FRED M. JOHNSON, GWEN P. JOHNSON, MICHELE E. EDDY, HARRY R. MILLS, AND TWILA W. MILLS, APPELLANTS,
v.
GULF COUNTY, FLORIDA, A POLITICAL SUBDIVISION OF THE STATE OF FLORIDA, AND WILLIAM JOSEPH RISH, JR., AN INDIVIDUAL, APPELLEES
AI-generated. These summaries, headnotes, and key points are machine-generated and may contain errors or omissions. Always verify against the full opinion text below. Not legal advice.
Appellants challenged a trial court's dismissal of their complaint alleging that a neighboring property owner violated wetland protections under Florida law and the county's comprehensive plan. The court reversed the dismissal, holding that the trial court abused its discretion by refusing to allow the appellants to amend their complaint before dismissing it.
The trial court abused its discretion in dismissing the case without allowing appellants an opportunity to amend. At the early stage of litigation, appellants stated claims that could potentially be supported by facts, and the standard for dismissal requires establishing beyond any doubt that the claimant could prove no set of facts whatever in support of the claim.
[1] A trial court abuses its discretion by dismissing a complaint with prejudice without allowing the plaintiff an opportunity to amend.
[2] A complaint is subject to dismissal for failure to state a cause of action only if the movant can establish beyond any doubt that the claimant could prove no set of facts…
Previewing 2 of 5 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“A complaint is not subject to dismissal for failure to state a cause of action "unless the movant can establish beyond any doubt that the claimant could prove no set of facts whatever in support of his claim."”
Establishes the high standard required for dismissal on the pleadings, which the trial court failed to meet.
Previewing 1 of 3 key quotes on this case — the court’s exact language, pinpointed for members.
Join FLexlaw to unlock all legal intelligenceAppellants owned property adjacent or proximate to property owned by William Joseph Rish, Jr. in Gulf County, Florida. Rish allegedly destroyed wetlan…
The full statement of facts, procedural history, and disposition for this case are member content.
Join FLexlaw to unlock all legal intelligence© FLexlaw, Inc. — AI-generated enrichments are proprietary. All rights reserved.
Explore caselaw by topic → Browse Aggrieved Or Adversely Affected Party cases and more on FLexlaw
PER CURIAM.
Fred M. Johnson, Gwen P. Johnson, Michele E. Eddy, Harry R. Mills, and Twila W. Mills, plaintiffs below, appeal a final order dismissing with prejudice their initial complaint against Gulf County and William Joseph Rish, Jr. for injunctive relief under section 163.3215, Florida Statutes (2006). Because the trial court abused its discretion in dismissing this case without allowing appellants an opportunity to amend, we reverse.
Section 163.3215(3) allows “[a]ny aggrieved or adversely affected party” to bring suit to challenge “any decision of [a] local government granting or denying an application for, or to prevent [the] local government from taking any action on, a development order, ... which materially alters the use or density or intensity of use on a particular piece of property” inconsistent with that local government’s comprehensive plan. Appellants allege that appellee Rish destroyed wetlands and replaced those wetlands with fill in connection with the development of his property located adjacent or proximate to appellants’ property in violation of Gulf County’s comprehensive plan and allege that the County allows development in wetlands such as Rish’s without issuing a development order contrary to Florida law. See § 380.04(f)(g).
Appellants assert that, in addition to the claim under section 163.3215(3), they also seek to file a count for common law nuisance. The numerous issues present in this case, however, are either factual issues that are inappropriate for resolution by motion to dismiss, see Meadows Community Association, Inc. v. Russellr-Tutty, 928 So. 2d 1276, 1280 (Fla. 2d DCA 2006), or issues that were not raised below and preserved for appellate review. See Tillman v. State, 471 So. 2d 32, 35 (Fla.1985)(“In order to be preserved for further review by a higher court, an issue must be presented to the lower court and the specific legal argument or ground to be argued on appeal or review must be part of that presentation if it is to be considered preserved.”).
A complaint is not subject to dismissal for failure to state a cause of action “unless the movant can establish beyond any doubt that the claimant could prove no set of facts whatever in support of his claim.” Ingalsbe v. Stewart Agency, Inc., 869 So. 2d 30, 35 (Fla. 4th DCA 2004) quoting Morris v. Florida Power & Light Co., 753 So. 2d 153, 154 (Fla. 4th DCA 2000).
Although we do not address the merits of the allegations in appellants’ complaint and proposed amended complaint, we certainly cannot say at this early stage of the litigation that appellants could not prove a set of facts that would support their claims. Further, it does not appear that “amendment would, prejudice [appellees], the privilege to amend has been abused, or amendment would be futile.” Geer v. Jacobsen, 910 So. 2d 391, 393 (Fla. 2d DCA 2005)(quoting Carter v. Ferrell, 666 So. 2d 556, 557 (Fla. 2d DCA 1995)).
Accordingly, we conclude that the trial court abused its discretion in denying appellants’ motion for leave to serve an amended complaint.
REVERSED and REMANDED for further proceedings consistent with this opinion.
KAHN and VAN NORTWICK, JJ., Concur, and BENTON, J., Concurs in Judgment with Opinion.
BENTON, J.,
concurring in the judgment.
I agree the appellants should have another opportunity to plead. See Owens v. Ridley, 870 So. 2d 886 (Fla. 1st DCA 2004).
Cases With Similar Vibessemantic neighbors from the corpus
Citator
Cited By
-
Johnson v. Gulf Cnty., 26 So. 3d 33 (Fla. 1st DCA 2009)…r section 163.3215(3), Florida Statutes (2006).2 The trial court dismissed the complaint ruling that Johnson and the other neighbors did not possess standing to seek relief under section 163.3215. This court reversed. Johnson v. Gulf County et al., 965 So. 2d 298 (Fla. 1st DCA 2007) (holding that the trial court had abused its discretion in dismissing the case without allowing appellants an opportunity to amend). Throughout this litigation, Rish proceeded to clear and fill his property. On March 21, 2007, R…
Authorities Cited
- Tillman v. State, 471 So. 2d 32 (Fla. 1985)
- The Meadows Cmty. Ass'n, Inc. v. Russell-Tutty, 928 So. 2d 1276 (Fla. 2d DCA 2006)
- Raymond G. Ingalsbe, Raymond G. Ingalsbe, P.A. v. Stewart Agency, Inc., 869 So. 2d 30 (Fla. 4th DCA 2004)
- Carter v. Ferrell, 666 So. 2d 556 (Fla. 2d DCA 1995)
- Morris v. Fla. Power & Light Co., 753 So. 2d 153 (Fla. 4th DCA 2000)
- Geer v. David Neal Jacobsen, Brian James Almengual, & Almengual & Warner, P.A., 910 So. 2d 391 (Fla. 2d DCA 2005)
- Comprehensive Health Ctr., Inc. v. LAW Offs. OF Robert A. Trilling, 870 So. 2d 886 (Fla. 3d DCA 2004)
- Owens v. Ridley, 870 So. 2d 886 (Fla. 1st DCA 2004)