GEORGE ROBERT SALISBURY, APPELLANT,
v.
MICHAEL R. SPIELVOGEL, APPELLEE

Fla. 4th DCA | 1984-06-13
No. 83-2352
ANSTEAD, C.J., and DELL, J., concur.
451 So. 2d 974 Florida District Court of Appeal, Fourth District (1984) Positive Treatment
Cited by 21 cases

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Synopsis

In this appeal from a final judgment in a joint venture dispute, the court reversed the award of attorney's fees to the prevailing party because the trial court awarded fees for the entire litigation rather than limiting them to the specific claim—count I of the counterclaim for specific performance—for which the contract actually authorized attorney's fees.


Holding

The court reversed the $3,400 attorney's fee award and remanded for a new hearing limited to attorney's fees for services rendered in prosecuting only the specific performance counterclaim, because the original fee award improperly covered work on issues not covered by the fee provision.


Headnotes

[1] A party seeking attorney's fees bears the burden of proving entitlement to those fees.

[2] When a prevailing party is entitled to attorney's fees for some, but not all, issues in litigation, the fees must be allocated to the specific issues for which they are r…

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Key Quotes

“In seeking attorney's fees for services in litigation where the prevailing party may be entitled to fees for services regarding some of the issues but not others, the burden of proving entitlement to fees is upon the party claiming them.”

Establishes the legal standard that when fees are authorized for only some claims, the party seeking fees must prove the amount attributable to those specific claims.

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Facts & Procedural History

Salisbury and Spielvogel were among seven parties in a joint venture agreement to develop an office building complex. Spielvogel served as trustee wit…

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Opinion of the Court
DOWNEY, Judge.

DOWNEY, Judge.

This is an appeal from that aspect of an amended final judgment that awarded appellee, Spielvogel, an attorney’s fee. Appellant, Salisbury, and appellee, Spiel-vogel, were two of seven parties who entered into a joint venture agreement for the acquisition, development, and construction of an office building complex. Spielvo-gel, as trustee, was to have sole discretion and responsibility in the development and construction of the project. The agreement provided that each of the venturers would buy space in the complex and would join in the execution and/or endorsement of the note and mortgage financing the project. The agreement also contained a provision relative to attorney’s fees as follows:

“The parties hereto mutually acknowledge and agree that any documents requiring their signatures or any payments required to be made by them shall be accomplished within 10 days from the date they are notified in writing by the Trustee and failing which, the defaulting party’s interest shall be subject to foreclosure by the non-defaulting parties hereto. Any costs incident to enforcing the terms hereof shall be charged to a defaulting party including reasonable attorney’s fees.”

Salisbury paid the purchase price for his portion of the space and then commenced suit against Spielvogel to recover what Salisbury claimed was an overcharge. Spiel-vogel denied liability and alleged affirmatively that Salisbury, who acted as general contractor, put extras into the space he ordered and was charged for the extras. In addition, Spielvogel filed a two-count counterclaim against Salisbury. Count I alleged that the mortgagee of the real property on which the project was built demanded the joinder on the mortgage note of all owners of space in the project and Salisbury refused to join, thereby breaching his duty under the joint venture agreement. Count I also alleged Salisbury was liable for attorney’s fees under the agreement for refusal to perform “thereunder.” Spielvogel asked the court to require Salisbury to join in or endorse the mortgage note and to pay attorney’s fees. Count II sought (a) money damages for extras Salisbury had allegedly not paid for and (b) attorney’s fees under the joint venture agreement. Salisbury’s answer to the counterclaim denied liability under either count.

The jury returned a verdict for Spielvo-gel on Salisbury’s complaint and on Count II of the counterclaim. In a bifurcated proceeding the court found in favor of Spielvogel on Count I of the counterclaim and ordered Salisbury to execute the mortgage note referred to in the counterclaim. Finally, the court awarded Spielvogel an attorney’s fee of $3,400.

In a colloquy with counsel the trial judge stated that the contract provided for an allowance of attorney's fees for Spielvo-gel’s claim involving specific performance but not for the defense of Salisbury’s complaint or for Spielvogel’s claim for damages. Yet in adducing evidence relative to the question of attorney’s fees, the parties failed to separate the time and effort expended for the specific performance claim from the other claims and counterclaims. Therefore, the fee allowed was for the entire litigation. In seeking attorney’s fees for services in litigation where the prevailing party may be entitled to fees for services regarding some of the issues but not others, the burden of proving entitlement to fees is upon the party claiming them. United Services Auto. Ass’n. v. Kiibler, 364 So. 2d 57 (Fla.3d DCA 1978).

Since the fee allowed covered irrelevant issues, the portion of the final judgment that awarded Spielvogel a $3,400 attorney’s fee is reversed and the cause is remanded for a new hearing on and award of attorney’s fees for services rendered Spielvogel in prosecuting the counterclaim for specific performance.

REVERSED AND REMANDED, with directions.

ANSTEAD, C.J., and DELL, J., concur.


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Citator

Cited By (12 total)

  • Ocean Club Cmty. Ass'n, Inc. v. Curtis, 935 So. 2d 513 (Fla. 3d DCA 2006)
    …owed attorney’s fees.” Rockledge Mall Assocs., Ltd. v. Custom Fences of Brevard, Inc., 779 So. 2d 558, 559 (Fla. 5th DCA 2001) (citing Plapinger v. E. States Props. Realty Corp., 716 So. 2d 315 (Fla. 5th DCA 1998)); see also Salisbury v. Spielvogel, 451 So. 2d 974, 975 (Fla. 4th DCA 1984) (“In seeking attorney’s fees for services in litigation where the prevailing party may be entitled to fees for services regarding some of the issues but not others, the burden of proving entitlement to fees is upon the party…
  • Lubkey v. Compuvac Sys., Inc., 857 So. 2d 966 (Fla. 2d DCA 2003)
    …er insofar as it awarded trial-level fees and remand with directions to hold a new fee hearing and award fees only for the services Compu-vac’s attorneys performed in prosecuting the breach of settlement agreement issue. See Salisbury v. Spielvogel, 451 So. 2d 974, 975 (Fla. 4th DCA 1984). Finally, AVS contends that Compu-vac should not have recovered attorneys’ fees for responding to the previous appeal of the final judgment in this case because the fee provision in the settlement agreement did not specific…
  • Tagge Franzen v. Lacuna Golf Ltd. P'ship, 717 So. 2d 1090 (Fla. 4th DCA 1998)
    …y’s fees for services in litigation where the prevailing party may be entitled to fees for services regarding some of the issues but not for others, the burden of proving entitlement to fees is upon the party claiming them.” Salisbury v. Spielvogel, 451 So. 2d 974, 975 (Fla. 4th DCA 1984). The trial court must assess each claim individually, see Fairways Royale Ass’n, Inc. v. Hasam Realty Corp., 428 So. 2d 288, 290 (Fla. 4th DCA 1983), and “ ‘determine whether the investigation and prosecution of the successf…

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