ELI O'NEAL, APPELLANT,
v.
CRUMPTON BUILDERS, INC., A FLORIDA CORPORATION, APPELLEE
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Plaintiff O'Neal appealed the dismissal of his complaint against Crumpton Builders for breach of a land-clearing contract allegedly made through James J. Martin, Crumpton's agent. The court reversed, holding that O'Neal's allegations sufficiently pleaded apparent authority to survive a motion to dismiss.
O'Neal's allegations were sufficient to survive the motion to dismiss. The allegations, accepted as true for purposes of the motion, demonstrated that Crumpton had granted Martin ostensible authority through its past actions and conduct, allowing others to believe Martin was authorized to act as its agent.
“The power of an agent to bind his principal may rest on real or actual authority conferred in fact by the principal or may be founded on apparent or ostensible authority arising when the principal allows or causes others to believe the agent possesses such authority, as where the principal knowingly permits the agent to assume such authority or where the principal by his actions or words holds the agent out as possessing it.”
Establishes the foundational legal principle that agency authority can be actual or apparent, which governs the court's analysis of whether Martin had authority to bind Crumpton.
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Join FLexlaw to unlock all legal intelligenceO'Neal alleged he entered into a contract with Crumpton Builders through James J. Martin, who represented himself as the company's agent and manager a…
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Appeal by Eli O’Neal, plaintiff below, from an order granting defendant Crump-ton’s (a Florida corporation) motion to dismiss plaintiff’s second amended complaint.
The sole point on this appeal is directed toward the sufficiency of plaintiff’s allegations pertaining to the authority of one James J. Martin to bind the corporate defendant.
Material allegations of the second amended complaint going to this point are:
(1) Plaintiff entered into a contract with defendant by and through its agent and manager, James J. Martin, to perform certain land clearing work and to furnish certain materials in the preparation of land for the defendant; (2) Martin represented to plaintiff that he was agent and manager of defendant and authorized to employ plaintiff to accomplish said work; and (3) shortly prior to entering into this contract, defendant had recognized similar contracts made by Martin with plaintiff and performed the obligations thereunder, thereby clothing Martin with the indicia of agency. The remaining allegations concerned performance and breach.
Plaintiff’s foregoing allegations are clearly founded upon the principle of law that an agent’s authority may be conferred in writing or it may be inferred *345from the related facts of the case.1 This rule is the established law of this jurisdiction and is found to have been enunciated recently in Tampa Sand & Material Company v. Davis,2 the facts being similar to the allegations under consideration. There, George R. Davis, individually, purchased land and transferred title to a development corporation, Golden Gateway Homes, Inc. George R. Davis, individually, Davis Construction Corporation, and Golden Gateway Homes, Inc., were sued hy Tampa Sand & Material Company for materials furnished as a result of its representative having contacted L. W. Tucker, the project construction superintendent, concerning concrete for the project. Evidence was presented of agency and ostensible agency and of real and apparent authority on the part of Tucker to bind Davis Construction Company.3 In sustaining the judgment against Davis Construction Corporation, Judge Kanner, speaking for the Second District Court of Appeal, enunciated the rule to be applied in the instant cause when he stated on page 127 of 125 So.2d:
“The power of an agent to bind his principal may rest on real or actual authority conferred in fact by the principal or may be founded on apparent or ostensible authority arising when the principal allows or causes others to believe the agent possesses such authority, as where the principal knowingly permits the agent to assume such authority or where the principal by his actions or words holds the agent out as possessing it. Stiles v. Gordon Land Co., Fla.1950, 44 So.2d 417; Thomkin Corp. v. Miller, 1945, 156 Fla. 388, 24 So.2d 48; and 1 Fla.Jur., Agency, Section 22, p. 628, and Section 34, p. 639.”
For the purpose of testing the motion to dismiss we must accept the foregoing allegations of the second amended complaint as being true. Applying these allegations to the above principles of law, we find that they demonstrate that the principal, Crumpton, by its past actions and conduct granted to Martin ostensible authority to cause others to believe that Martin was acting as agent for Crumpton and within the scope of his authority when he entered into the instant contract with the plaintiff.
We reiterate, that it is only the allegations that are now being considered — the factual proof and application of same is a matter for the determination of the trial judge in accord with the foregoing principles of law.
Reversed with directions to reinstate plaintiff’s second amended complaint and for further proceedings in accordance with this opinion.
WIGGINTON, Acting Chief Judge, and STURGIS and RAWLS, JJ., concur.
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Am. Ladder & Scaffold Co., Inc. v. Miami Ventilated Awning MFG. Co., Inc., 161 So. 2d 699 (Fla. 3d DCA 1964)…s terms, but may be implied or apparent under justifying circumstances. Thomkin Corp. v. Miller, 156 Fla. 388, 24 So. 2d 48; Tampa Sand & Material Company v. Davis, Fla.App.1960, 125 So. 2d 126, 127; O’Neal v. Crumpton Builders, Inc., Fla.App. 1962, 143 So. 2d 344, 345; 1 Fla.Jur,, Agency, §§ 22, 34 — 36. In the Tampa Sand & Material Company case the rule was well stated by Judge Kanner, speaking for the second district court of appeal, as follows: “Robert Brooks executed said agreement without the knowledge…
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Bryan & Sons Corp. v. Sivert Klefstad, 237 So. 2d 236 (Fla. 4th DCA 1970)…ly they had apparent authority to do so. Therefore, plaintiffs are bound by the engineers’ actions. Stiles v. Gordon Land Co., Fla.1950, 44 So. 2d 417; Russell v. Eckert, Fla.App.1967, 195 So. 2d 617; O’Neal v. Crumpton Builders, Inc., Fla.App.1962, 143 So. 2d 344. The effect of this change made in the field by the plaintiffs’ engineers was to increase the quantity of excavation on these two-mile long canals from approximately 23,000 cubic yards as reflected by the original plans to approximately 50,000 cubic…
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Helms v. Gen. Film Dev. Corp., 346 So. 2d 1064 (Fla. 3d DCA 1977)…e plaintiffs appeal a judgment dismissing their complaint with prejudice. The order was entered pursuant to defendant’s motion to dismiss prior to answer. The allegations of the complaint must be taken as true. See O’Neal v. Crumpton Builders, Inc., 143 So. 2d 344 (Fla. 1st DCA 1962). Inasmuch as it does not affirmatively appear that the plaintiff does not have a cause of action, it was error to dismiss the complaint with prejudice. Plaintiffs sued defendants for breach of an original contract and two later…
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Join FLexlaw to unlock all legal intelligenceAuthorities Cited
- Thompkin Corp. v. Miller, 156 Fla. 388 (Fla. 1945)
- Stiles v. Gordon Land Co., 44 So.2d 417 (Fla. 1950)
- Tampa Sand & Material Co. v. Davis, 125 So. 2d 126 (Fla. 2d DCA 1960)
- Lucius Garrett van Vranken v. van Vranken, 125 So. 2d 592 (Fla. 2d DCA 1960)