EDWARD H. LYLES, APPELLANT,
v.
DADE COUNTY, A POLITICAL SUBDIVISION OF THE STATE OF FLORIDA, ET AL., APPELLEES
AI-generated. These summaries, headnotes, and key points are machine-generated and may contain errors or omissions. Always verify against the full opinion text below. Not legal advice.
Lyles, a security patrolman denied a gun permit by Dade County, sought declaratory relief claiming the county commission acted arbitrarily without affording him notice or opportunity to respond. The court affirmed dismissal of his complaint, finding he failed to allege the elements necessary for a declaratory judgment action.
The court held that Lyles's complaint failed to state a cause of action for declaratory relief because he did not allege a doubt as to the existence or non-existence of any immunity, power, privilege, or right, nor did he claim rights under a written instrument or show how his legal status was affected by statute, regulation, or ordinance in a manner requiring judicial determination as a prerequisite to establishing his rights.
“We have carefully studied the allegations of the appellant's complaint and fail to find wherein he alleges a doubt as to the existence or non-existence of any immunity, power, privilege or right; nor does he allegedly claim a right under any instrument in writing in which his rights may be in doubt or any right or status, either equitable or legal, affected by any statute, regulation, ordinance or otherwise which would require a judicial determination as a condition precedent to the existence or establishment of such rights.”
Establishes the legal standard for declaratory judgment actions and why the complaint failed to meet it.
Previewing 1 of 2 key quotes on this case — the court’s exact language, pinpointed for members.
Join FLexlaw to unlock all legal intelligenceLyles worked as a security patrolman and applied for a gun permit required for his duties. He complied with all legal requirements and initially recei…
The full statement of facts, procedural history, and disposition for this case are member content.
Join FLexlaw to unlock all legal intelligence© FLexlaw, Inc. — AI-generated enrichments are proprietary. All rights reserved.
Explore caselaw by topic → Browse Declaratory Judgment Requirements cases and more on FLexlaw
The appellant was the plaintiff below and brought an action for declaratory decree and other relief in which he alleged that he had been refused a permit to carry a gun by the Board of County Commissioners of Dade County, notwithstanding that his work as a security patrolman required that he carry a gun in the performance of his duties; that he had applied for and had complied with all the legal requirements necessary for obtaining a permit and that the permit had been recommended at one time by the county manager but subsequently withdrawn. Upon the basis of the withdrawal of recommendation, the county commission refused to grant the permit. The appellant’s complaint further charged that for reasons unknown to him, he had been denied a permit without having been afforded an opportunity to reply to such grounds, if any, which occasioned the denial. The complaint prayed for relief requiring the commission to issue him a gun permit. The appellee county moved to dismiss the complaint on the ground that it failed to state a cause of action. The chancellor sustained the motion and entered an order of dismissal which, inter alia, stated that it was “without prejudice to the right of the plaintiff to seek relief by way of mandamus action or such other action which may be available to the plaintiff.” The appellant seeks a reversal of this order.
The appellant’s brief and argument before this court are directed primarily to the fact that mandamus is not the proper remedy to test the right of the' county commission to deny him a gun permit. On the other hand, the appellee contends that the action of the Board of County Commissioners, being of a quasi-judicial character, was subject to appellate review under the provisions of Florida Appellate Rule 4.1, 31 F.S.A.
We have carefully studied the allegations of the appellant’s complaint and fail to find wherein he alleges a doubt as to the existence or non-existence of any im*468munity, power, privilege or right; nor does he allegedly claim a right under any instrument in writing in which his rights may be in doubt or any right or status, either equitable or legal, affected by any statute, regulation, ordinance or otherwise which would require a judicial determination as a condition precedent to the existence or establishment of such rights. City of North Miami Beach v. Bernay, Fla.App.1960, 117 So.2d 863; §§ 87.01 and 87.02, Fla.Stat., F.S.A. See Frix v. Beck, Fla.App.1958, 104 So.2d 81; Hotel and Restaurant Commission v. Zucker, Fla.App.1959, 116 So.2d 642.
Concluding as we have that the learned chancellor was eminently correct in the conclusion reached, it follows that the order appealed should be affirmed; however such affirmance is without prejudice to such other remedies as are available to the appellant to seek appropriate review of the actions of the appellee commission.
Affirmed.
CARROLL, CHAS., J., concurs.
PEARSON, J., concurs specially.
(concurring specially) .
While I am in accord with the holding that the complaint was not so framed as to state a cause of action for declaratory relief, I am of the view that it was amendable. In addition it should be pointed out that a petition for writ of certiorari in the circuit court will ordinarily lie to review the action of an administrative board exercising a quasi-judicial function. De Groot v. Sheffield, Fla.1957, 95 So.2d 912. However in view of the lapse of time and the dismissal of the complaint it is probable that a reapplication and record of proceedings thereon would now be necessary
PEARSON, Judge
(concurring specially) .
While I am in accord with the holding that the complaint was not so framed as to state a cause of action for declaratory relief, I am of the view that it was amendable. In addition it should be pointed out that a petition for writ of certiorari in the circuit court will ordinarily lie to review the action of an administrative board exercising a quasi-judicial function. De Groot v. Sheffield, Fla.1957, 95 So. 2d 912. However in view of the lapse of time and the dismissal of the complaint it is probable that a reapplication and record of proceedings thereon would now be necessary
Cases With Similar Vibessemantic neighbors from the corpus
Citator
Cited By
-
State Farm Mut. Auto. Ins. Co. v. Wallace, 209 So. 2d 719 (Fla. 2d DCA 1968)…tus, etc., and that there is a bona fide, actual, present need for the declaration. Bell v. Associated Independents, Inc., Fla.App.1962, 143 So. 2d 904; Ready v. Safeway Rock Co., 1946, 157 Fla. 27, 24 So. 2d 808; Lyles v. Dade County, Fla.App.1960, 123 So. 2d 466; McNevin v. Baker, Fla.App. 1965, 170 So. 2d 66. And more specifically, a complaint brought to determine liability under an automobile accident policy is insufficient to state a cause of action for declaratory relief if it fails to contain allegatio…
-
Lassiter v. City OF Miami Beach, 239 So. 2d 269 (Fla. 3d DCA 1970)…l effect of the ordinance in the absence of doubt as to the existence or non-existence of some legal right, status, immunity, power or prestige. See Ready v. Safeway Rock Co., Fla.1946, 157 Fla. 27, 24 So. 2d 808; Lyles v. Dade County, Fla.App.1960, 123 So. 2d 466. Affirmed.…
Authorities Cited
- de Groot v. Sheffield, 95 So. 2d 912 (Fla. 1957)
- Frix v. Beck, 104 So. 2d 81 (Fla. 3d DCA 1958)
- Hotel & Rest. Comm'n of the State of Fla. v. Zucker, 116 So. 2d 642 (Fla. 3d DCA 1959)
- City OF N. Miami Beach v. Bernay, 117 So. 2d 863 (Fla. 3d DCA 1960)