INTERNATIONAL ADVERTISING, INC., AN OKLAHOMA CORPORATION, APPELLANT,
v.
CONGRESS ENTERPRISES, INC., A DELAWARE CORPORATION, AND CONGRESS INTERNATIONAL, INC., A DELAWARE CORPORATION, APPELLEES
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International Advertising appeals from a bench trial judgment where it prevailed against one defendant but lost against another, and from denial of a motion to set aside the judgment based on fraud. The court affirmed both rulings, holding that the plaintiff failed to prove a guaranty claim and that Rule 1.38(b) does not allow a party to assert a new cause of action through post-judgment motions.
The court affirmed the judgment, holding that the plaintiff failed to prove an enforceable contract of guaranty or assumption by Congress International because requests for admissions alone were insufficient to establish liability, and that Rule 1.38(b) does not serve to aid a plaintiff in stating a new cause of action that was omitted from the original pleadings.
“The appeal from the final judgment is affirmed because it affirmatively appears from the record that the plaintiff failed to make a case against Congress International.”
The court's basis for affirming the trial court's discharge of Congress International from liability.
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Each of these appeals is by the plaintiff in the court below. The first is an appeal from a final judgment entered at the conclusion of a non-jury trial where plaintiff received a judgment against one defendant (Congress Enterprises, Inc.) but a second defendant (Congress International, Inc.) was discharged without liability. The second is an appeal from an order denying plaintiff’s motion to set aside the final judgment upon an allegation of fraud in a motion made pursuant to Rule 1.38(b), Florida Rules of Civil Procedure, 30 F.S.A.
The appeal from the final judgment is affirmed because it affirmatively appears from the record that the plaintiff failed to make a case against Congress International. The complaint under which the plaintiff proceeded alleged a written contract by the defendant, Congress Enterprises, and an oral guaranty of payment of the contract by Congress International. The proof submitted consisted entirely of requests for admissions which the defendants failed to answer. These were insufficient to establish the liability of the defendant, Congress International, because no enforceable contract to guarantee or assume the payments under the contract was proved.
Mistakes; Inadvertence; Excusable Neglect; Newly Discovered Evidence; Eraud, etc. On motion and upon such terms as are just, the court may relieve a party or bis legal representative from a final judgment, decree, order, or proceeding for the following reasons: (1) mistake, inadvertence, surprise, or excusable neglect; (2) newly discovered evidence which by due diligence could not have been discovered in time to move for a new trial or rehearing; (3) fraud (whether heretofore denominated intrinsic or extrinsic), misrepresentation, or other misconduct of an adverse party; (4) the judgment or decree is void; (5) the judgment or decree has been satisfied, released, or discharged, or a prior judgment or decree upon which it is based has been reversed or otherwise vacated, or it is not longer equitable that the judgment or decree should have prospective application. The motion shall be made within a reasonable time, and for reasons (1), (2), and (3) not more than one year after judgment, decree, order, or proceeding was entered or taken. A motion under this subdivision (b) does not affect the finality of a judgment or decree or suspend its operation. This rule does not limit the power of a court to entertain an independent action to relieve a party from a judgment, decree, order, or proceeding, or to set aside a judgment or decree for fraud upon the court.
Writs of eo ram nobis, coram vobis, audita querela, and bills of review and bills in the nature of a bill of review, are abolished, and the procedure for obtaining any relief from a judgment or decree shall be by motion as prescribed in these rules or by an independent action.
Upon application for relief pursuant to Rule 1.38(b),1 Florida Rules of Civil Procedure, the plaintiff submitted a deposition of one of the officers of Congress International which may indicate that Congress International is liable for the debts of Congress Enterprises upon a contract whereby Congress International agreed to become responsible for all of the debts of Congress Enterprises.
We do not find from a reading of the rule, or the cases decided thereunder, that its purpose is to aid a plaintiff to state a new cause of action which by oversight or inadvertence he did not include in his pleadings. Cf., State ex rel. Huntley Bros., Inc. v. Gooding, Fla.App.1963, 149 So.2d 55; Irving v. Irving, Fla.App.1963, 157 So.2d 544. We therefore conclude that the court did not commit reversible error in denying the motion for relief pursuant to Rule 1.38 (b), Florida Rules of Civil Procedure.
Affirmed.
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Smiles v. Young, 271 So. 2d 798 (Fla. 3d DCA 1973)…of lawsuits to allow parties to state new claims or offer new evidence omitted by oversight or inadvertence. See Miami National Bank v. Sobel, Fla.App.1967, 198 So. 2d 841; International Advertising, Inc. v. Congress Enterprises, Inc., Fla.App.1966, 187 So. 2d 364; United States v. $3,216.59 in United States Currency, 41 F.R.D. 433 (D.S.C.1967). Nor does the rule allow a party to avoid the [*803] consequences of a decision to settle litigation even if the party regards the settlement as “bad” in retrospect. S…
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Danner v. Danner, 206 So. 2d 650 (Fla. 2d DCA 1968)…ntiff upon the merits. Upon appeal by defendants, the' 1st District Court affirmed, holding that the vacating of the first decree was authorized by former Rule 1.38(b). In International Advertising, Inc. v. Congress Enterprises, Inc., Fla.App.1966, 187 So. 2d 364, the 3rd District Court held the trial Court without error in denying a motion under said Rule 1.38(b) to allow the plaintiff after the pleading stage to' state a new cause of action which, simply by oversight or inadvertence, had not been ;" eluded…
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Pacesetter Builders-Joint Venture, Inc. v. Coral Springs Prop. Servs., Inc., 531 So. 2d 1061 (Fla. 4th DCA 1988)…ilders, Inc., 450 So. 2d 867 (Fla. 5th DCA 1984). Rule 1.540 may not be used to state a new cause of action in which liability for an existing judgment is extended to another party. See International. Advertising, Inc. v. Congress Enterprises, Inc., 187 So. 2d 364 (Fla. 3d DCA 1966). In Robert B. Ehmann, Inc. v. Bergh, 363 So. 2d 613 (Fla. 1st DCA 1978), the court rejected the argument that Florida Rule of Civil Procedure 1.250(c), which provides that parties may be added by motion at any stage of an action…
Authorities Cited
- State of Fla. ex rel. Huntley Bros., Inc. v. Honorable Marion W. Gooding, 149 So. 2d 55 (Fla. 1st DCA 1963)
- Anne W. Irving v. Irving, 157 So. 2d 544 (Fla. 3d DCA 1963)