GEORGE H. DEWITT, AS EXECUTOR OF THE ESTATE OF RUTH W. DEWITT, DECEASED, APPELLANT,
v.
SEABOARD COAST LINE RAILROAD COMPANY, A CORPORATION, APPELLEE; GEORGE H. DEWITT, APPELLANT, V. SEABOARD COAST LINE RAILROAD COMPANY, A CORPORATION, APPELLEE

Fla. 2d DCA | 1972-05-19
No. 71-441
LILES, J., concurs., WEHLE, VICTOR O. (Ret.), Associate Judge, concurs in part and dissents in part., PIERCE, C. J., and WEHLE, VICTOR O., Associate Judge, concur.
268 So. 2d 177 Florida District Court of Appeal, Second District (1972) Positive Treatment
Cited by 10 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

In a wrongful death case arising from a railroad accident, the Second District Court of Appeal affirmed a partial summary judgment dismissing the plaintiff's claim for punitive damages. The court also held that a motion for rehearing tolls the time for appealing an interlocutory partial summary judgment.


Holding

The court held that a motion for rehearing tolls the time for taking an appeal from a partial summary judgment, whether it resolves all or only part of the issues between the parties. The court also held that the trial court properly granted summary judgment on punitive damages because there was no evidence of gross, flagrant, wanton, or reckless conduct meeting the statutory standard for punitive damages.


Headnotes

[1] A motion for rehearing tolls the time for taking an appeal from a summary judgment, whether it resolves all or only a part of the issues between the parties.

[2] An order granting partial summary judgment on liability is an interlocutory order from which an interlocutory appeal may be prosecuted.

Previewing 2 of 5 headnotes on this case. FLexlaw’s editorially structured points of law — every proposition, pinpointed — are reserved for members.

Join FLexlaw to unlock all legal intelligence

Key Quotes

“We must conclude, then, that a motion for rehearing tolls the time for taking an appeal from a summary judgment, whether it resolves all or only a part of the issues between the parties.”

Establishes the holding that motions for rehearing apply to both final and partial summary judgments

Previewing 1 of 3 key quotes on this case — the court’s exact language, pinpointed for members.

Join FLexlaw to unlock all legal intelligence

Facts & Procedural History

On January 12, 1971, the trial court granted defendant Seaboard Coast Line Railroad's motion for partial summary judgment, dismissing the punitive dam…

The full statement of facts, procedural history, and disposition for this case are member content.

Join FLexlaw to unlock all legal intelligence

© FLexlaw, Inc. — AI-generated enrichments are proprietary. All rights reserved.


Opinion of the Court
PIERCE, Chief Judge.

PIERCE, Chief Judge.

Before this case came on for oral argument there appeared to be a question of whether or not this Court had jurisdiction to entertain the appeal. The parties were given an opportunity to file briefs on the subject. We have reviewed the briefs filed by the parties, as well as the applicable Rules, and have determined that we do have jurisdiction.

On January 12, 1971, the lower Court entered an order for partial summary judgment in favor of the defendant, Seaboard, on the issue of punitive damages and ordered that the cause be tried solely on the issue of compensatory damages. On January 20, 1971, plaintiff DeWitt, moved for a rehearing as to the order for partial summary judgment. On May 6, 1971, the Court entered its order denying DeWitt’s motion for rehearing. On June 3, 1971, DeWitt filed his notice of appeal. The question is whether or not a motion for rehearing tolls the time for taking an appeal from a partial summary judgment.

Rule 1.530(a) R.C.P., 31 F.S.A. provides :

“Jury and Non-Jury Actions. A new trial may be granted to all or any of the parties and on all or a part of the issues. On a motion for a rehearing of matters heard without a jury, including summary judgments, the court may open the judgment if one has been entered, take additional testimony and enter a new judgment.”

Rule 1.510(b) R.C.P. provides:

“For Defending Party. A party against whom a claim, counterclaim, cross-claim or third party claim is asserted or a declaratory judgment is sought may move for a summary judgment in his favor as to all or any part thereof at any time with or without supporting affidavits.”

The last sentence in Rule 1.510(c) R.C. P. provides:

“A summary judgment, interlocutory in character, may be rendered on the issue of liability alone although there is a genuine issue as to the amount of damages.”

Appellate Rule 4.2, 32 F.S.A., provides that interlocutory appeals may be prosecuted from orders granting partial summary judgment on liability in civil actions. While there is no provision for rehearings directed to interlocutory orders, Home News Publishing Company v. U-M Publishing, Inc., Fla.App.1971, 246 So.2d 117, Rule 1.530(a) R.C.P. does not limit the right to move for rehearing to summary judgments which conclude all the issues.

The rule making authorities may have intended that a motion for rehearing should be directed only to final summary judgments which resolve all the issues between the parties. See Weisberg v. Perl, Fla. 1954, 73 So.2d 56, and Kippy Corporation *179v. Colburn, Fla.1965, 177 So.2d 193. In Kippy, at page 198, Justice O’Connell said:

"Quite obviously the majority receded from the decision in the Weisberg case because of the harsh and somewhat inconsistent effect of the then existing rules which permitted timely correction by a trial court of all final orders except those summarily entered.
“The specific problem presented in the Floyd case will not appear again because the rules have been amended to permit reconsideration of a summary final order.”

But neither Rule 1.510 or Rule 1.530 R.C. P. makes a distinction between such final summary judgment and a summary judgment which concludes only a part of the issues between the parties.

We must conclude, then, that a motion for rehearing tolls the time for taking an appeal from a summary judgment, whether it resolves all or only a part of the issues between the parties.

The order appealed was an interlocutory order, being a partial summary judgment on the issue of liability for punitive damages, and the appeal should have been designated as an interlocutory appeal as provided by F.A.R. 4.2. However, we shall treat the appeal as an interlocutory appeal, Triax, Inc. v. City of Treasure Island, Fla.App.1967, 198 So.2d 870; Rivers v. Ellman, Fla.App.1968, 206 So.2d 456.

Turning to the question of whether the lower Court erred in granting Seaboard’s motion for summary judgment as to punitive damages, there was no evidence that Seaboard’s negligence was of a gross and flagrant character, evincing reckless disregard of human life, or was so wanton or reckless or grossly careless as to disregard the safety, welfare or rights of others which is equivalent to an intentional violation of them, Florida East Coast Ry. Co. v. Hayes, 65 Fla. 1, 60 So. 792; Cannon v. State, 1926, 91 Fla. 214, 107 So. 360; Sauer v. Sauer, Fla.App.1961, 128 So.2d 761. It is in the province of the trial Court to determine as a matter of law whether or not there is a basis for punitive damages, Dr. P. Phillips & Sons, Inc. v. Kilgore, 152 Fla. 578, 12 So.2d 465, and if there is not, the Court should withdraw such question from the consideration of the jury, the Florida Central and Peninsular Railroad Company v. Moony, 45 Fla. 286, 33 So. 1010; Winn & Lovett Grocery Co. v. Archer, 1936, 126 Fla. 308, 171 So. 214; St. Petersburg Sheraton Corporation v. Stuart, Fla.App. 1970, 242 So.2d 185; cf. Barnett First National Bank of Jacksonville v. Buie, Fla.App.1971, 255 So.2d 707. There was no error here.

The order appealed is, therefore—

Affirmed.

LILES, J., concurs.

WEHLE, VICTOR O. (Ret.), Associate Judge, concurs in part and dissents in part.

WEHLE, VICTOR O., (Ret.), Associate Judge.

I believe there was sufficient evidence to justify submitting to the jury the question of punitive damages and to that extent I dissent from the opinion of the Chief Judge.

ON PETITION FOR REHEARING

LILES, Judge.

This court in its opinion affirmed the trial judge’s granting of Seaboard’s motion for summary judgment on punitive damages and held that Seaboard’s negligence was not of a gross and flagrant character so as to constitute a jury issue on punitive damages.

After considering the petition for rehearing filed by appellant, we believe the question of punitive damages is a jury question and that the trial judge erred in granting a summary judgment in this regard. See *180Mills v. Cone Brothers Contracting Company, Fla.App., 265 So.2d 739, filed August 25, 1972.

The petition for rehearing is hereby granted and so much of the opinion rendered by this court affirming the trial judge’s granting of Seaboard’s motion for summary judgment is reversed and the cause remanded for action consistent with this opinion.

PIERCE, C. J., and WEHLE, VICTOR O., Associate Judge, concur.

Dissent
WEHLE, VICTOR O., (Ret.), Associate Judge.

WEHLE, VICTOR O., (Ret.), Associate Judge.

I believe there was sufficient evidence to justify submitting to the jury the question of punitive damages and to that extent I dissent from the opinion of the Chief Judge.

Other
LILES, Judge.

LILES, Judge.

This court in its opinion affirmed the trial judge’s granting of Seaboard’s motion for summary judgment on punitive damages and held that Seaboard’s negligence was not of a gross and flagrant character so as to constitute a jury issue on punitive damages.

After considering the petition for rehearing filed by appellant, we believe the question of punitive damages is a jury question and that the trial judge erred in granting a summary judgment in this regard. See Mills v. Cone Brothers Contracting Company, Fla.App., 265 So. 2d 739, filed August 25, 1972.

The petition for rehearing is hereby granted and so much of the opinion rendered by this court affirming the trial judge’s granting of Seaboard’s motion for summary judgment is reversed and the cause remanded for action consistent with this opinion.

PIERCE, C. J., and WEHLE, VICTOR O., Associate Judge, concur.


Cases With Similar Vibessemantic neighbors from the corpus


Citator

Cited By

  • Mendez v. W. Flagler Fam. Ass'n, Inc., 303 So. 2d 1 (Fla. 1974)
    …of action but leaving the others still pending, is a “final” appealable judgment. We answer both questions in the affirmative. I. Petitioner urges conflict with Wagner v. Bieley, 263 So. 2d 1 (Fla.1972), and DeWitt v. Seaboard Coast Line Railroad, 268 So. 2d 177 (Fla.App.2d 1972). The Wagner case involved the denial of a summary judgment in which this Court said: “In 1962 Rule 2.8 R.C.P. [now Rule 1.-530] was amended to permit petitions for rehearing directed to trial court orders or decrees granting summ…
    1 / 3
  • Tuel v. The HERTZ Corp., 296 So. 2d 597 (Fla. 3d DCA 1974)
    …nitive damages in this case. It is within the province of the trial court to determine as a matter of law whether or not there is a basis for instructing the jury as to punitive damages. DeWitt v. Seaboard Coast Line Railroad Company, Fla.App.1972, 268 So. 2d 177; St. Petersburg Sheraton Corporation v. Stuart, Fla.App.1970, 242 So. 2d 185. In this case, the court having viewed the witnesses and listened to their testimony, determined that the evidence presented would not justify punitive damages. This court…
  • Nuby Shealy v. Clark Constr. Co. OF Ocala, Inc., 323 So. 2d 11 (Fla. 1st DCA 1975)
    …, 306 So. 2d 179 (Fla.App. 2nd, 1975). The order appealed from is one “granting partial summary judgment on liability.” It is therefore reviewable by interlocutory appeal pursuant to Rule 4.2, F. A.R. Compare DeWitt v. Seaboard Coast Line R.R. Co., 268 So. 2d 177 (Fla.App. 2nd, 1972). While we may treat the case as having been properly brought here by interlocutory appeal [Crepaldi v. Wagner, 128 So. 2d 759 (Fla.App. 1st, 1961)], the case would gain nothing by our doing so. No decision we could make would el…

Previewing 3 of 5 citing cases — full citator treatment, depth of discussion, and citing context are member features.

Join FLexlaw to unlock all legal intelligence

Authorities Cited (16 total)

View all 16 cited authorities →

Full citator, related cases, and AI research tools

Open in FLexlaw