PEOPLES GAS SYSTEM, INC., A FLORIDA CORPORATION, APPELLANT,
v.
HOTEL OCEAN 71 ASSOCIATES, LTD., A FLORIDA LIMITED PARTNERSHIP, APPELLEE
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Peoples Gas System appealed a judgment finding it negligent in advising Hotel Ocean 71 Associates to repair rather than replace a defective steam boiler, resulting in overcharges for natural gas. The Florida appellate court affirmed the trial court's decision in favor of the hotel and against the gas company.
The judgment was affirmed. The court held that the judgment was within the scope of the pleadings, that sufficient evidence supported the trial court's finding, and that the trial court did not commit reversible error in allowing a witness to refer to prepared notes to refresh recollection.
[1] A judgment is within the scope of the pleadings when the claims and defenses addressed in the judgment are raised in the initial pleadings.
[2] Sufficient evidence to support a trial court's finding exists even if that evidence is contradicted by other evidence presented at trial.
Previewing 2 of 3 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“The injunction count alleged negligence against the gas company in giving faulty advices to the hotel-consumer concerning the steam boiler as the basis for resisting collection of the alleged overcharge; the gas company's counterclaim was resisted on the same basis. The ensuing final judgment in favor of the hotel-consumer on both the injunction count and the counterclaim is therefore plainly within the scope of the pleadings.”
Establishes that the judgment was within the scope of pleadings, rejecting the gas company's first point on appeal.
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Join FLexlaw to unlock all legal intelligenceHotel Ocean 71 Associates sued Peoples Gas System to enjoin collection of alleged overcharges for natural gas after the hotel's gas bills soared due t…
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PER CURIAM.
This is an appeal from a final judgment entered below in an action and counter-suit arising from a dispute over alleged overcharges for natural gas supplied by a gas company (Peoples Gas System, Inc.) to a hotel-consumer (Hotel Ocean 71 Associates, Ltd.). We affirm.
The hotel-consumer sued below to enjoin collection of the alleged overcharges and the gas company counterclaimed for collection of its entire gas bill; the amount in controversy was, by stipulation, placed into the registry of the court by the hotel-consumer pending the outcome of the lawsuit. The basis for contesting the alleged overcharge was the gas company’s purported negligence in giving advices to the hotel-consumer as to repairing, rather than replacing, the hotel’s defective gas-operated, steam boiler — after the hotel’s gas bills began to soar due to the defective boiler. Following a non-jury trial, the court below found for the hotel-consumer and against the gas company on both the main action and counterclaim; the amount deposited in the registry of the court was ordered returned to the hotel-consumer. The gas company appeals and raises three points for reversal. It is urged, first, that the judgment entered below is beyond the scope of the pleadings.
We disagree.
The trial court, in the final judgment, specifically found for the hotel-consumer on its injunction count against the gas company and in favor of hotel-consumer on the gas company’s counterclaim for collection on the overcharge. The injunction count alleged negligence against the gas company in giving faulty advices to the hotel-consumer concerning the steam boiler as the basis for resisting collection of the alleged overcharge; the gas company’s counterclaim was resisted on the same basis. The ensuing final judgment in favor of the hotel-consumer on both the injunction count and the counterclaim is therefore plainly within the scope of the pleadings. See Circle Finance Co. v. Peacock 399 So. 2d 81, 84 (Fla. 1st DCA), pet. for review denied, 411 So. 2d 380 (Fla.1981).
The remaining points on appeal challenge (a) the sufficiency of the evidence to support the judgment and (b) an evidentiary ruling made by the court at trial. There is no merit to either point. Sufficient evidence was adduced below — albeit contradicted in part by other evidence — to support the result reached by the trial court, see Shaw v. Shaw, 334 So. 2d 13, 16 (Fla.1976); and the trial court committed no reversible error in allowing a witness to refer to certain notes which the witness had prepared prior to trial for the stated purpose of refreshing his recollection. See § 90.613, Fla.Stat. (1983); McCormick On Evidence § 9 (Clearly 3d ed.1984).
Affirmed.
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Citator
Authorities Cited
- Shaw v. Shaw, 334 So. 2d 13 (Fla. 1976)
- State v. Derrell K. Kelley, 399 So. 2d 81 (Fla. 2d DCA 1981)
- Circle Fin. Co. v. Peacock, 399 So. 2d 81 (Fla. 1st DCA 1981)