ROLANDO POZO, APPELLANT,
v.
GUADALUPE PRADA, APPELLEE
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In this appeal, a bank officer sought to overturn a fraud judgment from 1983 based on an administrative tribunal's later finding that he had not violated professional standards. The court affirmed the original judgment, holding that an administrative determination regarding professional misconduct is separate from a private civil fraud action based on the same transaction.
The court affirmed the judgment, holding that the appellant was not entitled to relief. The administrative finding that the appellant did not violate his responsibilities as a bank officer is separate and distinct from the question of whether he committed fraud as a private co-venturer in a commercial transaction.
[1] A prior administrative finding of not guilty of professional misconduct does not automatically vacate or satisfy a civil judgment for fraud arising from the same transact…
[2] A civil judgment for fraud is not dependent upon findings made by an administrative tribunal concerning professional misconduct.
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Join FLexlaw to unlock all legal intelligence“the finding of the administrative tribunal that the appellant did not violate his responsibilities as a bank officer, is separate from the question decided in the trial court, i.e., whether the appellant, as co-venturer with the appellee, and unrelated to his position as a bank officer, took advantage of the appellee, by misleading words or conduct, inducing her to part with her funds in reliance on his fraudulent misrepresentations.”
Establishes the core distinction that professional misconduct and private civil fraud are separate legal questions with different focuses and purposes.
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Join FLexlaw to unlock all legal intelligenceIn March 1983, after a nonjury trial, the trial court entered judgment for the appellee in the amount of $22,000 based on fraud in a commercial transa…
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FERGUSON, Judge.
In March 1983, after a nonjury trial, the court entered a judgment awarding the appellee $22,000 in damages on a finding that she had been defrauded by the appellant in a commercial transaction.
In December 1987, an administrative tribunal found the appellant not guilty of professional misconduct charges, brought by the Florida Department of Banking and Finance, arising out of the same transaction. It was alleged, in the administrative charges, that the appellant had violated professional standards as a bank officer. Finding that the appellee was not a credible witness, the administrative hearing officer recommended a denial of the Department’s petition to remove the appellant from his position as a bank officer. The State Comptroller and Head of the Department of Banking and Finance entered a final order dismissing the administrative charges. Armed with that administrative disposition, the appellant sought relief from the earlier judgment, relying on Florida Rule of Civil Procedure 1.540(b)(5) which provides:
On motion and upon such terms as are just, the court may relieve a party or his legal representative from a final judgment, decree, order or proceeding for the following reasons: ... (5) the judgment or decree has been satisfied, released or discharged or a prior judgment or decree upon which it is based has been reversed or otherwise vacated or it is no longer equitable that the judgment or decree have prospective application.
We affirm for the following reasons.
First, the judgment of the trial court was not based upon, nor was it dependent upon, any findings made by the administrative tribunal. See Jacksonville Maritime Ass’n v. City of Jacksonville, 551 F.Supp. 1130 (M.D.Fla.1982) (where an agency determination will not materially aid the court, judiciary need not defer its ruling).
Second, the finding of the administrative tribunal that the appellant did not violate his responsibilities as a bank officer, is separate from the question decided in the trial court, i.e., whether the appellant, as co-venturer with the appellee, and unrelated to his position as a bank officer, took advantage of the appellee, by misleading words or conduct, inducing her to part with her funds in reliance on his fraudulent misrepresentations. An administrative action brought by the state in the public interest is distinct from a private action seeking compensation for damages based on the same occurrence. See Albrecht v. State, 444 So. 2d 8 (Fla.1984), superseded by statute on other grounds as stated in, Bowen v. Dep’t. of Envtl. Reg., 448 So. 2d 566 (Fla. 2d DCA 1984).
In addressing the single issue presented by this appeal, we conclude that there is no clear showing of abuse of discretion by the trial court in its ruling that the facts developed at the administrative hearing were not of such a nature that execution of the judgment would be against good conscience. Weitzman v. F.I.F. Consultants, Inc., 468 So. 2d 1085 (Fla. 3d DCA) (citing 30 Am.Jur.2d Executions § 636 (1967)), rev. denied, 479 So. 2d 117 (Fla.1985).
Affirmed.
COPE, Judge
(specially concurring).
I join the opinion but add that the scope of the “prospective application” clause of Rule 1.540(b)(5), Florida Rules of Civil Procedure, is unsettled as applied to a judgment for money damages, apart from the unique circumstances involved in Weitzman v. F.I.F. Consultants, Inc., 468 So. 2d 1085 (Fla. 3d DCA), review denied, 479 So. 2d 117 (Fla.1985). See State ex rel. Metropolitan Dade County v. American Bankers Ins. Co., 558 So. 2d 539 (Fla. 3d DCA 1990) (on rehearing); see also Curtiss-Wright Corp. v. Diaz, 507 So. 2d 1197, 1198 (Fla. 3d DCA 1987), approved on other grounds, 519 So. 2d 610 (Fla.1988). See generally DeClaire v. Yohanan, 453 So. 2d 375 (Fla.1984).
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Citator
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Anamarie Kelly Stoppa v. Sussco, Inc., 943 So. 2d 309 (Fla. 3d DCA 2006)…st-judgment order enforcing compliance with a final judgment and a denial of a Rule 1.540(b)(5) motion for abuse of discretion. See Buckley Towers Condominium, Inc. v. Buchwald, 340 So. 2d 1206, 1208-09 (Fla. 3d DCA 1976)(former); See Pozo v. Prada, 563 So. 2d 726, 727 (Fla. 3d DCA 1990)(latter). II. FACTUAL AND PROCEDURAL HISTORY A. Case Number 05-829 In 1995 and 1996, Sussco made various loans to Stoppa in exchange for promissory notes and a third mortgage on Stoppa’s home. Subsequently, the parties ente…
Authorities Cited
- DeCLAIRE v. Yohanan, 453 So. 2d 375 (Fla. 1984)
- Prudential Prop. & Cas. Ins. Co. v. Lark Lynette Lambert, 444 So. 2d 8 (Fla. 1983)
- Bowen v. Fla. Dep't of Env't Reg., 448 So. 2d 566 (Fla. 2d DCA 1984)
- Weitzman v. F.I.F. Consultants, Inc., 468 So. 2d 1085 (Fla. 3d DCA 1985)
- Curtiss-Wright Corp. v. Diaz, 507 So. 2d 1197 (Fla. 3d DCA 1987)
- Diaz v. Curtiss-Wright Corp., 519 So. 2d 610 (Fla. 1988)
- Jacksonville Mar. Ass'n, Inc. v. City of Jacksonville, 551 F. Supp. 1130 (M.D. Fla. 1982)
- State v. Am. Bankers Ins. Co., 558 So. 2d 539 (Fla. 3d DCA 1990)