VASILIOS SACHLAS, APPELLANT,
v.
FLORA SACHLAS, APPELLEE
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This is an appeal/certiorari petition from a trial court order abating a resulting trust action and staying proceedings pending resolution of a related divorce action in Canadian courts. The Fourth District Court of Appeal held that the abatement order was not appealable but granted certiorari, finding that Florida law properly governed the resulting trust claim and that the trial court misapplied the relevant statute.
The abatement order was not appealable under Florida Rule of Appellate Procedure 9.130(a)(3)(C)(ii), but certiorari relief was appropriate. The trial court erred in applying section 737.203 because a resulting trust is not one 'registered or having its principal place of administration in another state' but is properly determined under the law of the situs. Florida law properly governs the resulting trust claim, and the matter should proceed in Florida courts rather than being stayed pending Canadian proceedings.
[1] An order abating an action to establish a resulting trust is not appealable under Florida Rule of Appellate Procedure 9.130(a)(3)(C)(ii) as it does not determine the righ…
[2] Certiorari is an appropriate remedy to review a non-appealable order abating an action when the trial court misapplies a statutory provision regarding foreign trusts.
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Join FLexlaw to unlock all legal intelligence“A resulting trust is not one that is 'registered or having its principal place of administration in another state,' but one that is properly determined under the law of the situs.”
Establishes that section 737.203 does not apply to resulting trusts, which are governed by the law where the property is located.
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Join FLexlaw to unlock all legal intelligenceAppellant Vasilios Sachlas filed an action in Florida trial court to establish a resulting trust in his favor regarding real property placed in his wi…
The full statement of facts, procedural history, and disposition for this case are member content.
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GLICKSTEIN, Judge.
This is an appeal from a non-final order, abating the action filed in the trial court. There are two questions:
1. Is the order appealable?
2. If not, should we consider the matter as a petition for writ of certiorari?
As for the first question, the action brought in the trial court by appellant was to establish a resulting trust in his favor with respect to a parcel of real property in Florida placed in his wife’s name. The trial court’s order observed that a divorce action was pending between the parties in Canada; and it opted for the following:
The second course of action would be to abate this action leaving plaintiff to his remedy in the Canadian courts. If the Canadian court should order that it is without jurisdiction to enter a binding order, that order may then be presented here as a basis to dissolve the stay. That seems the more sensible course to me.
The basis for its order was section 737.203, Florida Statutes (1981), which provides:
Trust proceedings; dismissal of matters relating to foreign trusts. — Over the objection of a party, the court shall not entertain proceedings under s. 737.201 for a trust registered, or having its principal place of administration, in another state unless all interested parties could not be bound by litigation in the courts of the state where the trust is registered or has its principal place of administration. The court may condition a stay or dismissal of a proceeding under this section on the consent of any party to jurisdiction of the state where the trust is registered or has its principal place of business, or the court may grant a continuance or enter any other appropriate order. We fail to see the appealability of such order pursuant to Florida Rule of Appellate Procedure 9.130(a)(3)(C)(ii) which permits appeal of a non-final order determining the “right to immediate possession of property.”
However, although the order is not the proper subject of appeal, we believe certiorari is appropriate for the following reasons. First, section 737.203 is inapplicable. A resulting trust is not one that is “registered or having its principal place of administration in another state,” but one that is properly determined under the law of the situs. See Quintana v. Ordono, 195 So. 2d 577 (Fla. 3d DCA 1967) and, generally, 89 C.J.S. Trusts § 99 (1955). Second, if Florida law properly is determinative of the issue, why would Canadian judges want to assume the responsibility of determining it? Third, we see no need to delegate that responsibility, which we have no way of knowing will be assumed, just because the Canadian courts presently appear to have jurisdiction over a divorce action between the parties. Fourth, appellant is entitled to a determination of his claim to a certainty, which our decision provides. Fifth, Florida expressly confers personal jurisdiction over defendants in matters involving the ownership of property. See section 48.193(1)(c), Florida Statutes (1981), which is an expression of legislative intent for this state to assume judicial responsibility for resolution of a dispute involving that subject matter. Accordingly, we grant certiorari.
HERSEY, J., concurs.
LETTS, J., dissents without opinion.
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Int'l Surplus Lines Ins. Co. v. Markham, 580 So. 2d 251 (Fla. 2d DCA 1991)…e petition as one for writ of certiorari. See Fla.R.App.P. 9.040(c); Briggs v. Salcines, 392 So. 2d 263 (Fla. 2d DCA 1980); review denied, 397 So. 2d 779 (Fla.1981); cert. denied, 454 U.S. 815, 102 S.Ct. 92, 70 L.Ed.2d 84 (1981); Sachlas v. Sachlas, 440 So. 2d 1289 (Fla. 4th DCA 1983). For the reasons stated below, we grant the petition, quash the trial court’s order, and remand for further proceedings. Robin Raeburn filed a complaint against respondent, L. Gail Markham and others seeking recision of an inves…
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Cowan v. People of the State of Fla., 463 So. 2d 285 (Fla. 4th DCA 1984)…(Fla. 2d DCA 1980), [*287] pets, for rev. denied, 397 So. 2d 779 (Fla.), cert, denied, 454 U.S. 815, 102 S.Ct. 92, 70 L.Ed.2d 84 (1981). Moreover, orders on abatements are reviewable through petitions for writs of certiorari. See Sachlas v. Sachlas, 440 So. 2d 1289 (Fla. 4th DCA 1983). As for the remainder of the order, such “cat out of the bag” discovery orders are generally reviewed by this court by certiorari. See Greyhound Lines, Inc. v. Jackson, 445 So. 2d 1107 (Fla. 4th DCA 1984). The alleged facts are t…
Authorities Cited
- de Quintana v. Maria del Pilar Bertha Lopez de Quintana de Ordono, 195 So. 2d 577 (Fla. 3d DCA 1967)