DONALD LINCKS, APPELLANT,
v.
JOAN KEENAN, ET AL., APPELLEES

Fla. 4th DCA | 2009-11-25
No. 4D08-2807
WARNER, LEVINE, JJ„ and McCANN, JAMES W, Associate Judge, concur.
21 So. 3d 184 Florida District Court of Appeal, Fourth District (2009)

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Holding

A complaint that fails to state a cause of action cannot form the basis of a judgment, even if a default has been entered against the defendant.


Facts & Procedural History

Appellant sued multiple defendants, including Keenan. The trial court granted a default against Keenan for discovery violations. However, the court la…

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Opinion of the Court
PER CURIAM.

PER CURIAM.

Appellant challenges the dismissal of his fifth amended complaint against Joan Keenan, claiming that the court should not have dismissed it as to Keenan when it had earlier granted a default against her.1 However, the court dismissed the com*185plaint for failure to state a cause of action. Because the entry of a default constitutes an admission of only the well-pleaded factual allegations of the complaint, see Days Inns Acquisition Corp. v. Hutchinson, 707 So.2d 747 (Fla. 4th DCA 1997), a complaint which fails to state a cause of action cannot form the basis of a judgment against the defendant. See GAC Corp. v. Beach, 308 So.2d 550 (Fla. 2d’DCA 1975). The court did not err in dismissing the complaint against Keenan for failure to state a cause of action, even though it had previously granted a motion for default as to Keenan.2

Affirmed.

WARNER, LEVINE, JJ„ and McCANN, JAMES W, Associate Judge, concur.


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