PATRICK BARRY, BISHOP OF THE DIOCESE OF ST. AUGUSTINE,
v.
A. G. WILLARD, ET AL.
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The Florida Supreme Court affirmed the trial court's orders striking the Bishop's amended pleadings and denying his application for injunctive relief, holding that a party cannot file amendments that present causes of action wholly inconsistent with the original complaint, even under modern procedural rules allowing supplemental pleadings.
The court held that the trial court committed no error in striking the special reply and denying the proposed amendments because amended pleadings that present causes of action wholly inconsistent with the original complaint are not permissible, even under the modern Chancery Practice Act. However, the order denying the amendments was modified to be without prejudice to Barry's right to file the proposed claims as a separate, independent suit.
“the effect of the special reply, which was stricken, and of the tendered amendment, which was refused, was to present a cause of action wholly inconsistent with that attempted to be set up in the original bill—a practice that is not permissible”
Establishes the core legal principle that amendments presenting materially inconsistent causes of action are not permitted
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Join FLexlaw to unlock all legal intelligencePatrick Barry, Bishop of the Diocese of St. Augustine, filed a complaint seeking equitable relief involving transactions with defendants Willard and o…
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This is an appeal prosecuted by appellant from certain interlocutory orders, namely, an order dissolving a temporary restraining order issued against a sheriffs sale, an interlocutory order striking the complainant’s original bill and from an interlocutory order denying complainant’s motion to reconsider the order striking complainant’s reply to defendants’ answer and denying application for temporary injunction as well as petition for leave to file certain proposed pleadings tendered as' amendments to the original bill.
Appellee has filed a cross assignment of error to the effect that the court erred in entering its interlocutory order overruling defendants-’ demurrer to complainant’s bill, but inasmuch as appellant’s' appeal to this court from the several interlocutory orders appealed from by him does not include the particular interlocutory order to which the appellees’ cross assignment of error relates, nor is there before us any appeal from a final decree that would necessarily involve such order, the cross assignment of error cannot be considered ini the absence of a cross appeal by appellee bringing to this court for review the particular interlocutory order that would have to be reversed if appellees’ cross' assignment of error were sustained. So the cross assignment of error will be disregarded.
• Appellant’s original bill was in substance the same as that dealt with by this1 Court in that companion case of Willard v. Barry, 113 Fla. 402, 152 Sou. Rep. 411, and what was therein decided is applicable to the original bill in controversy in this case.
*238After the case just cited was disposed of here, appellant attempted in this case to avoid the effect of the ruling in said companion cas'e by filing a special reply to defendants’ answer and also by tendering an amendment to the original bill. But the effect of the special reply, which was stricken, and of the tendered amendment, which was refused, was to present a cause of action wholly inconsistent with that attempted to be set up in the original bill—a practice that is not permissible. See Palm Beach Estates v. Croker, 106 Fla. 617, 143 Sou. Rep. 792; Guggenheimer v. Davidson, 62 Fla. 490, 56 Sou. Rep. 801.
So the court committed no error in its orders striking the special reply and denying the tendered amendment to the bill of complaint.
The Chancery Practice Act, Chapter 14658, Acts 1931, Laws of Florida, Section 26, deals with the subject of amendments generally and provides that matter supplemental may be brought in by an amended pleading which becomes in contemplation of the Practice Act, a supplemental bill denominated an amendment (Biscayne Realty & Ins. C. v. Ostend Realty Co., (109 Fla. 1, 148 Sou. Rep. 560). But such provision of the 1931 Chancery Act does not overthrow the long established chancery rule that an amended bill of complaint which is in effect the; institution of a new and materially different sujt palpably inconsistent with or repugnant to the original pleading, is not permissible under the guise of an amendment, but1 should be rejected as an inappropriate pleading in the cause. Guggenheimer v. Davidson, supra.
It is' apparent that some of the matters attempted to be pleaded in the amended bill of complaint that was not permitted to be filed in this cause, may be stated in a separate suit brought against the defendants, Willard and Seen, jointly, as to afford some relief against them in equity with. *239reference to the transactions' between them referred to therein, therefore the refusal to permit the filing of such amended bill in this case should, if affirmed, be without prejudice to the right of complainant below to file same as a new and independent suit, if so advised. So the order appealed from respecting this' feature of the case will be deemed modified accordingly and as modified will be affirmed.
Modified and affirmed.
Whitfield, Terrell and- Buford, J. J., concur.
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Gables Racing Assoc., Inc. v. Persky, 131 Fla. 842 (Fla. 1938)…not be so construed as to permit the plaintiff, under the guise of an amendment, to state a new and different cause of action. Shields v. Barrow, 17 How. (U. S.) 130, 15 L. Ed. 158; Griffin v. Societe, 53 Fla. 801, 830, 44 So. 342; Barry v. Willard, 117 Fla. 236,. 157 So. 669.” In the amended bill it appears that the plaintiff below was. attempting to enforce the note and mortgage against the Gables Racing Association, Inc., as if they were formal and regular instruments evidencing a valid obligation of th…
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R. O. Holton & Co. v. Hull, 140 Fla. 687 (Fla. 1939)…ifferent suit palpably inconsistent with or repugnant to the original pleading, is not permissible under the guise of an amendment, but should be rejected as an inappropriate pleading in the cause. Guggenheimer v. Davidson, supra” (Barry v. Willard, 117 Fla. 236, 238, 157 South. Rep. 669.) — but we fail to comprehend how it may be successfully urged that a new and different cause of action was stated in the amended bill of complaint in the instant case. The written contract upon which the complainant relie…
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Touche Ross & Co. v. SUN Bank OF Riverside & Sun Bank of Midtown, 366 So. 2d 465 (Fla. 3d DCA 1979)…ue in subsequent proceedings to. final judgment. Affirmed. . Cross-assignment of error is not permitted in this instance, this being a common law case. See: McEwen v. Growers Loan & Guaranty Co., 116 Fla. 540, 156 So. 527 (1934); Barry v. Willard, 117 Fla. 236, 157 So. 669 (1934). In response to this court’s request for additional briefs on the question of the jurisdiction of this court to review an order of the trial court dismissing with prejudice one count of a multi-count complaint, all parties to thi…
Previewing 3 of 5 citing cases — full citator treatment, depth of discussion, and citing context are member features.
Join FLexlaw to unlock all legal intelligenceAuthorities Cited
- Palm Beach Ests. v. Bula E. Croker, 106 Fla. 617 (Fla. 1932)
- Biscayne Realty & Ins. Co. v. Ostend Realty Co., 109 Fla. 1 (Fla. 1933)
- Guggenheimer & Co. v. Davidson, 62 Fla. 490 (Fla. 1911)
- Willard v. Barry, 113 Fla. 402 (Fla. 1933)