C. I., INC., A FOREIGN CORPORATION, PETITIONER,
v.
TRAVEL INTERNATIONALE, LTD., A FOREIGN CORPORATION, GEORGE E. BATCHELOR AND INTERNATIONAL AERODYNE, INC., A DELAWARE CORPORATION, RESPONDENTS

Fla. | 1970-06-10
No. 39220
ERVIN, C. J., and ROBERTS, CARLTON and BOYD, JJ., concur., DREW and THORNAL, JJ., agree to conclusion discharging writ., MASON, Circuit Judge, dissents with opinion.
236 So. 2d 441 Florida Supreme Court (1970) Positive Treatment
Cited by 2 cases

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Synopsis

C.I., Inc. sought review of a District Court decision upholding service of process on the nonresident foreign corporation under Florida's long-arm statute. The Florida Supreme Court affirmed, holding that C.I., Inc.'s subleasing of an aircraft, repairing it, and hiring a pilot within Florida constituted sufficient evidence of doing business in the state to justify service.


Holding

The court held that the evidence was sufficient to establish jurisdiction over C.I., Inc. The subleasing of the aircraft, its repair, and the hiring and payment of a pilot within Florida constituted clear facts showing the nonresident corporation was engaged in a business venture within the state, justifying service of process.


Headnotes

[1] A party seeking to effect service of process under Florida Statutes § 48.181 bears the burden of presenting facts that clearly justify its applicability.

[2] Affidavits lacking material facts showing a nonresident is doing business in Florida are insufficient to justify service of process under Florida Statutes § 48.181.

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Key Quotes

“one seeking to effect service under Florida Statute § 47.16, F.S.A., has the burden of presenting facts which clearly justify its applicability”

Establishes the burden of proof required to show jurisdiction over a nonresident defendant through service of process

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Facts & Procedural History

C.I., Inc., a foreign travel club corporation, subleased a DC-7C aircraft, arranged for its repair within Florida, and hired and paid pilot William Nu…

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Opinion of the Court
PER CURIAM.

PER CURIAM.

Petitioner seeks to have this Court review on conflict certiorari the decision of the District Court of Appeal, Third District, affirming per curiam without opinion the denial of petitioner’s motion to quash service of process under Florida Statutes § 48.181, F.S.A. 228 So.2d 451. Petitioner contends that the holding of the District Court creates conflict on the question of proof necessary to show a nonresident corporation has undertaken “to operate, conduct, engage in, or carry on a business or business venture in the state, or to have an office or agency in the state.” 1

Cases cited for conflict are Young Spring & Wire Corp. v. Smith,2 Fawcett Publications, Inc. v. Brown,3 and Viking Superior Corp. v. W. T. Grant Company.4 The Yeung Spring & Wire Corporation, Faw-cett and Viking cases, supra, hold that one seeking to effect service under Florida Statute § 47.16, F.S.A., has the burden of presenting facts which clearly justify its applicability. In Young Spring & Wire and in Fawcett, affidavits were held lacking in material facts showing that the nonresident was doing business in Florida. Viking held counter affidavits of nonresident manufacturing company prima facie sufficient to show manufacturer was not engaged in business in Florida.

In the instant case the trial court and the District Court found the affidavits and other proof submitted sufficient to show that C. I., Inc., defendant to the counterclaim, was engaged in a business venture within the state. Evidence properly con*442sidered by the trial court, presented by affidavit or otherwise, included the subleasing of a DC-7C aircraft by C. I., Inc., a travel club, also known as Club Internationale; and the repair of the aircraft and hiring and payment of one William Nugent as a pilot to fly the aircraft. The foregoing events took place j. within the State and were found sufficient under Florida Statute § 48.181, F.S.A.5 The counter affidavit of the assistant secretary of C. I., Inc., was without effect since it was simply a denial phrased in the language of the statute without statement of material fact.

The comparison of the facts in the instant case with those of the cases cited for conflict, reveals substantial and material differences precluding conflict.

Accordingly, writ of certiorari heretofore issued is hereby discharged.

It is so ordered.

ERVIN, C. J., and ROBERTS, CARLTON and BOYD, JJ., concur.

DREW and THORNAL, JJ., agree to conclusion discharging writ.

MASON, Circuit Judge, dissents with opinion.

MASON, Circuit Judge

(dissenting).

I dissent. The record herein reflects that the petitioner, a non-resident corporation, at the time of the attempted substituted service of process upon it was not operating, conducting, engaging in, or carrying on a business or business venture in the State of Florida, nor did it have an agency or office in the State of Florida, so that service of process upon it could be had by service upon the Secretary of State of the State of Florida, as provided for in F.S. Section 48.181 F.S.A. Therefore, it is my view that such substituted service was insufficient to secure jurisdiction over the person of the petitioner corporation herein. I would reverse the decision of the District Court of Appeal, with directions to that Court to remand the cause to the trial court ordering it to quash the service of process herein upon the petitioner.

Dissent
MASON, Circuit Judge

MASON, Circuit Judge

(dissenting).

I dissent. The record herein reflects that the petitioner, a non-resident corporation, at the time of the attempted substituted service of process upon it was not operating, conducting, engaging in, or carrying on a business or business venture in the State of Florida, nor did it have an agency or office in the State of Florida, so that service of process upon it could be had by service upon the Secretary of State of the State of Florida, as provided for in F.S. Section 48.181 F.S.A. Therefore, it is my view that such substituted service was insufficient to secure jurisdiction over the person of the petitioner corporation herein. I would reverse the decision of the District Court of Appeal, with directions to that Court to remand the cause to the trial court ordering it to quash the service of process herein upon the petitioner.


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Citator

Cited By

  • Buckingham v. Atlas Aircraft Corp., 343 So. 2d 654 (Fla. 4th DCA 1977)
    …o subject Atlas to the jurisdiction of the Florida courts, but the combination of them existing here, oft times repeated, irresistibly establishes a pattern of “doing business” in this State. In the case of C.I., Inc. v. Travel Internationale, Ltd., 236 So. 2d 441 (Fla.1970), where a similar question was presented, the Supreme Court affirmed the ruling of the Third District Court of Appeals, noting that evidence that, the defendant nonresident corporation, leased a plane, repaired it and hired a pilot to fly…

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