DADE COUNTY, A POLITICAL SUBDIVISION OF THE STATE OF FLORIDA, APPELLANT, CROSS-APPELLEE,
v.
DORAN A. JASON ET AL., APPELLEES, CROSS-APPELLANTS
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Property owners who had satisfied all requirements for a building permit as of 11:30 A.M. on March 29, 1972, were denied the permit because Dade County deliberately delayed issuance until after noon, when a building moratorium became effective. The court affirmed that the county should be estopped from denying the permit based on the zoning regulations in effect when the owners completed all prerequisites.
The property owners are entitled to receive a building permit authorizing construction of 85 units per acre under the zoning regulations that existed at 11:30 A.M. on March 29, 1972, when they had completed all prerequisites for permit issuance. The county is estopped from denying the permit based on regulations that took effect after the owners had satisfied all legal requirements.
[1] A governmental entity may be estopped from denying a permit when its officials unreasonably delay issuance after the applicant has met all prerequisites.
[2] When governmental officials act arbitrarily to avoid their duty to issue a permit, such as by undue delay during which a new limitation is enacted, courts may disregard t…
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Join FLexlaw to unlock all legal intelligence“It is apparent that the landowners had completed all the necessary prerequisites entitling them to a permit as of 11:30 A.M. on the date in question, and the County should be estopped, under the circumstances, to deny the issuance of the permit.”
Establishes the core holding that the county is estopped from denying a permit when applicants have satisfied all prerequisites before the moratorium took effect.
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Join FLexlaw to unlock all legal intelligenceAppellees applied for a building permit to construct a multi-family building on Key Biscayne in unincorporated Dade County in early 1972. On March 14,…
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Early in 1972, the appellees commenced the proper proceedings to obtain a building permit for the erection of a multi-family building on Key Biscayne, in the unincorporated area of Dade County, Florida. They made formal application after prelim-iary discussions with Dade County authorities in early March, 1972, to secure a permit to permit such construction. Thereafter, on March 14, 1972, as a result of an initiative petition, the voters of Dade County approved a referendum authorizing the County Manager [in certain circumstances] to declare a building moratorium in the unincorporated areas of the County. During March the appellees were continually attempting to secure their permit and, on March 29, 1972, were finally notified that they were entitled to pick up their permit upon the deposit of the necessary fees. They immediately presented the necessary funds and the execution of the necessary documents in the Building Department of Metropolitan Dade County and it was stipulated that, as of 11:30 A.M. that morning, their plans as submitted entitled them to a building permit under the then existing Metropolitan Zoning and Building Regulations which would have permitted a density of 85 units per acre. Notwithstanding the admitted compliance with all the requirements entitling them to the issuance of a permit, same was withheld by a clerk until subsequent to noon on March 29th, whereupon they were informed that no permit would be issued because the County Manager had declared a building moratorium in an area which encompassed the ap-*312pellees’ property effective at 12:00 Noon that day.
The appellees, as plaintiffs, instituted an action in the trial court, seeking to require the issuance of a permit. Following final hearing, the chancellor directed the issuance of a permit, permitting the construction of an improvement which met the Dade County code as it existed as of 11:30 A.M. on March 29, 1972, and rejected the appellees’ argument that the moratorium ordinance was unconstitutional. The County instituted an appeal, contending that the chancellor erred in directing the issuance of a permit and further erred in not limiting the permit to a reduced density pursuant to the use classification in effect at the time of the entry of the final judgment [the zoning ordinance as to density, during the moratorium, having been amended], citing City of Boynton Beach v. Carroll, Fla.App.1973, 272 So.2d 171. The property owners filed a cross-appeal, alleging error in the trial court’s failure to declare the moratorium ordinance unconstitutional.
We affirm the action of the chancellor in directing the issuance of the permit. He found that the County had “delayed” the issuance of the permit in an obvious attempt to permit the County Manager to issue a moratorium. It is apparent that the landowners had completed all the necessary prerequisites entitling them to a permit as of 11:30 A.M. on the date in question, and the County should be estopped, under the circumstances, to deny the issuance of the permit. Aiken v. E. B. Davis, Inc., 106 Fla. 675, 143 So. 658; Harris v. State ex rel. Wester, 159 Fla. 195, 31 So.2d 264; Texas Co. v. Town of Miami Springs, Fla. 1950, 44 So.2d 808; Bregar v. Britton, Fla.1954, 75 So.2d 753; City of Hollywood v. Pettersen, Fla.App.1965, 178 So.2d 919; Hough v. Amato, Fla.App.1968, 212 So.2d 662; City of Miami Beach v. Jonathon Corporation, Fla.App.1970, 238 So.2d 516; Munns v. Stenman, 152 Cal.App.2d 543, 314 P.2d 67; Dubow v. Ross, 175 Mise. 219, 22 N.Y.S.2d 610; Harris v. Coffey, 14 Misc.2d 916, 179 N.Y.S.2d 8; Vine v. Za-briskie, 122 N.J.L. 4, 3 A.2d 886; Sgromolo v. City of Asbury Park, 134 N.J.L. 195, 46 A.2d 661; Gibson v. City of Oberlin, 171 Ohio St. 1, 167 N.E.2d 651; Planning Commission of City of Falls Church v. Berman, 211 Va. 774, 180 S.E.2d 670. We find the case of City of Boynton Beach v. Carroll, supra, not to be applicable in the instant case, because of the obvious conclusion by the chancellor that the County had acted in bad faith in delaying the issuance of the permit and, therefore, the applicant should have been entitled to a permit authorizing the construction of the number of units that they would have been permitted to construct if the permit had been issued when they were entitled to it, to wit: 11:30 A.M., March 29, 1972. Therefore, we find the cited case not to be applicable and the chancellor to have been without error when he directed that the appellees should obtain a permit entitling them to build 85 units per acre. Sgromolo v. City of Asbury Park, supra; Gibson v. City of Oberlin, supra; Anno. 169 ALR 584. Compare Broach v. Young, Fla.1958, 100 So.2d 411.1
*313Having determined that the chancellor should be affirmed on directing the issu-anee of the permit, there is no reason to reach the constitutional issue as raised on the cross-appeal. Both counsel, in open court, conceded that this issue would become moot if the court affirms the chancellor on the issuance of the permit.
Therefore, for the reasons above stated, the final judgment here under review is hereby affirmed in that respect which directed the issuance of the permit. But, this opinion is not to be construed as any ruling on the constitutionality of the moratorium ordinance.
Affirmed.
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Bystrom v. Fla. Rock Indus., Inc., 502 So. 2d 35 (Fla. 3d DCA 1987)…p. v. Bryan, 237 So. 2d 308 (Fla. 4th DCA 1970). Thus, Bystrom had the mandatory duty to certify the tax rolls in accordance with section 193.122, Florida Statutes. This duty is a ministerial one. Chatios, 124 So. 2d at 1; see Dade County v. Jason, 278 So. 2d 311 (Fla. 3d DCA 1973) (an official cannot delay the exercise of his ministerial function in order to gain an advantage over a citizen). Furthermore, Bystrom is bound, as are property owners, by a statutory scheme of events. Williams v. Law, 368 So. 2d…
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Metro. Dade Cnty. v. Rosell Constr. Corp., 297 So. 2d 46 (Fla. 3d DCA 1974)…revoke a building permit. See Texas Co. v. Town of Miami Springs, 44 So. 2d 808 (Fla.1960) supra.” (Emphasis supplied) * * * * * * See also City of Boynton Beach v. Carroll, Fla.App.1973, 272 So. 2d 171; and see Dade County v. Jason, Fla.App.1973, 278 So. 2d 311, which was distinguished from City of Boynton Beach because of the “bad faith” of the county in delaying issuance of the permit. The appellant also argues that the trial judge erred in finding that the alternative solutions suggested by the County…
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Richbon, Inc. v. Miami-Dade Cnty., 791 So. 2d 505 (Fla. 3d DCA 2001)…nd was) estopped from denying the issuance of the permit as Richbon had successfully taken every step required of it to obtain the certifícate, and at the time of application there were no valid impediments to its issuance, see Dade County v. Jason, 278 So. 2d 311 (Fla. 3d DCA 1973) and cases cited therein. Rich-bon cannot be fined or otherwise punished for Dade County’s refusal to issue the certificate to which Richbon was legally entitled. Accordingly we issue our writ quashing the decision of the circuit c…
Previewing 3 of 7 citing cases — full citator treatment, depth of discussion, and citing context are member features.
Join FLexlaw to unlock all legal intelligenceAuthorities Cited
- Tex. Co. v. Town of Miami Springs, 44 So.2d 808 (Fla. 1950)
- The City OF Boynton Beach v. The Most Reverend Coleman F. Carroll, 272 So. 2d 171 (Fla. 4th DCA 1973)
- Aiken v. E. B. Davis, Inc., 106 Fla. 675 (Fla. 1932)
- Bregar v. Britton, 75 So. 2d 753 (Fla. 1954)
- Harris v. State, 159 Fla. 195 (Fla. 1947)
- Davidson v. City OF Coral Gables, 119 So. 2d 704 (Fla. 3d DCA 1960)
- Broach v. Young, 100 So. 2d 411 (Fla. 1958)
- The City OF Hollywood v. Birger A. Pettersen, 178 So. 2d 919 (Fla. 2d DCA 1965)
- Jones v. Louie L. Wainwright, 212 So. 2d 662 (Fla. 4th DCA 1968)
- City OF Miami Beach v. Jonathon Corp., 238 So. 2d 516 (Fla. 3d DCA 1970)