JANET LEE MOYLE, APPELLANT,
v.
THE PARKLAND CONDOMINIUM ASSOCIATION, INC., APPELLEE

Fla. 2d DCA | 2005-03-16
No. 2D04-2107
Villanti, J., Davis, J., Silberman, J.
898 So. 2d 259 Florida District Court of Appeal, Second District (2005) Positive Treatment
Cited by 2 cases

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Synopsis

Florida appellate court reversed attorney's fee award in condominium foreclosure dispute because trial court failed to make required findings on hourly rate, hours expended, and enhancement/reduction factors under Florida Patient's Compensation Fund v. Rowe.


Holding

A trial court must make specific findings regarding hourly rate, hours reasonably expended, and appropriateness of enhancement or reduction factors when awarding attorney's fees, and failure to do so renders the fee award fundamentally erroneous.


Headnotes

[1] Trial court must make specific findings regarding hourly rate, hours reasonably expended, and appropriateness of enhancement or reduction factors when awarding attorney's…

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Key Quotes

“the trial court did not specify exactly how much of the award was for attorney's fees, nor did it make the required Rowe findings.”

Court explaining why the fee award was deficient

Facts & Procedural History

Parkland Condominium Association sought to recover delinquent assessments, interest, attorney's fees, and costs from Janet Moyle, including surplus fu…

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Opinion of the Court
VILLANTI, Judge.

VILLANTI, Judge.

Janet Moyle appeals the trial court’s “Order for Delinquent Assessments, Interest, Attorney’s Fees and Costs.” She raises two issues — the trial court’s jurisdiction and the attorney’s fee award. As to the first issue, we affirm without comment. As to the second issue, we reverse the trial court’s order because it fails to set forth specific findings as to the hourly rate for attorney’s fees, the number of hours reasonably expended, and the appropriateness of reduction or enhancement factors as required by Florida Patient’s Compensation Fund v. Rowe, 472 So. 2d 1145 (Fla.1985). See Guardianship of Halpert v. Martin S. Rosenbloom, P.A., 698 So. 2d 938 (Fla. 4th DCA 1997) (noting that Roive findings are mandatory).

The trial court found that The Parkland Condominium Association, Inc., was entitled to recover attorney’s fees, costs, interest, and surplus funds from a foreclosure sale that had been disbursed to Moyle in the amount of $9,744.13.

However, the trial court did not specify exactly how much of the award was for attorney’s fees, nor did it make the required Rowe findings.

Therefore, the order is fundamentally erroneous on its face. Seé Baratta v. Valley Oak Homeowners’ Ass’n at the Vineyards, Inc., 891 So. 2d 1063 (Fla. 2d DCA 2004).

We reverse the amount of fees awarded and remand with directions that the trial court make the findings required by Rowe to support an award of fees. Affirmed in part, reversed in part, and remanded.

DAVIS and SILBERMAN, JJ., concur.


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Citator

Cited By

  • Shep Harris, Jr. v. Zenoria T. McKINNEY, 20 So. 3d 400 (Fla. 2d DCA 2009)
    …ase law, the “fundamentally erroneous on its face" standard is applicable to all attorney's fees orders that lack Rowe findings. See Parton v. Palomino Lakes Prop. Owners Ass'n, 928 So. 2d 449, 453 (Fla. 2d DCA 2006); Moyle v. Parkland Condo. Ass’n, 898 So. 2d 259, 259 (Fla. 2d DCA 2005); Bader v. Meros, Smith & Olney, P.A., 916 So. 2d 6, 6 (Fla. 2d DCA 2004); Guardianship of Halpert v. Martin S. Rosenbloom, P.A., 698 So. 2d 938, 939 (Fla. 4th DCA 1997). . 1 acknowledge that in Boyle, 485 So. 2d at 879, this…

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