MARGARET LEWIS, APPELLANT,
v.
HEARTSONG, INC., A NON-PROFIT CORPORATION, SOFTSTYLE, INC., A FLORIDA CORPORATION, STEPHANAS TRINITY, SARAH TRINITY, ANNA WEGHER, ROBERT LAMONT AND LAURA HAMEN, D/B/A NEW DAWN FUTON, APPELLEES

Fla. 1st DCA | 1990-04-16
No. 88-2964
THOMPSON and MINER, JJ., concur.
559 So. 2d 453 Florida District Court of Appeal, First District (1990) Caution
Cited by 12 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.

Synopsis

Margaret Lewis appealed the dismissal of her complaint against Heartsong, Inc. and related defendants. The court reversed in part and affirmed in part, finding that Lewis sufficiently stated a cause of action for conversion of personal property but not for civil theft.


Holding

Lewis sufficiently stated a cause of action for conversion of personal property under Count II of her complaint, which alleged the defendants' unauthorized removal of her store's inventory and display cases and their refusal to return the property or pay compensation. The court affirmed dismissal of the remaining counts, including Count III's purported claim for civil theft, as civil theft requires allegation of felonious intent, which was not adequately pleaded.


Headnotes

[1] A complaint sufficiently states a cause of action for conversion when it alleges that the defendant unlawfully took possession of the plaintiff's property without consent…

[2] A claim for civil theft requires an allegation of felonious intent to steal.

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Key Quotes

“In Count II of her complaint, appellant alleged that she was the sole owner and operator of the 'Sleep and Dream' store, and that on or about February 12, 1986, the appellees, or their agents, entered the store and removed inventory and display cases without appellant's consent and in opposition to appellant's active protest.”

Establishes the facts sufficient to allege conversion—unauthorized removal of property without consent

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Facts & Procedural History

Lewis joined the Heartsong organization and moved to its farm, assigning a contract for deed for a duplex to the organization. She designed and constr…

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Opinion of the Court
SMITH, Judge.

SMITH, Judge.

Appellant seeks reversal of the dismissal with prejudice of her complaint for failure to state a cause of action. Finding only one cause of action to be sufficiently alleged, we reverse in part and affirm in part.

Appellant joined the Heartsong organization, and moved to the organization’s farm in Gilchrist County. Appellant assigned a contract for deed for a duplex to the organization. Futon beds, which the appellant designed and constructed, were sold in a Gainesville store owned by the organization, doing business as “Softstyle”. Appellant had received thirty-three of the one hundred shares issued by Softstyle, Inc. At some point, the appellant became disillusioned with the organization. She moved off the farm and opened her own business, the “Sleep & Dream Store,” in Gainesville. Appellant filed suit seeking rescission of the assignment, as well as damages for civil theft and conversion.

Appellant does not argue on appeal that she sufficiently alleged the necessary elements of the stated causes of action, but argues instead that causes of action were alleged because the appellees answered the complaint. Appellant argues as well that the trial court abused its discretion in not allowing minor amendment, even thoúgh this was appellant’s fifth attempt to state a cause of action against the appellees.

The appellant did sufficiently state a cause of action for conversion of personal property. In Count II of her complaint, appellant alleged that she was the sole owner and operator of the “Sleep and Dream” store, and that on or about February 12, 1986, the appellees, or their agents, entered the store and removed inventory and display cases without appellant’s consent and in opposition to appellant’s active protest. Appellant alleged further that despite her repeated requests appellees have refused to return the property or to tender payment therefore, and as a result, appellant has suffered damages.

On appeal, appellees argue that appellant failed to sufficiently allege civil theft, which requires, according to the appellees, the allegation that the act was done with a “felonious intent,” citing Bertoglio v. American Savings & Loan Association of Florida, 491 So. 2d 1216 (Fla. 3d DCA 1986). Appellees are correct in asserting that a felonious intent to steal is a necessary element of proof in an action for damages based on a violation of section 812.014(1), Florida Statutes (1985).1 Here, although erroneously labeled by the pleader as “civil theft,” Count II contains sufficient allegations for recovery for conversion. In fact, neither the body of the pleading nor the prayer for relief under Count II mention the civil theft statute, section 772.11, Florida Statutes (Supp. 1986), and no claim for treble damages is made in Count II. Count III, on the other hand, is mislabeled “conversion,” and seeks treble damages. We agree that no claim sufficient to satisfy the requirements of “civil theft” is stated. The erroneous heading “civil theft” preceding the text of Count II is treated as mere surplusage.

We find no error in the trial court’s dismissal of the complaint with respect to the remaining counts. Accordingly, the dismissal is AFFIRMED in part, REVERSED in part, and REMANDED for further proceedings on Count II of the complaint.

THOMPSON and MINER, JJ., concur. . In Bertoglio, appellant argued on appeal that, among other things, a damage award should have been trebled pursuant to the anti-fencing statutes because the jury’s finding that a civil conversion was committed was the "equivalent to a finding of the requisite felonious intent.” 491 So. 2d at 1217. The District Court disagreed, stating: "[I]n the absence of a pleading or proof of criminal intent, a finding of civil conversion alone does not justify an award of treble damages ...” Id.


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Citator

Cited By

  • Westinghouse Elec. Corp., Inc. v. Shuler Bros., Inc., 590 So. 2d 986 (Fla. 1st DCA 1991)
    …ons of ss. 812.012-812.037,” which statutes prohibit theft and dealing in stolen property. § 772.11, Fla.Stat. (1989). A necessary element of proof in such a case is a felonious intent to steal on the part of the defendant. Lewis v. Heartsong, Inc., 559 So. 2d 453 (Fla. 1st DCA 1990). By moving for judgment in accordance with its motion for directed verdict, Westinghouse disputed that there was any legal evidence from which the jury could find for Shuler “under the principles of substantive law applicable to…
  • Friedman v. Lauderdale Med. Equip. Serv., Inc., 591 So. 2d 328 (Fla. 4th DCA 1992)
    …count, finding appellant did not wrongfully take property of appellee. The court also directed a verdict on the civil theft claim, determining that there was no evidence of criminal intent, a necessary element of proof. See Lewis v. Heartsong, Inc., 559 So. 2d 453 (Fla. 1st DCA 1990). However, the case went to the jury on the third claim, and a judgment was rendered against appellant on that count. The appellant moved to assess attorney’s fees pursuant to section 812.035(7) on the ground that, based on the d…
  • Gordon v. Omni Equities, Inc., 605 So. 2d 538 (Fla. 1st DCA 1992)
    …nt) between the parties precludes a finding of civil theft. We reject both of appel-lees’ arguments. [*541] Appellee correctly asserts that in order to support an action for civil theft a complaint must allege “felonious intent.” Lewis v. Heartsong, 559 So. 2d 453 (Fla. 1st DCA 1990). Unlike Lewis, however, the complaint in the instant case alleges that the appellees made willful false representations with the intent to deprive the appellants of their property, that appellees had no legal right to the propert…

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