AMERICAN INTERNATIONAL REALTY, INC., A FLORIDA CORPORATION, AND TIMOTHY S. BRUMLIK, APPELLANTS,
v.
SOUTHEAST FIRST NATIONAL BANK OF MIAMI, AN ASSOCIATION ORGANIZED AND EXISTING UNDER THE LAWS OF THE UNITED STATES, NOW KNOWN AS SOUTHEAST BANK, N.A., APPELLEE

Fla. 3d DCA | 1985-04-23
No. 83-2431
Before BARKDULL, BASKIN and DANIEL S. PEARSON, JJ.
468 So. 2d 383 Florida District Court of Appeal, Third District (1985) Caution
Cited by 15 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.


Holding

The court held that the bank could recover the overdraft amount plus interest and attorney's fees from the corporation for breach of contract, but not triple damages for civil theft from the president.


Headnotes

[1] A bank that honors an overdraft is limited to recovery of the amount advanced plus interest and attorney's fees.

[2] Summary judgment is inappropriate in a civil theft action due to the necessity of proving intent, which is typically a question for the finder of fact.

Previewing 2 of 4 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

Facts & Procedural History

A corporation president wrote a check on the corporate account for personal stock purchases, creating an overdraft. The bank honored the check and sue…

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.


Opinion of the Court
BARKDULL, Judge.

BARKDULL, Judge.

The appellants seek review of an adverse summary final judgment awarding the appellee triple damages in an action alleging breach of contract and civil theft.

American International Realty, Inc. maintained a cheeking account at Southeast Bank. The only signatory on the account was the corporation president, Timothy Brumlik. On or about September 4, 1981, Brumlik executed a check on the account in the amount of $17,379 payable to Paine Webber. The check was to pay for stock personally purchased by Brumlik. There were insufficient funds in the account and an overdraft was created when Southeast Bank made payment on the check. When notified of the overdraft, Brumlik said he thought there were sufficient funds in the account to cover the check but that he would make arrangements to cover it. Payment was never made to Southeast Bank on the overdraft. It filed the instant action seeking damages for breach of contract against American and triple damages against Brumlik for civil theft pursuant to § 812.035(7), Florida Statutes (1981).1 The defendants answered and raised several affirmative defenses. The trial court entered a summary final judgment finding American International Realty, Inc., indebted to the bank for the amount of $18,031.06.2 Brumlik was found to “knowingly obtain or use or endeavor to obtain or use the property of the Plaintiff in the form of cash in the sum of $17,379 with the intent to permanently deprive the Plaintiff of its right to said property ... as prohibited by Florida Statute 812.014,”3 and “that pursuant to Florida Statute 812.-035 Plaintiff is entitled to recover threefold the actual damages which is $17,379.00, attorneys fees and costs of this litigation”.

Thereafter the trial court assessed attorney’s fees in the amount of $8,700.00.

We affirm the summary judgment as relates to Count 1 in the amount of $17,379 plus interest as a compensatory loss.4 We reverse the judgment on the civil theft count.5

At the time of opening the account the parties entered a written contract, a portion of which reads as follows:

“Overdrafts. If you write a check for more money than you have available in your account, you’ll be overdrawn and we have the right to return the check. We are not required to permit overdrafts, but if we do, you agree that we may charge interest on the amount of the overdraft at the highest rate permitted by law.”

Upon the bank receiving the overdrawn check, it had the option to either return it marked “drawn against insufficient funds” or honoring it and considering it a loan to the depositor. The bank unilaterally opted for the latter course. It so notified the depositor and when it was not paid, brought the instant action. The bank was limited, under the circumstances of this case, to recovery of the amount advanced,6 plus interest, and attorney’s fees.

Because the attorney’s fee award was based on the entire amount recovered, some $80,000, it is set aside and should be recomputed based on the ultimate recovery of $17,379.

Therefore we direct the trial court to enter a new summary judgment for the plaintiff, against American, in the amount of $17,379, plus interest cost and attorney’s fees7 and dismiss the action against Brum-lik.

Affirmed in part, reversed in part with directions.

. 812.014 Theft.—

(1) A person is guilty of theft if he knowingly obtains or uses, or endeavors to obtain or to use, the property of another with intent:

(a) To deprive the other person of a right to the property or a benefit therefrom.

(b) To appropriate the property to his own use or to the use of any person not entitled thereto.

**

. The amount of the check of $17,379 plus interest charges.

. 812.035 Civil Remedies; Limitation on Civil and Criminal Actions.

(7) Any person who is injured in any fashion by reason of any violation of the provisions of ss. 812.012-812.037 shall have a cause of action for three-fold the actual damages sustained and, when appropriate, punitive damages. Such person shall also recover attorneys’ fees in the trial and appellate courts and costs of investigation and litigation.

. Even if it was appropriate to award a compensatory judgment against American and treble the compensatory loss against Brumlik, the compensatory loss could only be satisfied one time. Flagship Bank of Orlando v. Bryan, 384 So. 2d 1323 (Fla. 5th DCA 1980).

. Summary judgment would be inappropriate in a civil theft action because of the necessity of finding intent, which should normally be resolved by the finder of fact. State v. Wise, 464 So. 2d 1245 (Fla. 1st DCA 1985); Nesbitt v. Auto-Owners Insurance Company, 390 So. 2d 1209 (Fla. 5th DCA 1980).

. Less any amount recovered by the prejudgment garnishments.

. In determining the amount of attorney’s fees the trial court shall assess an amount incurred for attorney’s service in this appellate proceeding.


Cases With Similar Vibessemantic neighbors from the corpus


Citator

Cited By

  • Murray Rosen v. Marlin, 486 So. 2d 623 (Fla. 3d DCA 1986)
    …omated to compensatory damages; it did not constitute theft. Automated cites no case holding that a simple breach of contract is the equivalent of theft under § 812.014. In fact, American International Realty, Inc. v. Southeast First National Bank, 468 So. 2d 383 (Fla.Dist.Ct.App.1985), holds to the contrary. There, a bank [*627] customer wrote a check on an account in which there were insufficient funds, thereby creating an overdraft. The bank, pursuant to its contract with the customer, made payment on the…
  • Stramaglia v. State, 603 So. 2d 536 (Fla. 4th DCA 1992)
    …ay an amount due under a contract, in itself, does not amount to theft under Florida law. Advanced Surgical Technologies, Inc. v. Automated Instruments, Inc., 777 F. 2d 1504 (11th Cir.1985); American Int’l Realty, Inc. v. Southeast First Nat’l Bank, 468 So. 2d 383 (Fla. 3d DCA 1985). See also Douglas v. Braman Porsche-Audi, Inc., 451 So. 2d 1038, 1039 (Fla. 3d DCA 1984); Belford Trucking Co. v. Zagar, 243 So. 2d 646, 649 (Fla. 4th DCA 1970). Even [*538] though a promise to perform in the future may serve as t…
  • Chuck ST. John v. Kuper, 489 So. 2d 833 (Fla. 3d DCA 1986)
    …lish criminal intent under section 812.014(1), Florida Statutes (1983), in order to support this civil theft action under section 812.035(7), Florida Statutes (1983). See American International Realty, Inc. v. Southeast First National Bank of Miami, 468 So. 2d 383 (Fla. 3d DCA 1985). Affirmed.…

Previewing 3 of 8 citing cases — full citator treatment, depth of discussion, and citing context are member features.

Join FLexlaw to unlock all legal intelligence

Authorities Cited

Full citator, related cases, and AI research tools

Open in FLexlaw