18 46 SIMMONDS
v.
VILLAGE SQUARE APTS

15th Cir. Ct. App. Div. | 2019-04-16
No. 18-46
1 FLCA 6505 Fifteenth Judicial Circuit Court, Appellate Division (2019)

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Synopsis

Pearley Simmonds appealed an eviction judgment entered against her by Village Square Apartments. The Fifteenth Judicial Circuit Court, Appellate Division reversed the judgment, holding that Village Square Apartments lacked standing because the lease agreement was with a different entity, Village Square Family Ltd.


Holding

Village Square Apartments lacked standing to bring the eviction action because it was not the party to the lease agreement. The trial court's final judgment in favor of Village Square Apartments must be reversed.


Headnotes

[1] A plaintiff must have a legal right to bring an action in court; otherwise, the action will be dismissed.

[2] An appellate court may review a lower court's judgment for error apparent on the face of the record, even without a full transcript of the proceedings.

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Key Quotes

“Village Square Apartments lacks standing in the eviction action because the lease agreement was between Simmonds and a different entity.”

The court's primary holding regarding the lack of standing based on the identity of the contracting party.

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Facts & Procedural History

Simmonds was a tenant in an apartment at Village Square. The lease agreement identified the owner as "Village Square Family Ltd." However, the evictio…

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Opinion of the Court

Village Square Apartments, Pro Se 737 Village Square Circle Delray Beach, FL 33444

PER CURIAM.

Appellant, Pearley Simmonds ("Simmonds"), appeals the final judgment entered against Simmonds in the underlying eviction action and also seeks review of several orders entered prior to the final judgment. Upon review of the record, we find that the final judgment must be reversed because Village Square Apartments lacks standing in the eviction action because the lease agreement was between Simmonds and a different entity.

This Court is not constrained to affirm if there is error apparent on the face of the record. Reyes v. BAC Home Loans Servicing L.P., 226 So. 3d 354, 358 (Fla. 2d 2017) (citing Celebrity Cruises, Inc., v. Fernandes, 149 So. 3d 744, 749 (Fla. 3d DCA 2014) ("although appellant's failure to provide transcript generally dictates affirmance, appellate court may review lower court's judgment for error apparent on its face notwithstanding absence of transcript.") The appellate record includes an Apartment Lease Contract, in which the owner of the residence was listed as "Village Square Family Ltd." In the original complaint, however, the plaintiff was listed as "Village Square Apartments." Under these circumstances, the lack of a transcript of the trial court proceeding does not impede our consideration of Simmonds' challenge to the trial court's denial of her motions and ensuing award of damages to Village Square Apartments.

Because Village Square Apartments is an improper plaintiff in this action and thus lacks standing, we REVERSE the trial court's final judgment in favor of Village Square Apartments and REMAND for further proceedings.

COATES, SASSER, and KERNER, JJ., concur. IN THE CIRCUIT COURT OF THE FIFTEENTH JUDICIAL CIRCUIT IN AND FOR PALM BEACH COUNTY, FLORIDA

PEARLEY SIMMONDS, Appellant,

V.

VILLAGE SQUARE APARTMENTS, Appellee.

APPELLATE DIVISION (CIVIL): AY CASE NO.: 502018AP000046CAXXMB L.T. NO.: 502018CC003252XXXXSB

Opinion/Decision filed: JUN 1 9 2019 Appeal from Palm Beach County Court Judge Reginald Corlew Date of Appeal: May 21, 2018

DATE OF PANEL: April 16, 2019 PANEL JUDGES: COATES, SASSER, KERNER

AFFIRMED/REVERSED/OTHER: REVERSE

PER CURIAM OPINION/DECISION BY: PER CURIAM

CONCURRING: ) DISSENTING: ) With/Without Opinion ) CONCURRING SPECIALLY: ) With/Without Opinion ) ) ) DATE: 03/19 J. Matt Kerne J. J. ) ) DATE: 6/19 J. J. J. ) ) DATE: Mr J. J. J. ) )


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