ADOLPH B. ORTHWEIN, ADOLPHUR B. ORTHWEIN, JR., AND A. B. ORTHWEIN, AS GUARDIAN, APPELLANTS,
v.
COBBS FRUIT & PRESERVING COMPANY, A FLORIDA CORPORATION, HENRY COBBS, APPELLEES

Fla. 1st DCA | 1969-12-23
No. L-386
JOHNSON, C. J., and SPECTOR, J., concur.
229 So. 2d 607 Florida District Court of Appeal, First District (1969) Positive Treatment
Cited by 12 cases

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Synopsis

Plaintiffs appealed a summary judgment in favor of defendants in a property dispute. The court affirmed, holding that plaintiffs failed to create genuine issues of material fact because their reliance on an informal parol stipulation violated the formal requirements for stipulations and their affidavit regarding wrongful removal of personal property was based on information and belief rather than personal knowledge.


Holding

The court held that neither the parol stipulation nor the affidavits created genuine issues of material fact. The parol stipulation did not comply with Florida's formal requirements for stipulations and thus had no probative force. The affidavit regarding wrongful removal of personal property was based on information and belief rather than personal knowledge and therefore was insufficient to create a genuine issue of fact.


Key Quotes

“It was to prevent just such irreconcilable conflicts from arising during the course of litigation that the rule relating to the form and content of stipulations was promulgated and adopted by the Supreme Court.”

Explains the purpose of the formal stipulation rule and why the parol agreement was insufficient.

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Facts & Procedural History

Plaintiffs and defendants had been parties to a prior unlawful detainer action. During that action, appellants' attorney and one defendant allegedly e…

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Opinion of the Court
WIGGINTON, Judge.

WIGGINTON, Judge.

Plaintiffs have appealed a summary final judgment rendered in. defendants’ favor. They contend the court erred in finding from the pleadings, affidavits, depositions and other evidence that there existed no genuine issue of any material fact and that defendants were entitled to judgment.

Appellants rely on a parol stipulation, understanding or agreement entered into between their attorney and one of the defendants during the pendency of a prior unlawful detainer action between the parties to support their position. Appellants’ attorney deposed that his understanding of the parol agreement was such as to constitute defendants’ departure from the leased premises while the unlawful detainer action was pending an unauthorized abandonment of the lease obligations. On the contrary, defendant deposed that his understanding was such as to constitute his departure a lawful surrender in response to the compulsion of the unlawful detainer writ. Appellants contend that the two conflicting versions of the stipulation or agreement created genuine issues of fact to be resolved only by trial. It was to prevent just such irreconcilable conflicts from arising during the course of litigation that the rule relating to the form and content of stipulations was promulgated and adopted by the Supreme Court. This rule provides :

“Stipulations. No private agreement or consent between parties or their at*608torneys shall be of any force unless the evidence thereof is in writing, subscribed by the party or his attorney against whom it is alleged; provided that parol agreements may be made before the court if promptly made a part of the record or incorporated in the stenographic notes of the proceedings and agreements made at depositions which are incorporated in the transcript thereof need not be signed when signing thereof is waived.”1

Since the parol stipulation or agreement on which appellants rely to create a genuine issue of fact does not comply with the requirements of the rule, it was of no probative force or effect and would not have been admissible if offered as evidence in the unlawful detainer action. For the same reason, the stipulation is likewise of no probative value and is inadmissible as evidence in the case sub judice. For these reasons the stipulation was not sufficient to create a genuine issue of fact to defeat the motion for summary judgment.

Appellants further contend that a genuine issue of fact was created by the affidavits of the parties concerning the alleged wrongful removal by defendant from the leased premises of certain specified personal property owned by appellants. The facts averred in appellants’ affidavit touching upon this issue are based entirely upon information and belief contrary to the rule of procedure which requires that such facts be averred on personal knowledge and shall be such as would be admissible in evidence.2 Since appellants’ affidavit does not comply with the requirements of the rule, it is insufficient to create a genuine issue of fact regarding the alleged wrongful removal of personal property from the premises, or to negate the affirmative averments contained in the affidavit supporting the motion.

The judgment appealed is affirmed.

JOHNSON, C. J., and SPECTOR, J., concur.


Cases With Similar Vibessemantic neighbors from the corpus


Citator

Cited By

  • …ch oral agreement in fact existed. The trial court denied the motion to set aside default and this appeal of the final judgment ensued. We affirm as to the denial of the motion to set aside the default. Orthwein v. Cobbs Fruit & Preserving Company, 229 So. 2d 607 (Fla. 1st DCA 1969); Osceola Farms Co. v. Sanchez, 238 So. 2d 477 (Fla. 4th DCA 1970). Fla.R.Jud.Admin. 2.060(g). We reverse the final judgment entered on the default, with directions to the trial judge to submit the matter of damages to a jury as…
  • …als that defendant’s opposing affidavit was not based upon personal knowledge as required by RCP 1.510(e), 31 F.S.A. See also P & T Electric Company v. Spadea, Fla.App.1969, 227 So. 2d 234; Orthwein v. Cobbs Fruit & Preserving Company, Fla.App.1969, 229 So. 2d 607. For the reasons herein stated, the judgment of the lower court must be and hereby is affirmed. Affirmed.…
  • B. C. C., Inc. v. Rozyner, 365 So. 2d 207 (Fla. 3d DCA 1978)
    …PER CURIAM. Affirmed. See Fla.R.Civ.P. 1.030(d); Orthwein v. Cobbs Fruit & Preserving Company, 229 So. 2d 607 (Fla. 1st DCA 1969), and Fink v. Powsner, 108 So. 2d 324 (Fla. 3d DCA 1958); Lipton v. Southeast First Nat. Bank of Miami, 343 So. 2d 927 (Fla. 3d DCA 1977); Mawi Corp. v. Advance Mortgage Corp., 353 So. 2d 564 (Fla. 3d DCA 1977).…

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