MANUEL UMANA AND NUBIA UMANA,
v.
CITIZENS PROPERTY INSURANCE CORPORATION,
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The appellate court affirmed a trial court's summary judgment for an insurer in a residential insurance dispute. The court found that the insureds failed to provide a transcript of the hearing where their counter-affidavit was struck, preventing review of that decision. The court also found no genuine issue of material fact and no abuse of discretion in denying a motion for rehearing.
The appellate court held that it could not review the trial court's decision to strike the counter-affidavit due to the absence of a hearing transcript. It further held that the trial court correctly granted summary judgment as there was no genuine issue of material fact, and that the denial of the motion for rehearing was not an abuse of discretion.
[1] An appellate court cannot meaningfully review a trial court's decision on an issue of fact or the exercise of judicial discretion without a transcript of the relevant hea…
[2] A party appealing a trial court's discretionary ruling, such as striking an affidavit as untimely, must provide a transcript of the hearing where the ruling was made.
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“In the instant case, the insureds seek review of the trial court’s decision, at the summary judgment hearing, to strike their counter-affidavit as untimely. The absence of a hearing transcript at which the trial court made this decision prevents any meaningful review of whether the trial court abused its discretion in this regard.”
Explains why the appellate court could not review the striking of the counter-affidavit.
Previewing 1 of 3 key quotes on this case — the court’s exact language, pinpointed for members.
Join FLexlaw to unlock all legal intelligenceThe insureds, Manuel and Nubia Umana, appealed a summary judgment granted to their insurer, Citizens Property Insurance Corporation. They argued the t…
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EMAS, C.J.
In this residential insurance coverage dispute, the insureds Manuel and Nubia Umana appeal the trial court’s final summary judgment in favor of the insurer, Citizens Property Insurance Corporation. The insureds also appeal the order denying their motion for rehearing.
We affirm for the following reasons: First, although the insureds contend that the trial court abused its discretion by striking as untimely the counter-affidavit filed in opposition to Citizens’ motion for summary judgment, they failed to provide a transcript of the relevant hearing. And while it is true that the absence of a transcript is not necessarily fatal to review of a trial court’s decision at a summary judgment hearing, see Rollet v. de Bizemont, 159 So. 3d 351, 357 (Fla. 3d DCA 2015); Seal Prods. v. Mansfield, 705 So. 2d 973 (Fla. 3d DCA 1998), it is not the nature of the hearing, but rather the nature of the alleged error, which dictates the adequacy of the record on appeal: Whether the absence of the transcript is fatal to the appeal depends on the nature of the alleged error. The appellate court may be able to correct an error of law without a transcript of the testimony presented in the lower tribunal. Likewise, the appellate court may be able to correct an error that appears on the face of the record.
In contrast, the absence of a transcript is likely to present a serious problem if the order is one that turns on an issue of fact or the proper exercise of judicial discretion. In either of these events, it may be impossible to evaluate the order without reference to a full record of the testimony and other evidence.
Philip J. Padovano, Florida Appellate Practice, § 18:3 (2018 ed.) In the instant case, the insureds seek review of the trial court’s decision, at the summary judgment hearing, to strike their counter-affidavit as untimely. The absence of a hearing transcript at which the trial court made this decision prevents any meaningful review of whether the trial court abused its discretion in this regard.1 See Applegate v. Barnett Bank of Tallahassee, 377 So. 2d 1150 (Fla. 1979); Barsan v. Trinity Fin. Servs., LLC, 258 So. 3d 516 (Fla. 3d DCA 2018); Rodriguez v. Lorenzo, 215 So. 3d 631 (Fla. 3d DCA 2017).2 Anchor Prop. & Cas. Ins. Co., 252 So. 3d 277 (Fla. 3d DCA 2018); Les Chateaux at Int'l Gardens Condo. Ass’n v. Cuevas & Assocs., P.A., 219 So. 3d 106 (Fla. 3d DCA 2017); Deshazior v. Sch. Bd. of Miami-Dade Cty., Fla., 217 So. 3d 151 (Fla. 3d DCA 2017).
Finally, we find no abuse of discretion in the trial court’s denial of the insureds’ motion for rehearing premised upon new evidence. “A trial court has the discretion to refuse to consider a counter-affidavit presented for the first time on a motion for rehearing of a summary judgment as being too late.
However, a trial court also has broad discretion to grant a rehearing of a summary judgment when the party seeking rehearing submits matters that would have created an issue precluding summary judgment if they had been raised prior to the hearing on the motion.” Knowles v. JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A., 994 So. 2d 1218, 1219-20 (Fla. 2d DCA 2008) (citations and quotations omitted).3 See also Coffman Realty, Inc. v. Tosohatchee Game Pres., Inc., 413 So. 2d 1 (Fla. 1982) (adopting Coffman Realty, Inc. v. Tosohatchee Game Pres., Inc., 381 So. 2d 1164, 1167 (Fla. 5th DCA 1980) (observing: “Were we to hold that affidavits could be filed late and that a trial judge never had discretion to refuse them, we would effectively destroy what little the Appellate Courts have left of the summary judgment procedure”)); Les Chateaux, 219 So. 3d at 108; Lufthansa German Airlines Corp. v. Mellon, 444 So. 2d 1066, 1067 (Fla. 3d DCA 1984) (holding that “the trial court was well within its discretion
However, as discussed supra, the insureds have failed to provide any transcript of the hearing at which this ore tenus motion was made. Further, the order on appeal reflects (and the insureds concede) that “[b]oth parties agreed to go forward today waiving any discovery issues.” The insureds’ claim that the trial court abused its discretion in not continuing the hearing is therefore without merit.2 To the extent that the question of timeliness can be resolved by simple math (and reviewed de novo), we find the trial court properly determined the filing was untimely. See Fla. R. Civ. P. 1.510(c) (2018) (providing: “The adverse party must identify, by notice served pursuant to rule 1.080 at least 5 days prior to the day of the hearing, or delivered no later than 5:00 p.m.2 business days prior to the day of the hearing, any summary judgment evidence on which the adverse party relies”).
in declining to consider this affidavit on the ground that it was untimely filed in violation of Fla. R. Civ. P. 1.510(c)”). Affirmed.
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Previewing 3 of 6 citing cases — full citator treatment, depth of discussion, and citing context are member features.
Join FLexlaw to unlock all legal intelligenceAuthorities Cited (13 total)
- Pitcher v. Schneider (Fla. 5th DCA 2018)
- Coffman Realty, Inc. v. Tosohatchee Game Preserve, Inc., 413 So. 2d 1 (Fla. 1982)
- Coffman Realty, Inc. v. Tosohatchee Game Preserve, Inc., 381 So. 2d 1164 (Fla. 5th DCA 1980)
- Gilles Rollet v. Gwenaelle de Bizemont, 159 So. 3d 351 (Fla. 3d DCA 2015)
- Seal Prods. v. Mansfield, 705 So. 2d 973 (Fla. 3d DCA 1998)
- AC Holdings 2006, Inc. v. McCARTY, 985 So. 2d 1123 (Fla. 3d DCA 2008)
- Knowles v. Jpmorgan Chase Bank, 994 So. 2d 1218 (Fla. 2d DCA 2008)
- Rodriguez v. Lorenzo, 215 So. 3d 631 (Fla. 3d DCA 2017)
- Lufthansa German Airlines Corp. v. Mr. and Mrs. Matthew T. Mellon, 444 So. 2d 1066 (Fla. 3d DCA 1984)
- Barsan v. Trinity Fin. Servs., LLC, 258 So. 3d 516 (Fla. 3d DCA 2018)