MANCHESTER INSURANCE & INDEMNITY COMPANY AND CHARLES HINES, APPELLANTS,
v.
JOANNE NOVACK ET AL., APPELLEES

Fla. 3d DCA | 1973-09-18
No. 73-120
Before BARKDULL, C. J., and HEN-DRY and HAVERFIELD, JJ.
284 So. 2d 433 Florida District Court of Appeal, Third District (1973) 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 this interlocutory appeal, the court affirmed the trial judge's finding that Charles Hines owned the taxicab involved in a 1970 accident, rejecting Hines' contention that he had sold it to the driver. The court also reversed a finding regarding the driver's failure to cooperate with the insurer, as that issue was not tried.


Holding

The court affirmed the finding that Charles Hines owned the taxicab, holding that substantial evidence supported the trial judge's determination. The court reversed the finding regarding Johnson's failure to cooperate with the insurance company, as that issue was not tried and there was insufficient evidence to support it.


Headnotes

[1] In a non-jury trial, a trial court's findings of fact are entitled to the weight of a jury verdict and will not be disturbed unless there is a total lack of substantial e…

[2] A court may not make findings of fact on issues that were not tried in the proceedings below.

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Key Quotes

“in cases tried without a jury, the lower court's findings are entitled to the weight of a jury verdict and will not be disturbed unless there is a total lack of substantial evidence to support the trial judge's findings”

Establishes the standard of review for bench trial findings on appeal

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Facts & Procedural History

On January 8, 1970, plaintiffs Joanne and Thomas Novack were injured when their automobile was struck by a taxicab driven by Elisha Johnson, Jr. Defen…

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Opinion of the Court
PER CURIAM.

PER CURIAM.

Defendant-appellants take this interlocutory appeal to review a judgment finding the appellant Charles Hines to be the owner of the subject automobile.

On January 8, 1970 plaintiff-appellees were injured when their automobile was struck from behind by a taxicab driven by one Elisha John'son, Jr. Defendant-appellant Manchester Insurance & Indemnity Company was the insurer of Johnson and Hines who allegedly owned the taxicab. Plaintiffs Joanne and Thomas Novack filed suit against all three. The cause of action was tried without a jury on the question of ownership of the taxicab and Manchester’s liability as insurer. The issues of negligence and damages were severed and still remain to be tried. Defendant-appellant Hines basically contends that he sold the cab to Johnson prior to the ac cident. After having heard the testimony of all parties, the trial judge entered his findings as follows:

"1. Charles Hines was the owner of the 1963 Plymouth sedan automobile which was involved in an automobile accident while being driven by Elisha Johnson, Junior, also with' the consent of Charles Hines, and as such, Charles Hines was legally responsible for said automobile at the time of the accident.

“2. That Elisha Johnson failed to cooperate with the insurance company that covered said policy.”

Defendant-appellants contend that it was established as a matter of law that ownership of the automobile involved in the accident was not in the appellant Charles Hines. We disagree.

It is well established that in cases tried without a jury, the lower court’s findings are entitled to the weight of a jury verdict and will not be disturbed unless there is a total lack of substantial evidence to support the trial judge’s findings. 2 Fla.Jur. Appeals § 346 (1963) and cases cited therein. After a review of the record on appeal, we conclude that there is sufficient evidence upon which the trial judge as trier of the facts was able to find defendant-appellant Charles Hines to be the owner of the taxicab that was being operated by the defendant Elisha Johnson, Jr. with Hines’ consent at the time of the accident. Accordingly, we must reject this argument of appellants and affirm paragraph one (1) of the judgment.

On cross-appeal, plaintiff-appellees Joanne and Thomas Novack contend that paragraph two (2) of the judgment is brutum fulmen as to further proceedings and was included erroneously in the judgment. We are in agreement.

The record clearly reflects that the ownership of the taxicab was the sole issue tried in the proceedings below and, therefore, we conclude that there was insufficient evidence upon which to make a finding of cooperation or a lack thereof with the insurance company.

Accordingly, we must reverse that part of the judgment pertaining to the cooperation on the part of Johnson and remand with directions to strike paragraph two (2) thereof, to-wit: “That Elisha Johnson failed to cooperate with the insurance company that covered said policy.”

Affirmed in part, reversed in part and remanded with directions.


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Citator

Cited By

  • Flagler Ctr. Bldg. Loan Corp. v. Chem. Realty Corp., 363 So. 2d 344 (Fla. 3d DCA 1978)
    …tion of its correctness. Further, for this court to reverse such a finding of fact, there must be a lack of substantial evidence to support the finding. See Chakford v. Strum, 87 So. 2d 419 (Fla.1956); Manchester Insurance & Indemnity Co. v. Novack, 284 So. 2d 433 (Fla. 3d DCA 1973). This record reviewed in that light supports the finding of the trial judge in that it shows that in reliance upon the representations of Chemical Realty, the defendant, Flagler Center, critically changed its position by giving up…
  • Commercial Bank OF Kendall v. Costley, 324 So. 2d 182 (Fla. 3d DCA 1975)
    …ight most favorable to the prevailing party, it is an appellate court’s duty to reverse. Apeco Marina, Inc. v. St. Paul Fire & Marine Insurance Company, Fla.App.1974, 301 So. 2d 136; Manchester Insurance & Indemnity Company v. Novack, Fla.App. 1973, 284 So. 2d 433; C. T. Heath v. First National Bank in Milton, Fla.App.1968, 213 So. 2d 883; and see 2 Fla.Jur. Appeals § 343. In the instant case, the record shows that the legal activities undertaken and the costs incurred by appellant’s counsel were justified u…
  • …Certiorari denied. 284 So. 2d 433. CARLTON, C. J., and ROBERTS, ERVIN, ADKINS and DEKLE, JJ., concur.…

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