FLORIDA REAL ESTATE COMMISSION, EX REL. HOLLY HILL GROVE & FRUIT CO.
v.
FRANK W. CRISP
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The Florida Supreme Court reversed and remanded a circuit court order dismissing a complaint against a real estate broker because the order failed to include findings of fact as required by statute, even though the substantive conclusion may have been correct.
The circuit court's order must be reversed and remanded because it failed to comply with the statutory requirement that the order contain findings of fact with the same force and effect as findings by a judge in chancery, regardless of whether the ultimate conclusion was correct.
“Such order shall contain a finding of facts, which shall have the same force and effect as the findings of a Judge sitting in Chancery.”
Establishes the statutory requirement that circuit court orders in real estate broker disciplinary matters must include findings of fact
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Join FLexlaw to unlock all legal intelligenceThe Holly Hill Grove & Fruit Company filed a complaint with the Florida Real Estate Commission alleging facts warranting revocation or suspension of F…
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The Holly Hill Grove & Fruit Company filed an information with the Florida Real Estate Commission under Section 4088, C. G. L., making certain allegations which complainant contended required the revocation or suspension of the registration of Frank W. Crisp as a real estate broker. To this information Crisp filed an answer. The Commission -appointed an examiner and testimony was taken before him pursuant to Section 4090, C. G. L. The testimony is voluminous and the exhibits many. After taking the testimony the Real Estate Commission certified the transcript of the proceedings before it to the circuit court, under Section 4092, C. G. L., stating that it “finds that the facts warrant the Commission submitting this cause for the judgment of the court on the information, answers and evidence.” The matter was subsequently argued and submitted to the circuit judge who some eight months later entered an order dismissing the information. In such order or decree, after a preliminary statement of the nature of the cause and the proceedings had, the circuit court stated: “Thereupon the court finds that the information has not been sustained by the testimony, and proofs in said cause, and that the registration of the defendant, Frank W, Crisp, should not be revoked or suspended as prayed in the said information.”
An appeal was taken to this Court under the statute within thirty days.
*602This order of the circuit court does not comply with Section 4094 C. G. L. in that it does not contain a finding of facts. The statute just cited provides that: “Such order shall contain a finding of facts, which shall have the same force and effect as the findings of a Judge sitting in Chancery.”
This case shows the wisdom of this provision of the statute. If the circuit judge had made a finding of facts, it is quite probable that both parties to this appeal would have concurred in the correctness of such finding of facts, thus presenting to this Court mere questions of law, as applied to facts so found, for its decision, which would, in cases of this kind, save the Court an immense amount of labor. Even if the parties could not have agreed as to the correctness of all the findings of fact, as made by the judge, it is quite probable that the differences of opinion as to the correctness of such findings would have been limited to a small proportion thereof, thus limiting the scope of the review by this Court on disputed questions of fact. This was the apparent intent of the Statute.
The error above pointed out does not necessarily go to the correctness of the circuit court’s conclusion, briefly stated as above quoted, or the order dismissing the information, but, nevertheless we deem it such an error as requires a reversal of the order appealed from, and the remanding of the cause with.instructions to the circuit court to embrace within its order a finding of facts as required by the statute. See U. S. v. Adams, 6 Wall. 101, 18 L. Ed. 792.
Reversed and remanded with directions.
Davis, C. J., and Whitfield, Terrell, Brown and Buford, J. J., concur.
*603On Petition for Rehearing.
Upon reversal and remand of a cause like this one for the purpose of having made a proper finding of facts as required by the statutes, the effect is to open up the entire record for the purpose of making such findings of facts, and to leave the cause open for the entry of such appropriate decree pursuant to such findings, as the law and the facts as hereafter found, will justify.
Upon a remand of this cause the court below is not precluded from reaching a different conclusion, nor is it restrained from rendering a different decree, if in his opinion the finding of facts, when made by him, as circuit judge, shall so require.
To give such effect to our previous opinion in this case would be to make the required finding of facts we have directed, a useless formality to be carried out by the circuit judge only as a means for amplifying the .record for a possible new appeal, whereas what we have done is to reverse the present decree as having been erroneously entered because it was not properly predicated upon a finding of specific facts, as the statute requires.
Rehearing denied.
Davis, C. J., and Whitfield, Brown and Buford; J. J. concur.
On Petition for Rehearing.
Per Curiam.
Upon reversal and remand of a cause like this one for the purpose of having made a proper finding of facts as required by the statutes, the effect is to open up the entire record for the purpose of making such findings of facts, and to leave the cause open for the entry of such appropriate decree pursuant to such findings, as the law and the facts as hereafter found, will justify.
Upon a remand of this cause the court below is not precluded from reaching a different conclusion, nor is it restrained from rendering a different decree, if in his opinion the finding of facts, when made by him, as circuit judge, shall so require.
To give such effect to our previous opinion in this case would be to make the required finding of facts we have directed, a useless formality to be carried out by the circuit judge only as a means for amplifying the .record for a possible new appeal, whereas what we have done is to reverse the present decree as having been erroneously entered because it was not properly predicated upon a finding of specific facts, as the statute requires.
Rehearing denied.
Davis, C. J., and Whitfield, Brown and Buford; J. J. concur.
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Holland v. Fla. Real Est. Comm'n, 130 Fla. 590 (Fla. 1938)…disingenuous practices and impositions were perpetrated by unscrupulous dealers, mostly of nebulous or transitory residence, upon credulous and unwary purchasers.” See Florida Real Estate Commission, ex rel. Holly Hill Grove & Fruit Co., v. Crisp, 111 Fla. 600, 149 Sou. Rep. 543, 566. The evidence shows the defendant became acquainted with Mrs. Sears through his salesman, E. J. Masters. She was satisfied with the lot shown her and made a $500.00 payment and signed a purchase agreement to pay the balance…
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J. B. Green Realty Co., Inc. v. Fla. Real Est. Comm'n, 130 Fla. 220 (Fla. 1937)…sion, 92 Fla. 515, 109 Sou. Rep. 442, and Chapter 12223, Laws of Florida, 1927, is construed in the case of State, ex rel. Davis, v. Rose, 97 Fla. 710, 122 Sou. Rep. 225. See: Florida Real Estate Commission, ex rel. Holly Hill G. & F. Co., v. Crisp, 111 Fla. 600, 149 Sou. Rep. 543. The proceeding in this cause was filed under Chapter 12223, Laws of 1927. One of the contentions made by appellant is that he has been deprived of a trial by jury as provided by the Constitution of Florida and the Declaration of…
Authorities Cited
- United States v. Adams, 6 Wall. 101 (U.S. 1867)