WILLIAM S. MOORE, SHARON L. MOORE, HIS WIFE, CARL J. DUNCAN AND DIANE DUNCAN, HIS WIFE, APPELLANTS,
v.
JARVIS ENTERPRISES, INC., D/B/A JARVIS CONSTRUCTION CO., MARTY MILLER, D/B/A THE LOADEROLOGIST, POOLS BY LAGASSEE, INC., A FLORIDA CORPORATION, APPELLEES

Fla. 2d DCA | 1988-04-20
No. 87-1447
LEHAN and HALL, JJ., concur.
523 So. 2d 1233 Florida District Court of Appeal, Second District (1988) Positive Treatment
Cited by 2 cases

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Synopsis

Property owners contracted with construction companies to remodel rental units. A dispute arose over contract performance and payment, and the trial court found an accord and satisfaction agreement that it deemed a complete defense to all six counts of the complaint. The appellate court affirmed the accord and satisfaction finding as to the breach of contract claim but reversed as to the remaining counts, holding that accord and satisfaction is not a valid defense to negligence, unjust enrichment, and other non-contract claims.


Holding

The trial court properly found a valid accord and satisfaction agreement supported by sufficient evidence and proper consideration, and this finding is upheld as to Count I (breach of contract). However, accord and satisfaction is not a valid affirmative defense to Counts II through VI, which include negligence, unjust enrichment, and other claims independent of the contract.


Headnotes

[1] An accord and satisfaction, if valid and supported by sufficient consideration, can serve as a complete avoidance to a breach of contract claim.

[2] An accord and satisfaction is not an affirmative defense to claims of negligence, unjust enrichment, or requests for an accounting.

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Key Quotes

“the trier of fact is in the best position to weigh the evidence and determine the credibility of the witnesses”

Establishes the standard of review for factual findings on appeal; affirms deference to trial court's credibility determinations

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Facts & Procedural History

Appellants Moore and Duncan owned rental units in Manatee County, Florida and contracted with Jarvis Enterprises, Marty Miller, and Pools by LaGassee …

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Opinion of the Court
RYDER, Acting Chief Judge.

RYDER, Acting Chief Judge.

Appellants have rental units in Manatee County, Florida. They contracted with appellees to remodel three units and construct a fourth. During construction, a dispute arose concerning the contract and the quality of the work performed. Appellants filed an action with six counts: Count I, breach of contract; Count II, negligence; Count III, show cause why liens filed by appellee Jarvis should not be cancelled; Count IV, unjust enrichment for failure to pay subcontractor; Count V, show cause why liens filed by appellees Loaderologist and Pools by LaGassee should not be can-celled; and Count VI, accounting.

Appellee Jarvis raised the affirmative defense of accord and satisfaction. By stipulation of the parties, the affirmative defense was tried first as a “bifurcated issue.” After a hearing, the trial court entered a partial final judgment, finding “that the written settlement agreement entered into between the parties is legally valid and binding and supported by sufficient consideration.” The trial court ordered that appellee Jarvis’ “affirmative defense constitutes a complete avoidance to the Plaintiffs’ Complaint.” This appeal ensued.

Appellants argue that the trial court erred in finding an accord and satisfaction because there was no evidence of appellants’ intent to enter into such. Our review of the record indicates that the evidence is conflicting as to appellants’ intent. The July 12, 1983 memorandum signed by both sides of this dispute states: “On completion, immediate payment will be made in full with regards to our change orders and our original contract with the following exceptions.” That language could easily be construed as embodying appellants’ intent to enter into an accord and satisfaction. Appellant William S. Moore, who had signed the memo, testified such was not his intent. The other person signing the memo, Joel Jarvis, testified it was the intent of all the parties present at the meeting (which resulted in the memo) to resolve all their differences. Richard Carter, attorney for William Moore at the time of the meeting and signing of the memo, testified that the memo’s purpose was to resolve all conflicts between the parties.

No citation is needed for the time-honored legal principle that the trier of fact is in the best position to weigh the evidence and determine the credibility of the witnesses. Although the evidence was conflicting, the trial court’s finding was supported by sufficient, competent evidence and we will not disturb it on appeal. See Friedman v. U.S. Home Corp., 452 So. 2d 1111, 1112 (Fla. 2d DCA 1984).

However, the trial court found accord and satisfaction to be “a complete avoidance to the Plaintiffs’ Complaint.” The trial court erred in this regard. Accord and satisfaction was properly found to be an avoidance to appellants’ breach of contract count, but accord and satisfaction is not an affirmative defense to Counts II through VI.

Accordingly, we affirm the trial court’s partial final judgment as to Count I of the complaint, reverse the partial final judgment as to Counts II through VI of the complaint and remand for further proceedings consistent with this opinion.

Affirmed in part, reversed in part, and remanded with instructions.

LEHAN and HALL, JJ., concur.


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Citator

Cited By

  • Elliott Ross v. Bandi, 566 So. 2d 55 (Fla. 4th DCA 1990)
    …igh the evidence and determine the credibility of the witnesses. Although the evidence was conflicting, the trial court’s finding is supported by sufficient, competent evidence and we will not disturb it on appeal. Moore v. Jarvis Enterprises, Inc., 523 So. 2d 1233 (Fla. 2d DCA 1988). Accordingly, we affirm point I on appeal. On the other hand, we find merit in appellant’s argument that the trial court erred when it determined appellant’s corporate stock to be marital property. In Temple v. Temple, 519 So. 2…

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