REMINGTON CONSTRUCTION CO., INC., A FLORIDA CORPORATION; CLIFFORD RUSSELL, S. W. RAULERSON AND BERNARD SCHONINGER, TRADING AS PALM SPRINGS INVESTMENT COMPANY, (NOT INC.), APPELLANTS,
v.
HAMILTON ELECTRIC, INC., A FLORIDA CORPORATION, APPELLEE

Fla. 3d DCA | 1965-12-14
No. 65-164
Before HENDRY, C. J., and BARK-DULL and SWANN, JJ.
181 So. 2d 183 Florida District Court of Appeal, Third District (1965) Caution
Cited by 18 cases

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Synopsis

Remington Construction appealed a foreclosure decree on a mechanic's lien after their answer was struck for failure to respond to interrogatories without a prior court order. The court reversed, holding that Florida Rules of Civil Procedure require a trial court to enter an explicit order directing response to interrogatories before striking a defendant's answer for non-compliance.


Holding

The court held that: (1) mechanic's lien remedies are cumulative and not barred by a separate action on a note until the judgment is satisfied; (2) Florida Rules of Civil Procedure require a trial court to enter an explicit order directing response to interrogatories within a day certain before striking a defendant's answer for non-compliance; and (3) the sufficiency of evidence need not be addressed given the procedural error.


Key Quotes

“The remedies are merely cumulative and, until such time as the judgment is satisfied, appellee could prosecute the mechanic's lien against the property.”

Establishes that taking a note does not extinguish the mechanic's lien remedy, addressing the first issue on appeal

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Facts & Procedural History

Hamilton Electric obtained a mechanic's lien against property owned by Remington Construction and others. Hamilton had previously taken a note from th…

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Opinion of the Court
BARKDULL, Judge.

BARKDULL, Judge.

By this appeal, the defendants in the trial court seek review of a final decree of foreclosure of a mechanic’s lien, subsequent to the entry of an order striking the defendants’ answer for failure to respond to interrogatories and entering a default. The appellants have preserved three points for review, wherein they urge error in the action of the chancellor. First, that the mechanic’s lien was extinguished by an action on a note representing the amount due. Second, that there was no showing that the defendants wilfully refused to respond to the interrogatories, and that the court should not have stricken their answer without first entering an order requiring the response to the interrogatories within a day certain. Third, that the evidence was insufficient as to the amount due.

The fact that the sub-contractor had taken a note from the contractor prior to the institution of the mechanic’s lien foreclosure suit [which note was subsequently sued upon in a common law action, although the judgment was still outstanding] did not bar the further prosecution of the mechanic’s lien foreclosure. The remedies are merely cumulative and, until such time as the judgment is satisfied, ap-pellee could prosecute the mechanic’s lien against the property. See: § 84.32 Fla. Stat., F.S.A. (1961); 22 Fla.Jur., Mechanics’ Liens, § 41; 36 Am.Jur., Mechanics’ Liens, § 234; 57 C.J.S. Mechanics’ Liens, § 266. See, also: § 84.301, Fla.Stat. F.S.A. (1963).

As to the second point, it is apparent that the defendants did not respond to the interrogatories and no valid excuse was tendered for the non-performance. But, the appellant urges that the opinion of this court in Rashard v. Cappiali, Fla.App. 1965, 171 So.2d 581 requires the entry of an order directing a defendant to respond to interrogatories before a default may be taken against him.

If this were a case of first impression, this writer would hold that the appellants’ contention is clearly contrary to the precise provisions of Rule 1.31(d), Florida Rules of Civil Procedure, 30 F.S.A., for no order is required under this section of the rule as required under sub-sections (a) and (b). Sub-sections (a) and (b) relate to a violation by a witness or a party of a court’s order, and before a witness or a party may be subject to a contempt proceedings it would, of course, be necessary for an order to be entered. Subsection (d) relates to the effect on a party’s willful failure to comply with the rules of civil procedure and the consequences of such a failure on the party’s pleadings, cause of action, etc. Under sub-sections (a) and (b), failure to comply is against the dignity of the court’s order. Under subsection (d), failure to comply is merely contrary to the provisions of the rule. However, this rule has already been construed as requiring the entry of an order prior to taking the action provided for in Rule 1.31 (d), Florida Rules of Civil Procedure. See: State Road Department v. Hufford, Fla.App.1964, 161 So.2d 35; Hyman v. Schwartz, Fla.App.1965, 177 So.2d 750. Therefore, it appears that the chancellor’s action in entering the default without a prior order directing response to the inter*185rogatories is contrary to the authorities in this State and, therefore, erroneous.

In accordance with the views herein expressed, there is no necessity to reach the question of the sufficiency of the evidence, and the final decree here under review is hereby reversed and this cause is remanded to the chancellor with directions to reinstate the defendants’ answer and to enter an order requiring a response to the interrogatories within a day certain. In default thereof, the chancellor may then strike the defendants’ answer and enter a default.

Reversed and remanded with directions.


Cases With Similar Vibessemantic neighbors from the corpus


Citator

Cited By

  • Hurley v. Werly, 203 So. 2d 530 (Fla. 2d DCA 1967)
    …for failure to properly comply with the discovery Rules “is a harsh remedy and should be cautiously applied”; likewise requiring a reversal. And again, the 3rd District Court, in Remington Construction Co. v. Hamilton Electric, Inc., Fla.App.1965, 181 So. 2d 183, held to the same effect. Indeed, Judge Barkdull in Remington Construction, citing the Hufford and Hyman cases, supra, held that before the sanctions of Rule 1.31(d) could be invoked a “prior order directing” compliance was a condition precedent, ev…
  • Goldstein v. Goldstein, 284 So. 2d 225 (Fla. 3d DCA 1973)
    …This- is unmistakably the trend of judicial thinking in Florida on the ‘sanction’ Rule.” [Emphasis added.] See also State Road Department v. Hufford, Fla.App.1964, 161 So. 2d 35; Remington Construction Co. v. Hamilton Electric, Inc., Fla.App.1965, 181 So. 2d 183. The approved practice, prior to final imposition of a harmful sanction favors allowing a defaulting party in discovery proceedings an additional opportunity for compliance. See Developments in the Law — Discovery, 74 Harv.L.Rev., 940, 991; Sanction…
  • Riess v. Goldman, 196 So. 2d 184 (Fla. 3d DCA 1967)
    …r directing him to appear for the taking of his depositions. See: State Road Department v. Hufford, Fla.App. 1964, 161 So. 2d 35; Hyman v. Schwartz, Fla.App. 1965, 177 So. 2d 750; Remington Construction Co. v. Hamilton Electric, Inc., Fla.App. 1965, 181 So. 2d 183. That was particularly so in the instant case, where the protective order had indicated that in the event of his failure to appear a rule to show cause would be issued. It is also apparent that the issue as to the amount of attorney’s fees should be…

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