GUARANTEE INSURANCE COMPANY, APPELLANT,
v.
WORKER'S TEMPORARY STAFFING, INC., APPELLEE

Fla. 5th DCA | 2011-05-20
No. 5D10-1905
TORPY, LAWSON and COHEN, JJ., concur.
61 So. 3d 1233 Florida District Court of Appeal, Fifth District (2011) Positive Treatment
Cited by 6 cases

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Holding

A voluntary dismissal without prejudice is not a judgment or the functional equivalent of a confession of judgment, and thus does not trigger entitlement to attorney's fees under section 627.428.


Headnotes

[1] A voluntary dismissal without prejudice does not constitute a judgment or the functional equivalent of a confession of judgment for the purpose of awarding attorney's fee…

[2] Attorney's fees and costs under section 627.428, Florida Statutes, are only recoverable upon the rendition of a judgment or decree against an insurer.

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Facts & Procedural History

Appellant voluntarily dismissed its breach of contract action without prejudice after the trial court dismissed its complaint for failure to attach po…

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Opinion of the Court
PER CURIAM.

PER CURIAM.

Appellant challenges the judgment awarding attorney’s fees and costs to Ap-pellee, pursuant to section 627.428, Florida Statutes (2006), after Appellant voluntarily dismissed (without prejudice) its action for unpaid premiums. Because the voluntary dismissal was neither a judgment nor the functional equivalent of a confession of judgment — a precondition to an award under section 627.428 — we reverse.

Appellant filed a one-count breach of contract complaint against Appellee for alleged failure to pay additional premiums owed under a worker’s compensation policy. Although Appellant attached the original policy to its complaint, it failed to attach the policy renewals. The lower court, upon Appellee’s motion, entered an order dismissing the complaint for failure to attach the policy renewals, and affording Appellant twenty days to file an amended complaint. Before the time period to file the amendment lapsed, Appellant filed a notice of voluntary dismissal without prejudice. Appellee then filed a motion for attorney’s fees and costs pursuant to section 627.428, Florida Statutes (2006),1 which provides:

(1) Upon the rendition of a judgment or decree by any of the courts of this state against an insurer and in favor of any named or omnibus insured or the named beneficiary under a policy or contract executed by the insurer, the trial court or, in the event of an appeal in which the insured or beneficiary prevails, the appellate court shall adjudge or decree against the insurer and in favor of the insured or beneficiary a reasonable sum as fees or compensation for the insured’s or beneficiary’s attorney prosecuting the suit in which the recovery is had.

Despite Appellant’s assertion that section 627.428 did not apply because there was no “rendition of a judgment or decree” entered against it, the lower court entered an order awarding Appellee attorney’s fees and costs.

*1235Appellant relies solely upon O.A.G. Corporation v. Britamco Underwriters, Inc., 707 So.2d 785 (Fla. 3d DCA 1998), abrogated on other grounds by Canfield v. Cantele, 837 So.2d 371 (Fla.2002), to demonstrate that its voluntary dismissal without prejudice does not constitute a judgment or decree. There, the insurer filed a complaint against the insureds seeking a determination of no coverage in a personal injury action. The insurer voluntarily dismissed without prejudice, and, three days later, refiled the action. Id. at 786. The insureds responded by filing a motion for attorney’s fees as the prevailing parties of the original action pursuant to section 627.428. The trial court denied the motion upon a finding that the insureds were not prevailing parties. Id. On appeal, our sister court concluded that because the dismissal was without prejudice to refile another action, it did not constitute an adjudication on the merits. Id. Therefore, it was not a judgment, or the functional equivalent of a confession of judgment, and the insureds were not entitled to attorney’s- fees and costs pursuant to section 627.428. Id. at 787.

Appellee urges this Court to hold otherwise. It relies upon Wollard v. Lloyd’s & Companies of Lloyd’s, 439 So.2d 217 (Fla.1983), to argue that Appellant’s voluntary dismissal was the “functional equivalent” of a judgment.2 In Wollard, an insured filed suit against his insurer after the insurer denied coverage of his claim. On the eve of trial, the parties reached a settlement, but submitted the issue of attorney’s fees to the court. The court awarded attorney’s fees to the insured pursuant to section 627.428. Id. at 218. The Third District reversed, ruling that a negotiated settlement does not entitle the insured to fees. Id. (citing Lloyd’s & Cos. of Lloyd’s v. Wollard, 420 So.2d 940, 941 (Fla. 3d DCA 1982)). The Florida Supreme Court quashed the Third District’s holding, stating:

When the insurance company has agreed to settle a disputed case, it has, in effect, declined to defend its position in the pending suit. Thus, the payment of the claim is, indeed, the functional equivalent of a confession of judgment or a verdict in favor of the insured. Requiring the plaintiff to continue litigation in spite of an acceptable offer of settlement merely to avoid having to offset attorney’s fees against compensation for the loss puts an unnecessary burden on the judicial system, fails to protect any interest — the insured’s, the insurer’s or the public’s — and discourages any attempt at settlement.

Id. (emphasis supplied).

We think O.A.G. was correct and governs here. This case is distinguishable from Wollard. Here, Appellant did not make a concession on the merits. Rather, it merely dismissed without prejudice to refile its lawsuit. The fact that it had not refiled suit prior to the date on which the motion for fees was filed is of no consequence. Legal entitlement to fees must be based upon the events preceding the filing of the motion.

REVERSED.

TORPY, LAWSON and COHEN, JJ., concur.


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Citator

Cited By

  • Yoanky DE LA OSA v. Wells Fargo Bank, N.A., 208 So. 3d 259 (Fla. 3d DCA 2016)
    …ich we held that an insurer’s voluntary dismissal did not constitute an adjudication on the merits and, therefore, did not entitle the prevailing insured to fees under section 627.428(1). See also Guarantee Ins. Co. v. Worker’s Temp. Staffing, Inc., 61 So. 3d 1233, 1235 (Fla. 5th DCA 2011) (an insurer’s voluntary dismissal without prejudice is not a judgment or its functional equivalent so to entitle insured to fees under section 627.428(1)). In each of these cases, the issue before the court was the same as…
  • Kook C. DO v. GEICO Gen. Ins. Co., 137 So. 3d 1039 (Fla. 3d DCA 2014)
    …he insured, or, under the circumstances of this case, its functional equivalent, we affirm the trial court’s order denying Do’s motion for fees and costs with respect to the counterclaims. See Guarantee Ins. Co. v. Worker’s Temporary Staffing, Inc., 61 So. 3d 1233,1235 (Fla. 5th DCA 2011) (concluding that insurer’s voluntary dismissal without [*1045] prejudice was not concession on the merits and therefore not a judgment or functional equivalent of a confession of judgment under section 627.428); O.A.G. Corp.…
  • Magdalena v. Toyota Motor Corp., 253 So. 3d 24 (Fla. 3d DCA 2017)
    …le, 837 So. 2d 371 (Fla. 2002), this Court held that a voluntary dismissal is not an adjudication on the merits and therefore, does not constitute a judgment or its functional equivalent. See also Guarantee Ins. Co. v. Worker's Temp. Staffing, Inc., 61 So. 3d 1233 (Fla. 5th DCA 2011) (same). In conclusion, section 57.041 is clear and unambiguous. Only a "party recovering judgment shall recover his or her legal costs." No judgment or the functional equivalent has been obtained by Toyota. [*27] Thus, Toyota is…

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