H. S. BUCHANAN, DOING BUSINESS AS SUWANNEE FARMS, APPELLANT,
v.
GOLDEN HILLS TURF AND COUNTRY CLUB, INC., A FLORIDA NON-PROFIT CORPORATION, ET AL., APPELLEES

Fla. 1st DCA | 1972-01-11
No. O-274
RAWLS, J., concurs., SPECTOR, C. J., specially concurs.
257 So. 2d 54 Florida District Court of Appeal, First District (1972) Negative Treatment
Cited by 4 cases

AI-generated. These summaries, headnotes, and key points are machine-generated and may contain errors or omissions. Always verify against the full opinion text below. Not legal advice.

Synopsis

H.S. Buchanan appealed a nuisance injunction that restrained his feed lot operations and ordered modifications within 90 days. The appellate court found the injunction overly broad and potentially confiscatory, reversing and remanding for further testimony to determine whether the feed lot operations had improved sufficiently to no longer constitute a nuisance and to establish reasonable modification guidelines.


Holding

The appellate court held that while a property owner cannot operate his property to create a nuisance to neighbors, the injunction issued was too broad and potentially confiscatory. The court held that the relevant inquiry is whether the defendant's operation can be modified economically through practical changes to reduce odors, stench, and flies to reasonable levels, and remanded for further testimony to determine if conditions have improved and to establish reasonable modification guidelines.


Headnotes

[1] A property owner cannot use their property in a manner that creates a legal nuisance to neighboring property owners.

[2] An injunction that is overly broad may amount to a confiscation of property or prohibit the operation of a business.

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Key Quotes

“we are of the opinion, and so hold, that the injunction and restraining order was so broad as to amount to a confiscation of appellant's property or at least it would prohibit the appellant from operating his feed lot, unless said injunction and restraining order is not modified”

Establishes the main holding that the trial court's injunction was overly broad and potentially confiscatory

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Facts & Procedural History

Buchanan operated a feed lot facility on agricultural land. Neighboring property owners complained of odors, flies, and other nuisance conditions. The…

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Opinion of the Court
JOHNSON, Judge.

JOHNSON, Judge.

This is an appeal from a final judgment entered in October, 1970, by the Circuit Court of Marion County, Florida, in which the trial court restrained and enjoined the defendant (appellant) H. S. Buchanan, from further conducting his feed lot facility in a manner which caused odors, flies or other conditions which annoy, harass or cause discomfort to the plaintiffs in the ordinary and free use, possession or enjoyment of their property. Further, the Court gave the defendant ninety (90) days within which to modify his present feed lot facility and operations so that they will comply with the order of this Court.

In the twelve page final judgment entered, the trial judge gave a very detailed and accurate summary of the testimony given at the trial as well as by some depositions.

We can agree with the trial court to the extent that'the defendant cannot so use his property as to create a nuisance to his neighbors, as the term is defined in law; but, we are of the opinion, and so hold, that the injunction and restraining order was so broad as to amount to a confiscation of appellant’s property or at least it would prohibit the appellant from oper*55ating his feed lot, unless said injunction and restraining order is not modified.

We are aware that an appellate court should be very careful before it substitutes its judgment for that of the trial court on the questions of fact, controverted or not; but the appellate court should at least do its duty to correct the ruling wherein the appellate court thinks a contrary conclusion should have been reached by the trial court, whether from the facts testified to or to the wrong application of the law thereto.

In this case, we think it was error for the trial court to give any merit to the so-called expert witness, Mr. Jones, having to do with the availability of Federal money from which defendant could use money to correct some facet of his operation. At most, this was an opinion without foundation. Some of the suggested methods of solving the problem, from expert witnesses, were so unpractical that the trial court should have rejected such testimony.

We are also aware of the fact that the general area of the lands in question is for agricultural. In fact, some of the plaintiffs use their lands for cattle raising, adjacent to the defendant’s property.

It is also axiomatic that it is impossible to operate a feed lot for cattle without some odor or stench, as well as the attracting of flies, emanating therefrom, the trial court indicating as much. The question then arises as to whether or not the defendant’s operation is so operated to so reduce the odor and stench and flies to a reasonable, practical level or not; or can it be so operated, economically, by making changes which are practical from an investment point of view so as to so modify the facility and operation so as to reduce the complained of conditions to such extent as to render such operation no longer actionable as a nuisance.

We have carefully considered the testimony, which was actually taken approximately two years before the entry of the final judgment, and have reached the conclusion that some of the expert witness’s testimony was impractical, and that most of the witnesses testified, with some variance, that the conditions are better than when the suit was filed. Also, the defendant testified, that in times of excessive rains, the tanks overflowed and the overflow went back into the pond or low area to the south of the feed lot. This was found to be a breeding ground for flies. This, we think, is one facet of the operation which should be corrected.

We are of the opinion that this case should be remanded to the lower court for .the taking of further testimony, from all parties, to determine whether the conditions have so improved with the defendant’s operation that it no longer harasses the neighbors, and also the taking of testimony from which the trial court can lay guidelines from which the defendant can be guided in the reasonable changes to be made to comply with the order of the court.

The judgment appealed from is therefore reversed and the case remanded for further testimony and new final judgment, not in conflict with the suggestions of this opinion.

Reversed and remanded.

RAWLS, J., concurs.

SPECTOR, C. J., specially concurs.

SPECTOR, Chief Judge

(specially concurring) .

I concur in the judgment of reversal herein on authority of Beckman v. Marshall, 85 So.2d 552 (Fla.1956).

Concurrence
SPECTOR, Chief Judge

SPECTOR, Chief Judge

(specially concurring) .

I concur in the judgment of reversal herein on authority of Beckman v. Marshall, 85 So. 2d 552 (Fla.1956).


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Citator

Cited By

  • …PER CURIAM. A writ of certiorari was granted in this cause to resolve a conflict between the opinion of the District Court of Appeal below, reported at 257 So. 2d 54 (1st D.C.A., Fla. 1972) and Greenwood v. Oates, 251 So. 2d 665 (Fla.1971). Article V, Section 4(2), Florida Constitution, F.S.A. The facts are adequately set forth in the District Court’s opinion. We focus here only on the language giving rise to c…
  • Buchanan v. Golden Hills Turf & Country Club, Inc., 308 So. 2d 168 (Fla. 1st DCA 1975)
    …nction against the appellant. On appeal, this Court reversed, finding that the injunction was overly broad and remanded the case for further testimony and a new final judgment. (Buchanan v. Golden Hills Turf & Country Club, Inc., Fla.App. 1st 1972, 257 So. 2d 54). The Florida Supreme Court issued a writ of certiorari and, in a per curiam [*169] opinion, expressly disapproved the following passages contained in this Court’s opinion : “ ‘We are aware that an appellate court should be very careful before it…

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