R.H. DONNELLEY PUBLISHING & ADVERTISING, INC., PETITIONER,
v.
LAW OFFICE OF PATRICIA K. HERMAN, P.A., RESPONDENT

Fla. 5th DCA | 2010-09-17
No. 5D10-1853
GRIFFIN and COHEN, JJ., concur.
44 So. 3d 208 Florida District Court of Appeal, Fifth District (2010) Positive Treatment
Cited by 2 cases

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Synopsis

R.H. Donnelley sought a writ of mandamus to obtain appellate review of a circuit court judgment dismissing a contractual dispute based on alleged lack of subject matter jurisdiction. The appellate court denied the mandamus petition because Donnelley had an adequate remedy through timely direct appeal, which it failed to pursue.


Holding

Mandamus is not available when a party has an adequate remedy by appeal. Because Donnelley had the adequate remedy of a timely direct appeal but failed to pursue it, the mandamus petition must be denied.


Headnotes

[1] Mandamus is not available when an aggrieved party has an adequate remedy by appeal.

[2] A forum selection clause concerns the appropriate venue of a case, not the court's subject matter jurisdiction.

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Key Quotes

“Mandamus is available '[i]f a lower court, without sufficient reason, neglects or refuses to act on a matter within its jurisdiction ... unless the aggrieved party has an adequate remedy by appeal.'”

Establishes the governing standard for mandamus availability and the requirement that no adequate alternative remedy exist.

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Facts & Procedural History

R.H. Donnelley Publishing & Advertising, Inc. and the Law Office of Patricia K. Herman had a contractual dispute. The circuit court entered a Final Ju…

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Opinion of the Court
ORFINGER, J.

ORFINGER, J.

In its petition for writ of mandamus, R.H. Donnelley Publishing & Advertising, Inc. asks this Court to excuse its failure to file a timely notice of appeal directed to the circuit court’s “Final Judgment,” which concluded that it lacked subject matter jurisdiction to adjudicate the parties’ contractual dispute. Instead, Donnelley seeks appellate review, utilizing the instant mandamus petition.1 “[Mjandamus is available ‘[i]f a lower court, without sufficient reason, neglects or refuses to act on a matter within its jurisdiction ... unless the aggrieved party has an adequate remedy by appeal.’ ” Coral Springs Tower Club II Condo. Ass’n v. Dizefalo, 667 So.2d 966, 967 (Fla. 4th DCA 1996) (quoting Flagship Nat’l Bank of Miami v. Testa, 429 So.2d 69, 70 (Fla. 3d DCA 1983)). Because Don-nelley had an adequate remedy available by filing a timely direct appeal, which it failed to do, we conclude that the instant petition should be denied.

MANDAMUS DENIED.

GRIFFIN and COHEN, JJ., concur.


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Cited By

  • Bank OF Am., N.A. v. Lane, 76 So. 3d 1007 (Fla. 1st DCA 2011)
    …rus Stornoway Invs., LLC v. Kerley, 38 So. 3d 840, 842 (Fla. 1st DCA 2010); Copeleo Leasing Corp. v. Best Photo Shop, Inc., 678 So. 2d 17, 18 (Fla. 4th DCA 1996). Accord R.H. Donnelley Publ’g & Adver., Inc. v. Law Office of Patricia K. Herman, P.A., 44 So. 3d 208, 208 n. 1 (Fla. 5th DCA 2010). Instead, the trial court determined on its own motion at the conclusion of the hearing on appellant’s motion for rehearing that the default judgment should be set aside based upon excusable neglect. However, the trial…

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