JOSE G. PEREZ
v.
SAIMA GROUP CORP.
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Jose G. Perez appealed an order denying his successive Florida Rule of Civil Procedure 1.540 motion seeking to vacate a residential eviction judgment. The Third District Court of Appeal dismissed the appeal for lack of jurisdiction, holding that successive rule 1.540 motions based on grounds known at the time of the first motion are not appealable, and motions for rehearing of rule 1.540 denials do not toll the appeal period.
The court lacks appellate jurisdiction to review an order denying a successive rule 1.540(b) motion where the grounds were known at the time of the first motion, as the proper remedy was appeal of the first denial order. Additionally, the court lacks jurisdiction to review orders denying motions for rehearing directed at rule 1.540 denial orders, as such rehearing motions are not authorized and do not toll the appeal period.
[1] A successive rule 1.540(b) motion raising grounds known to the movant at the time of the first rule 1.540(b) motion does not provide a basis for appellate jurisdiction; t…
[2] A motion for rehearing directed toward an order denying a rule 1.540(b) motion is not authorized, does not toll the time to appeal the underlying denial, and is not separ…
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Join FLexlaw to unlock all legal intelligence“if the appellants were dissatisfied with the trial court's ruling on their first rule 1.540(b) motion, 'their remedy was by appeal, not be [sic] filing successive motions to vacate containing the same general grounds or even new ones, which could have been raised in the first motion.'”
Court explaining the procedural bar against successive Rule 1.540(b) motions
On December 7, 2020, the trial court entered a final judgment of residential eviction against Perez. On December 23, 2021, the trial court denied Pere…
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Saima Group Corp., Appellee. An Appeal from the County Court for Miami-Dade County, Milena Abreu, Judge. Jose G. Perez, in proper person. Raul E. Espinoza, P.L., and Raul E. Espinoza, for appellee. Before EMAS, SCALES and BOKOR, JJ.
On Motion to Dismiss Appeal
PER CURIAM.
On February 15, 2022, appellant Jose G. Perez filed in this Court his notice of appeal challenging a January 13, 2022 order that denied Perez’s December 31, 2021 successive Florida Rule of Civil Procedure 1.540 motion. While not entirely clear, it appears that Perez’s successive rule 1.540 motion sought both (i) to vacate, pursuant to rule 1.540(b)(2) and (3), a December 7, 2020 final judgment of residential eviction against him, and (ii) a rehearing of the trial court’s December 23, 2021 denial of Perez’s prior rule 1.540(b) motion that sought to vacate the same eviction judgment.
We are compelled to dismiss the appeal because we lack appellate jurisdiction to review an order denying a successive rule 1.540(b) motion where, as here, the grounds asserted in the successive motion were known to the movant at the time the movant filed the first rule 1.540(b) motion.
Parkhomchuck v. AIY, Inc., 47 Fla. L. Weekly D912, 2022 WL 1160730 (Fla. 3d DCA Apr. 20, 2022) (“[I]f the appellants were dissatisfied with the trial court’s ruling on their first rule 1.540(b) motion, ‘their remedy was by appeal, not be [sic] filing successive motions to vacate containing the same general grounds or even new ones, which could have been raised in the first motion.’ Intercoastal Marina Towers Inc. v. Suburban Bank, 506 So. 2d 1177, 1179 (Fla. 4th DCA 1987); Purcell v. Deli Man, Inc., 411 So. 2d 378, 379 (Fla. 4th DCA 1982) (‘Had the circuit court denied the second motion to vacate, its action would have been affirmed because the grounds raised in the second motion were raised or could have been raised in the first motion [to vacate].’);
see Cordero v. Washington Mut. Bank, 241 So. 3d 967, 968 (Fla. 3d DCA 2018) (‘An untimely appeal of a prior order cannot be revived by obtaining a new order to the same effect as the original order and then filing a notice of appeal within thirty days of the most recent order.’)”).
Additionally, to the extent that Perez’s successive rule 1.540(b) motion sought rehearing of the trial court’s December 23, 2021 order denying Perez’s initial rule 1.540(b) motion, we also lack jurisdiction to review the challenged order. Because motions for rehearing directed toward orders denying rule 1.540(b) motions are generally not authorized, such a motion does not toll the time period to appeal the underlying order denying the rule 1.540(b) motion, and an order denying such a rehearing motion is not separately reviewable from the order denying the rule 1.540(b) motion. See Fla. R. App. P. 9.130(a)(4), (5); Jockey Club Condo. Apartments, Inc., v. B.V.K., LLC, 237 So. 3d 1118, 1121-22 (Fla. 3d DCA 2018) (recognizing that a motion for rehearing directed at an order adjudicating a rule 1.540 motion does not toll its rendition or the time for filing a notice of appeal of the order).
Accordingly, we lack appellate jurisdiction to review the challenged order and grant appellee Saima Group Corp.’s motion to dismiss the appeal.
Appeal dismissed.
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Perez v. Saima Grp. Corp., 47 Fla. L. Weekly D912 (Fla. 3d DCA 2022)
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Previewing 3 of 7 citing cases — full citator treatment, depth of discussion, and citing context are member features.
Join FLexlaw to unlock all legal intelligenceAuthorities Cited
- Intercoastal Marina Towers, Inc. v. Suburban Bank, Robert G. Curie, AIA, P.A., 506 So. 2d 1177 (Fla. 4th DCA 1987)
- Purcell v. Deli MAN, Inc., 411 So. 2d 378 (Fla. 4th DCA 1982)
- Cordero v. Wash. Mut. Bank, 241 So. 3d 967 (Fla. 3d DCA 2018)
- Perez v. Saima Grp. Corp., 47 Fla. L. Weekly D912 (Fla. 3d DCA 2022)
- Jockey Club Condo. Apts., Inc. v. B.V.K., LLC, 237 So. 3d 1118 (Fla. 3d DCA 2018)