BANYAN CAFETERIAS, INC., #3, A FLORIDA CORPORATION, APPELLANT,
v.
THE FAITH LUTHERAN CHURCH OF HIALEAH, FLORIDA, A NON-PROFIT FLORIDA CORPORATION, H. H. WEICHMANN, EARL BRICK, AND ARTHUR FELDMAN, 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.
Banyan Cafeterias appealed an order denying its motion for summary decree in a declaratory judgment action where a church and liquor store owner sought to clarify their rights under a city ordinance prohibiting alcohol sales within 1,500 feet of churches. The appellate court affirmed, holding that parties affected by a municipal ordinance have standing to seek declaratory relief regarding their rights thereunder.
The court held that any person whose rights and status are affected by a municipal ordinance may obtain a declaration of his rights and status. The question on a motion for summary decree is whether the plaintiff is entitled to a declaration of rights at all, not whether the plaintiff will succeed in obtaining supplementary relief such as an injunction. The trial court properly denied summary decree because the complaint stated a cause for equitable relief.
“Any person whose rights and status are affected by a municipal ordinance or who is in doubt as to his rights and status thereunder may obtain a declaration of his rights and status.”
Establishes the broad standing requirement for declaratory judgment actions regarding municipal ordinances under Florida law
Previewing 1 of 3 key quotes on this case — the court’s exact language, pinpointed for members.
Join FLexlaw to unlock all legal intelligenceA church and liquor store owner filed a complaint seeking a declaratory decree to determine their rights under a Hialeah city ordinance prohibiting th…
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 Municipal Ordinance Interpretation cases and more on FLexlaw
Appellant by this interlocutory appeal seeks review of an order denying its motion for summary decree in a declaratory decree action brought by the appellees.
Appellees, a church and a liquor store owner, filed a complaint in chancery against the City of Hialeah, seeking a declaratory decree to determine their rights under § 4.24 of the city code which prohibits the sale of alcoholic beverages within 1,500 feet of a church. The complaint alleged doubt as to appellees’ rights under this section and prayed for additional, supplementary relief in the form of a mandatory injunction requiring the city to enforce its ordinance by revoking appellant’s license and permit to retail alcoholic beverages. It also included a prayer for such additional relief as the court might deem just and proper.
Appellant was allowed to intervene and before answering moved for summary de*6cree. After hearing, the trial court entered the order appealed denying this motion.
At the outset, it should he noted that the parties agreed orally that appellee Feldman is not a necessary or proper party to this action and may be dismissed.
Appellant contends the trial court erred in denying its motion for summary decree since there is present no genuine issue of material fact and as a matter of law the ap-pellee church is without the requisite standing to coerce governmental action. We find this contention to be without merit.
Any person whose rights and status are affected by a municipal ordinance or who is in doubt as to his rights and status thereunder may obtain a declaration of his rights and status. Sections 87.01, 87.02, Fla.Stat., F.S.A.
Generally, one who seeks such a declaration is not seeking to enforce a claim against the defendant; rather, he is seeking a judicial declaration as to the effect of an ordinance and his rights thereunder. However, he may, in the same action, in addition to praying for a declaration of rights, also pray for additional, alternative, coercive, subsequent or supplemental relief which may be granted by the court whenever necessary and proper. Sections 87.01, 87.07, Fla.Stat., F.S.A. In such a case, the question of whether the plaintiff is entitled to a declaratory decree does not devolve into one of whether he will succeed in getting a declaration in accordance with his theory and contention or whether he is entitled to the alternative or supplementary relief prayed for. The question is, is he entitled to a declaration of rights at all. See Jackson Tom, Inc. v. Carlton, Fla.App. 1961, 133 So.2d 752; North Shore Realty Corporation v. Gallaher, Fla.App.1957, 99 So.2d 255; and Rosenhouse v. 1950 Spring Term Grand Jury, Fla.1952, 56 So.2d 445.
Thus, the question before the trial court in the instant case on appellant’s motion for summary decree was not whether the appellee was entitled to supplementary relief in the form of a mandatory injunction, but whether appellee was entitled to a declaration of rights. This question was properly answered in the affirmative by the trial court for it cannot be said that the complaint wholly fails to state a cause for equitable relief in the form of a declaration of rights. It should be emphasized that we are not here called upon to decide, nor do we, what declaration should be made or what additional and supplemental relief, if any, should be granted.
Upon the going down of the mandate of this court and in keeping with the oral agreement of the parties, the chancellor should enter an order dismissing the ap-pellee Feldman as a party to the action. Except as modified by the foregoing, the order appealed is affirmed.
Affirmed.
Cases With Similar Vibessemantic neighbors from the corpus
Citator
Cited By
-
State of Fla. ex rel Jack Schwartz & Albert Lowenstein v. City OF Hialeah, 156 So. 2d 675 (Fla. 3d DCA 1963)…the City would be in violation of its own ordinances prohibiting the issuance of an alcoholic beverage license within 1,500 feet of a church.1 In this connection, see: Banyan Cafeterias, Inc., No. 3 v. Faith Lutheran Church of Hialeah, Fla.App.1962, 141 So. 2d 5; Banyan Cafeterias, Inc., No. 3 v. Faith Lutheran Church of Hialeah, Fla.1963, 151 So. 2d 426. Counsel for the appellant has also urged the doctrine of estoppel as being applicable in the instant case, even though it is conceded that to issue the l…
-
Sanford Bacon for Marvin M. Bacon v. Eli R. Crespi, 141 So. 2d 823 (Fla. 3d DCA 1962)….” See also Jackson Tom, Inc. v. Carlton, Fla.App.1961, 133 So. 2d 752; North Shore Realty Corporation v. Gallaher, Fla.App. 1957, 99 So. 2d 255; Banyan Cafeterias, Inc., #3, v. The Faith Lutheran Church of Hialeah, Florida, Fla.App., 3rd District, 141 So. 2d 5. [*825] The mere fact that the contract is clear and unambiguous on its face does not prevent one from seeking a declaration of his rights under such contract where there exist extrinsic facts which would affect the clear and unambiguous language of…
-
Edsel Heinlein and Clara Heinlein v. Metro. Dade Cnty., 216 So. 2d 473 (Fla. 3d DCA 1968)…agree with the appellants that the entry of summary judgment for the County deprived them of an opportunity to amend the complaint so that it might state a cause''of action. In Banyan Cafeterias, Inc., No. 3 v. Faith Lutheran Church, Fla.App.1962, 141 So. 2d 5, we held that “Any person whose rights and status are affected by a municipal ordinance or who is in doubt as to his rights and status thereunder may obtain a declaration of his rights and status” pursuant to the declaratory judgment practice in thi…
Previewing 3 of 6 citing cases — full citator treatment, depth of discussion, and citing context are member features.
Join FLexlaw to unlock all legal intelligenceAuthorities Cited
- N. Shore Realty Corp. v. Gallaher, 99 So. 2d 255 (Fla. 3d DCA 1957)
- City OF N. Miami Beach v. Oska Realty Corp., 133 So. 2d 752 (Fla. 3d DCA 1961)
- Jackson TOM, Inc. v. Carlton, 133 So. 2d 752 (Fla. 1st DCA 1961)