LIBERTY TRANSPORTATION, LLC, A FOREIGN LIMITED LIABILITY CORPORATION, APPELLANT,
v.
BANYAN AIR SERVICES, INC., A FLORIDA CORPORATION, APPELLEE

Fla. 4th DCA | 2008-05-28
No. 4D07-732
STEVENSON and TAYLOR, JJ., concur.
982 So. 2d 1231 Florida District Court of Appeal, Fourth District (2008) Negative Treatment
Cited by 3 cases

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Synopsis

Liberty Transportation appealed a trial court's denial of its motion to amend its counterclaim to add claims for fraudulent lien, disparagement of title, and setoff shortly before trial. The court affirmed, holding that the denial of a motion to amend a compulsory counterclaim is reviewed for abuse of discretion under the same standard as other pleading amendments, and Liberty provided no authority supporting differential treatment.


Holding

The court affirmed the denial of the motion to amend, holding that motions to amend compulsory counterclaims are reviewed under the same abuse of discretion standard as other pleading amendments. Liberty provided no authority supporting differential treatment of compulsory counterclaims, and the timing of the motion closely before trial provided adequate grounds for denying the amendment.


Headnotes

[1] A trial court does not abuse its discretion in denying a motion to amend pleadings to add a compulsory counterclaim when the motion is filed too close to trial.

[2] A compulsory counterclaim not raised in a prior action is generally barred in a subsequent action if the elements of res judicata are satisfied.

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Key Quotes

“Liberty recognizes that the standard of review is abuse of discretion.”

Establishes the governing standard of review for motions to amend pleadings

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Facts & Procedural History

Banyan sued Liberty in October 2003 for breach of contract and enforcement of an equitable lien on an aircraft over a disputed maintenance invoice. Li…

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Opinion of the Court
KLEIN, J.

KLEIN, J.

This appeal arises out of a dispute as to how much Liberty owes Banyan for performing maintenance work on Liberty’s airplane. Banyan recovered an award for damages and Liberty appeals, arguing that the trial court erred in not allowing it to amend to allege a compulsory counterclaim. We find no abuse of discretion and affirm.

Banyan sued Liberty in October of 2003 for breach of contract, damages, and for the enforcement of an equitable lien on the aircraft. Liberty refused to pay the final invoice it received from Banyan, because it was for substantially more than Liberty had allegedly authorized. Liberty filed its answer in January, 2004, and the pleadings were subsequently amended in early 2006 by both parties, with Liberty counterclaiming for replevin of its log books and raising affirmative defenses. The case was then set for trial in July 2006, but Liberty moved for a continuance because it was still conducting discovery. The court denied that motion, but did reschedule the case to start in October 2006, at the request of Liberty’s counsel who had previously scheduled a vacation.

Liberty then deposed the Banyan employee who had prepared the invoice and, based on information obtained during that deposition, moved to amend its counterclaim and affirmative defenses to include a counterclaim for fraudulent lien and disparagement of title, as well as setoff. The trial court denied the motion to amend because it was too close to trial, and it is that ruling which Liberty asserts was error. Liberty recognizes that the standard of review is abuse of discretion. Cousins Rest. Assocs. v. TGI Friday’s Inc., 843 So. 2d 980 (Fla. 4th DCA 2003). Liberty argues, however, that the denial of a motion to amend to add a compulsory counterclaim is somehow different than other motions to amend pleadings. Liberty argues that a different standard applies to compulsory counterclaims, citing Florida Rule of Civil Procedure, section 1.170(f), which provides:

When a pleader fails to set up a counterclaim or crossclaim through oversight, inadvertence of excusable neglect, or when justice requires, the pleader may set up a counterclaim or crossclaim by amendment with leave of the court.

Liberty argues that we should apply rule 1.190(e), which generally governs amendments to pleadings, differently where a compulsory counterclaim is involved, because the failure to raise a compulsory counterclaim will result in a waiver of the claim. Biondo v. Powers, 805 So. 2d 67 (Fla. 4th DCA 2002) and cases cited.

Liberty cites no authority to support its argument that compulsory counterclaims are treated differently, for purposes of amendment, than other pleadings. If the elements of res judicata are satisfied, claims, defenses, and compulsory counterclaims are all barred in a subsequent action. Avant v. Hammond Jones, Inc., 79 So. 2d 423 (Fla.1955).

Affirmed.

STEVENSON and TAYLOR, JJ., concur.


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Cited By

  • Liberty Transp., LLC v. Banyan AIR Servs., Inc., 7 So. 3d 1138 (Fla. 4th DCA 2009)
    …s the second appeal arising from a contract dispute between Appellant, Liberty Transportation, LLC, and Appellee, Banyan Air Services, Inc. This court issued a decision in the first appeal in Liberty Transportation, LLC v. Banyan Air Services, Inc., 982 So. 2d 1231 (Fla. 4th DCA 2008). While that appeal was pending, the trial court imposed an equitable lien on the subject matter of the first appeal (an aircraft of Liberty’s), and awarded prejudgment interest to Banyan. In this appeal, Liberty contests the equ…
    1 / 2
  • Eclectic Synergy, LLC v. Seredin (Fla. 4th DCA 2026)

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