GACL, INC., A FLORIDA CORPORATION, APPELLANT,
v.
RIVIERA TILE AND TERRAZZO COMPANY, AND THE TRAVELERS INDEMNITY COMPANY, A FOREIGN CORPORATION DOING BUSINESS IN THE STATE OF FLORIDA, APPELLEES

Fla. 3d DCA | 1974-09-17
No. 74-184
Before PEARSON, HENDRY and HAVERFIELD, JJ.
300 So. 2d 39 Florida District Court of Appeal, Third District (1974) Positive Treatment
Cited by 4 cases

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Synopsis

GACL, Inc. appeals the dismissal of its indemnity action against Riviera Tile and its insurer after GACL paid a judgment resulting from injuries caused by a soap dish that Riviera installed. The court reversed, holding that GACL's complaint adequately alleged passive negligence on its part and active negligence by Riviera, sufficient to state a cause of action for common law indemnity.


Holding

The court held that GACL's complaint sufficiently states a cause of action for common law indemnity because it alleges passive negligence by GACL and active negligence by the defendant-appellees.


Headnotes

[1] A motion to dismiss a complaint requires the court to assume all facts alleged in the complaint are true and to consider only the allegations within the complaint's four…

[2] A complaint sufficiently states a cause of action for common law indemnity when it alleges that the plaintiff is only passively negligent and the defendant is the active…

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Key Quotes

“It is basic that for the purposes of passing upon a motion to dismiss a complaint, the court must assume all the facts alleged therein are true and confine itself strictly to the allegations within the four corners thereof.”

Establishes the standard of review for motions to dismiss—accepting all allegations as true.

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Facts & Procedural History

A soap dish installed by Riviera Tile and Terrazzo Company detached from a wall in an apartment complex owned by GACL, Inc., injuring tenant Robert Ze…

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Opinion of the Court
PER CURIAM.

PER CURIAM.

Plaintiff-appellant appeals an order granting the motion of defendant-appellees to dismiss the complaint in this action for common law indemnity.

One Robert Zeger was a tenant in an apartment complex owned and managed by GACL, Inc., the appellant herein. While Zeger was taking a shower, a soap dish became detached from the wall and shattered in his bathtub and as a result thereof, he sustained personal injuries. Zeger sued GACL, Inc., which notified appellee herein, Riviera Tile and Terrazzo Company, which installed the subject soap dish, and appellee’s insurer, The Travelers Indemnity Company, of the pendency of the Zeger case and demanded that they take over the defense. Both Riviera Tile and its insurer refused. Subsequently, a default judgment on the issue of liability was entered against GACL, Inc., and the cause proceeded to trial on the issue of damages. The suit resulted in a verdict against GACL, Inc. in the amount of $17,000 plus interest upon the conclusion of an appeal in the amount of $1,599.50. Thereafter, GACL, Inc. as plaintiff filed a complaint for indemnity against Riviera Tile and its insurer Travelers Indemnity in the amount of $18,599.90 plus costs and reasonable attorneys’ fees. Plaintiff alleged therein that the recovery of Robert Zeger was based solely upon the passive negligence or derivative liability on the part of GACL, Inc., whereas defendant Riviera Tile was guilty of active or primary negligence. Plaintiff-appellant attached to its complaint the complaint brought against it by Robert Zeger. In response thereto, defendant-appellees filed a motion to dismiss for failure to state a cause of action and as grounds therefor alleged that the plaintiff was charged in the complaint brought against it by Robert Ze-ger with active negligence and, therefore, plaintiff is precluded from claiming damages against them. After hearing oral argument thereon and reviewing the complaint of Robert Zeger against GACL, Inc., the trial judge granted the motion to dismiss. Plaintiff appeals therefrom and alleges as error the dismissal of its complaint. We reverse.

It is basic that for the purposes of passing upon a motion to dismiss a complaint, the court must assume all the facts alleged therein are true and confine itself strictly to the allegations within the four corners thereof. Kest v. Nathanson, Fla. App.1968, 216 So. 2d 233; Geer v. Bennett, Fla.App.1970, 237 So. 2d 311.

The complaint in the case sub ju-dice alleges that plaintiff is only passively negligent and that defendant-appellees are the active tort-feasors. Thus, we conclude that plaintiff’s complaint sufficiently states a cause of action for common law indemnity. See Peoples Gas System, Inc. v. B & P Restaurant Corporation, Fla.App.1973, 271 So. 2d 804. Accordingly, we reverse the order dismissing plaintiff’s complaint and remand the cause for further proceedings not inconsistent herewith.

Reversed and remanded.

Dissent
PEARSON, Judge

PEARSON, Judge

(dissenting).

It is my view that because the default judgment against GACL, Inc. confessed the complaint of Zeger alleging active negligence that active negligence is res judica-ta as to the appellant GACL, Inc. See Hay v. Salisbury, 92 Fla. 446, 109 So. 617 (1926). I would therefore affirm upon the authority of the rule applied in Winn-Dixie Stores, Inc. v. Fellows, Fla.App.1963, 153 So. 2d 45.


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Citator

Cited By

  • Hart Props., Inc. v. E. Elevator Serv. Corp., 357 So. 2d 257 (Fla. 3d DCA 1978)
    …jury to a third party, the passively negligent tort [*259] feasor is entitled to indemnity from the actively negligent one. See, e. g., Florida Power Corp. v. Taylor, 332 So. 2d 687 (Fla. 2d DCA 1976); GACL, Inc. v. Riviera Tile and Terrazo Company, 300 So. 2d 39 (Fla. 3d DCA 1974); Maybarduk v. Bustamante, 294 So. 2d 374 (Fla. 4th DCA 1974); and Peoples Gas System, Inc. v. B & P Restaurant Corp., 271 So. 2d 804 (Fla. 3d DCA 1973). Accordingly, because the terms of the agreement involved do not preclude a ca…
  • …. 2d 468, Opinion issued March 5, 1976; Crawford Door Sales Company v. Donahue, 321 So. 2d 624 (Fla.App.2d 1975); Central Truck Lines Inc. v. White Motor Corporation, 316 So. 2d 579 (Fla.App.3d 1975); Gacl, Inc. v. Riviera Tile and Terrazzo Company, 300 So. 2d 39 (Fla.App.3rd 1974). Reversed and remanded with instructions to reinstate. REVERSED AND REMANDED. WALDEN, C. J., DOWNEY, J., and MELVIN, WOODROW M., Associate Judge, concur.…

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