V & R, INC., ROGER BACON, STEPHEN VINCENT, AND MONTEGO BAY CORPORATION, APPELLANTS,
v.
ARTHUR M. WOLFF, MICHAEL H. GORA, GULFSTREAM CAMERA & SOUND, INC., HEATH-JO, INC., D/B/A WYN'S GREEN OLIVE LOUNGE, ALOHA TRAVEL AGENCY INC. AND JOHN CAVELL D/B/A FORT LAUDERDALE SECRETARIAL SERVICE, AND ALL OTHERS SIMILARLY SITUATE AS A CLASS, ET AL., APPELLEES

Fla. 4th DCA | 1984-07-05
No. 83-799
Downey, J., Hurley, J., Dell, J.
452 So. 2d 1029 Florida District Court of Appeal, Fourth District (1984)

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Synopsis

The court reversed summary judgment because genuine issues of material fact exist regarding whether a plat dedication of parking lot thoroughfares to public use prohibits commercial tenants from operating valet parking.


Holding

Summary judgment is improper when the language of a plat dedication is subject to different reasonable interpretations and evidence disputes whether valet parking is consistent with the dedication.


Headnotes

[1] When a plat dedication language is susceptible to different reasonable interpretations and evidence disputes the consistency of a proposed use with the dedication, summar…

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Facts & Procedural History

A plat for Coral Shopping Center dedicated all thoroughfares to perpetual public use in fee simple. Commercial tenants operated valet parking in the c…

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Opinion of the Court
PER CURIAM

PER CURIAM

At issue is the propriety of a summary final judgment. We conclude that genuine issues of material fact exist and, therefore, we reverse.

The dedication in the plat of the Coral Shopping Center contains the following language: “All thoroughfares are dedicated to the perpetual use of the public in fee simple forever.” The trial court interpreted this language to prohibit commercial tenants in the shopping center from utilizing valet parking in the common parking lot. In their answer to the complaint, the defendant/tenants asserted that their use of the parking lot is not inconsistent with the plat. Because the language in the plat is subject to different reasonable interpretations, and in view of the disputed testimony that valet parking promotes the best use of the parking lot, we conclude that the pleadings and evidence before the trial court raise genuine issues of material fact concerning the proper interpretation of the dedication. Consequently, summary judgment was improper. See Cove Club Investors, Ltd. v. Sandalfoot Associates, 425 So. 2d 559 (Fla. 4th DCA 1982), petition for rev. denied, 436 So. 2d 100 (Fla.1983); see also Kirsh v. Mannen, 393 So. 2d 63 (Fla. 3d DCA 1981); Eaton v. Madsen, 388 So. 2d 1275 (Fla. 4th DCA 1980); Sarasota County v. Stanton Investment Co. of Missouri, 283 So. 2d 152 (Fla. 2d DCA 1973).

DOWNEY, HURLEY and DELL, JJ., concur.


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