That recovery was based on the former requirement that the contractor’s final payment affidavit had to list outstanding bills regardless of whether notice was given. Crane Co. v. Fine, supra; section 84.061(3)(d), Florida Statutes (1965). The current statutes specifically state the opposite:

No person furnishing labor or material, or both, who is required to serve a notice under paragraph (2)(a) and who did not serve the notice and whose time for service has expired shall be entitled to be paid by the owner because he is listed in an affidavit furnished by the contractor under subparagraph (c)l.

Section 713.06(3)(c)(4), Florida Statutes (1980 Supp.). Thus, the Crane case cannot be applied to permit recovery on a statutory lien below.

The final judgment below is REVERSED and the case REMANDED for entry of the judgment for appellants.

GRIMES, A.C.J., and SCHEB, J., concur.


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Citator

Cited By

  • Elliot Zaleznik v. Gulf Coast Roofing Co., Inc., 576 So. 2d 776 (Fla. 2d DCA 1991)
    …ervices. The section further states that the lienor’s “failure to serve the notice, or to timely serve it, shall be a complete defense to enforcement of a lien by any person.” § 713.06(2)(a), Fla.Stat. (1985). See Stratton of Fla., Inc. v. Cerasoli, 426 So. 2d 59 [*780] (Fla. 2d DCA), review denied, 434 So. 2d 886 (Fla.1983). In this case, the Zalezniks recorded a notice of commencement naming Monarch as the contractor and requesting that a copy of any lienor’s notice be mailed to Sun Bank.2 Nothing in the…
  • Oolite Indus., Inc. v. Millman Constr. Co., Inc., 501 So. 2d 655 (Fla. 3d DCA 1987)
    …371 So. 2d 559, 561 (Fla. 4th DCA 1979); Morgan v. Goodwin, 355 So. 2d 217, 218 (Fla. 1st DCA 1978); Bard Manufacturing Co. v. Albert & Jamerson Building Supply Corp., 212 So. 2d 13, 16 (Fla. 4th DCA 1968). In Stratton of Florida, Inc. v. Cerasoli, 426 So. 2d 59 (Fla.App.1983), Judge Ryder speaking for the Second District said: “Appellee filed a complaint seeking damages against Stratton and St. Paul, and appellants’ answer set forth defenses including that appellee failed to comply with the forty-five day…
  • Tremack Co. v. Fed. Ins. Co., 569 So. 2d 1355 (Fla. 3d DCA 1990)
    …Knight Erection & Fabrication, Inc., 547 So. 2d 977 (Fla. 4th DCA 1989); Harvesters Group, Inc. v. Westinghouse Electric Corporation, 527 So. 2d 257 (Fla. 3d DCA), review denied, 536 So. 2d 246 (Fla.1988); see Stratton of Florida, Inc. v. Cerasoli, 426 So. 2d 59 (Fla. 2d DCA), review denied, 434 So. 2d 886 (Fla. 1983). It is uncontroverted that appellant failed to give the required statutory notice. The definition of “laborer” contained in the Mechanics' Lien Law is instructive in determining whether appel…

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