HENRY STEPHL, APPELLANT,
v.
E. T. MOORE, R. A. GIDEON, AND C. A. TOLSON, APPELLEES
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A Florida Supreme Court case upholding a permanent injunction against a homeowner who violated restrictive covenants in a residential subdivision by constructing a house less than the required distance from the street line. The court rejected the defendant's arguments that the complaint was insufficient and that the plaintiffs had abandoned their rights through acquiescence in similar prior violations.
The court held that the bill of complaint was sufficient to support an injunction preventing violation of restrictive covenants in a deed without requiring explicit allegations of irreparable injury or nuisance, and that appellees did not abandon their enforcement rights through acquiescence in a few prior violations when the record showed ample grounds for relief and no material effect on appellees' rights.
“when this is the case appropriate allegations showing the violation of or qmsi violation of the covenant is sufficient”
Establishes that injunctions against covenant violations require only appropriate allegations of violation, not explicit irreparable injury or nuisance allegations
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Join FLexlaw to unlock all legal intelligenceAppellees Moore, Gideon, and Tolson owned lots in the Inverness subdivision in Miami and sought an injunction against Stephl, who owned Lot 11, Block …
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Terrell, J.
Appellees secured a temporary injunction againt appellant in the Circuit Court of Dade County, restraining Mm from violating certain restrictive covenants in a deed to Lot 11, Block 5, in the subdivision of the City of Miami, known as Inverness. On final hearing the temporary injunction was made permanent. Appeal is taken from that order. Appellant contends here that the bill of complaint was insufficient on which to predicate a temporary restraining order and that appellees have lost any right to such relief by reason of their long continued acquiescence in previous violations of the covenants brought in question.
The assault on the bill of complaint is grounded on the fact that it does not allege that a violation of the covenants in the deed amounts to an irreparable injury or constitutes a nuisance to the complainants. In this case the injunction is sought to prevent the violation of a-restrictive covenant in a contract agreement and when this is the case appropriate allegations showing the violation of or qmsi violation of the covenant is sufficient. The bill complained of is ample for this purpose and presents a cause of action.
The restrictions in the deed which appellees allege were being violated are as follows:
‘ ‘ That no more than one dwelling house shall be placed on one lot, and no dwelling house shall be less distant than twenty-five feet from the street line in front of said premises, including porch, and on cornor lots not less distant than fifteen feet from the line of the side street. ’ ’
Said deeds also contain the following pertinent provision:
‘ ‘ That a violating of any other restriction above written shall constitute a nuisance which may be abated at the instance of the grantor or any person then a lot owner in said subdivision. ”
Appellant does not deny violating the foregoing restrictions in that he was setting up his house less than twenty-five feet from the street line in front of said premises, but lie attempts to justify such violation on the ground that similar violations have been so often condoned and acquieseened in by appellees that they amount to an abandonment of this provision in the deed. Appellant relies on Scharer v. Pantler, 127 Mo. App. 433, 105 S. W. Rep. 668, to support his contention which would be good law if a case of acquiescence and abandonment were made out.
Covenants restraining the free use of real property, although not favored in law will be enforced by the courts when the restriction applies to the location of buildings to be erected on the land and such restrictions are carried in all deeds with a view to preserve the symmetry, beauty and general good of all interested in the scheme of development. The benefit of the restrictive covenants inures to each purchaser irrespective of the time of purchase. Mayes v. Hale, 82 Fla. 35, 89 So. Rep. 364; Moore v. Stevens, 90 Fla. 879, 106 So. Rep. 901; Pearson v. Stafford, 88 N. J. Eq. 385, 102 Atl. Rep. 836; Bowen v. Smith, 76 N. J. Eq. 456, 74 Atl. Rep. 675; Bacon v. Sandberg, 179 Mass. 396, 60 N. E. Rep. 936; Zipp v. Barker, 166 N. Y. 621, 59 N. E. Rep. 1133.
In the case at bar the record discloses that ‘ ‘Inverness ’ ’ consists of one hundred and twenty lots and that seventeen houses have been built within the said subdivision. Appellees individually own lots in the immediate vicinity of that owned by appellant. A few violations of the restrictions quoted herein are shown but none of them materially effect the rights of the appellees in the premises who have made ample showing for the relief sought.
The decree of the Chancellor is therefore affirmed.
Affirmed:
Whitfield, P. J., and Buford, J., concur. Ellis, C. J., and Strum and Brown, J. J., concur in the opinion.
Cases With Similar Vibessemantic neighbors from the corpus
Citator
Cited By (39 total)
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Osius v. Barton, 109 Fla. 556 (Fla. 1933)…97 Am. Dec. 785; Silberman v. Uhrlaub, 116 N. M. App. Div. 869; 102 N. Y. S. 299; Johnson v. Robertson, 156 Iowa 64, 135 N. W. Rep. 585; Nottingham Patent Brick & Tile Co. v. Butler, L. R. 15 Q. B. Div. 261, L. R. 16 Q. B. Div. 778; Stephl v. Moore, 94 Fla. 313, 114 Sou. Rep. 455; Hall v. Snavely, 93 Fla. 664, 112 Sou. Rep. 551; Mayes v. Hale, 82 Fla. 35, 89 Sou. Rep. 364; Moore v. Stevens, 90 Fla. 879, 106 Sou. Rep. 901, 43 A. L. R. 1127; Mercer v. Kenyton, 99 Fla. 914, 127 Sou. Rep. 859. But the right i…1 / 2
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Hagan v. Sabal Palms, Inc., 186 So. 2d 302 (Fla. 2d DCA 1966)…he comparative injury and the balancing of the relative conveniences of the parties .in the event judgment is for the plaintiffs (see Ortega Com [*315] pany v. Justiss, Fla.App.19656, 175 So. 2d 554; Daniel v. May, supra; Stephl v. Moore, Fla. 1927, 94 Fla. 313, 114 So. 455); whether the case, at some stage of the testimony, should perhaps be transferred to the law side of the Court; etc. In thus narrating certain areas of possible factual dispute we do not intimate in the slightest any opinion or inclinat…
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Allen v. Avondale Co., 135 Fla. 6 (Fla. 1938)…dwelling, which for several years has been occupied and used as a'florist’s shop without objection by the defendant. This very limited and unsubstantial violation of the restrictive covenants would not authorize their cancellation. Stephl v. Moore, 94 Fla. 313; 114 So. 455. As to the changes wholly outside of the restricted area,, these will not authorize a court of equity to cancel or refuse to enforce the covenants, unless the influence of the changes upon the restricted area are such as to clearly neu…
Previewing 3 of 39 citing cases — full citator treatment, depth of discussion, and citing context are member features.
Join FLexlaw to unlock all legal intelligenceAuthorities Cited
- Moore v. Stevens, 90 Fla. 879 (Fla. 1925)
- Mayes v. Maude P. Hale, 82 Fla. 35 (Fla. 1921)