SAUL SILBER, APPELLANT,
v.
CAMPUS SWEATER & SPORTSWEAR, APPELLEE

Fla. 1st DCA | 1975-06-03
No. V-347
BOYER, Acting C. J., and MILLS, J., concur.
313 So. 2d 409 Florida District Court of Appeal, First District (1975) Positive Treatment
Cited by 15 cases

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Holding

The court held that the trial court erred in granting summary judgment because genuine issues of material fact existed regarding the amount owed and the counterclaim raised valid defenses.


Headnotes

[1] A summary judgment is improper when the pleadings raise an issue of fact regarding whether the amount claimed is due and owing.

[2] Failure to answer interrogatories does not, in itself, form a basis for summary judgment; the proper remedy for non-compliance must be followed.

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Facts & Procedural History

Appellee sued appellant for goods sold on an open account. Appellant counterclaimed, alleging appellee shipped unordered goods that appellant incurred…

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Opinion of the Court
McCORD, Judge.

McCORD, Judge.

This is an appeal from a summary judgment for appellee (plaintiff below) entered and filed on December 19, 1973, and from an order entered on March 6, 1974, which denied appellant’s motions for rehearing, for summary judgment on appellant’s counterclaim and for stay of writ of. execution and granted appellee’s motion to dismiss appellant’s counterclaim.

Appellee, an Ohio corporation, filed suit against appellant on an open account for goods sold and delivered to appellant. Appellant answered denying that the amount claimed was due and owing and included a counterclaim which alleged that appellee shipped certain goods to appellant which appellant had not ordered; that upon receipt of the goods, appellant promptly demanded that appellee accept return of them which was refused; that appellant stored the goods and a portion of them were stolen and the remainder were sold by appellant at greatly reduced prices; that appellant incurred expenses in preserving and disposing of the goods.

Appellee’s motion for summary judgment was based upon the pleadings, the admissions, appellant’s failure to answer interrogatories and an affidavit filed by appel-lee. A counter affidavit was filed by appellant the day after the hearing but it was not considered by the trial court and we do not consider it here. After entry of the summary judgment, appellant moved for a stay of execution on the ground that appel-lee corporation, an Ohio corporation, had not obtained a permit to do business in the State of Florida, as is required by Section 613.01, Florida Statutes, and, therefore, under Section 613.04, Florida Statutes, was not entitled to process from the courts of this state.

Appellant contends that the trial court erred in granting appellee’s motion for summary judgment. We agree. The pleadings raise an issue of fact on the question of whether or not the amount claimed was due and owing by appellant to appellee. The admissions referred to do nothing to dispell the foregoing issue. Also, failure of appellant to answer interrogatories forms no basis for entry of the summary judgment. It is only the answers to interrogatories that may be considered on motion for summary judgment (Rule 1.510, Florida Rules of Civil Procedure). Rule 1.380(a)(2) and (4), Florida Rules of Civil Procedure, sets out appellee’s remedy for failure of appellant to answer interrogatories and appellee has not followed that procedure.

The affidavit filed by appellee in support of the motion for summary judgment is insufficient to establish a lack of material issue of fact. It does not identify the account and merely states conclusions rather than the factual basis therefor and thus does not comply with Rule 1.510(e), F.R.C.P., which states that:

“ . . . Affidavits . . . shall, set forth such facts as would be admissible in evidence . . . ”

See Deerfield Beach Bank v. Mager, Fla. App. (2d), 140 So. 2d 120. In addition, the affidavit is not specific as to who allegedly owes the account. It states that the claim is a valid claim against Saul Silber and/or Sound City, Inc., and/or Discount Jeans. It states no facts upon which it can be determined whether or not one or more or all of these parties are indebted to appellee. In further violation of said Rule 1.510(e), the affidavit does not show that it was made on personal knowledge. In addition, appellant’s counterclaim raises issues relative to the appellant’s contention that the goods shipped were not ordered and the affidavit does not deal with the issues raised by this pleading. Rule 1.110(d), F.R.C.P., provides in pertinent part:

“ . . . When a party has mistakenly designated a defense as a counterclaim or a counterclaim as.a defense, the court, on terms if justice so requires, shall treat the pleading as it there had been a proper designation . . . ”

When this counterclaim is looked upon as a defense, it is apparent that the issue of fact raised by it is not met by appellee’s affidavit.

As to the court’s aforesaid order of March 6, 1974, from which appeal is taken, we find that the court erred in granting appellee’s motion to dismiss appellant’s counterclaim.

Appellant’s contention that the court erred in denying appellant’s motion to stay execution is rendered moot by our reversal of the summary judgment. By this we do not infer, however, that appellee can maintain the action if its lack of registration to do business in Florida is properly raised in the trial court. The affidavit and depositions presented by appellant on its motion for stay of execution tend to show the appel-lee is doing business in Florida without having complied with Section 613.01, Florida Statutes. On the other hand, appellee contends it comes within the exemption of Section 613.06, Florida Statutes, but has not called attention to any evidence supporting such contention. The question of the right to maintain the action has not been fully presented here and we make no ruling upon it at this time.

The summary judgment for appellee and the order dismissing appellant’s counterclaim are reversed and the cause is remanded for further proceedings consistent herewith.

BOYER, Acting C. J., and MILLS, J., concur.


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Citator

Cited By

  • Campbell v. Salman, 384 So. 2d 1331 (Fla. 3d DCA 1980)
    …idence and should not have been considered by the trial court. Fla.R.Civ.P. 1.510(e); § 90.604, Fla.Stats. (1979); First Mortgage Investors v. Boulevard National Bank of Miami, 327 So. 2d 830 (Fla.3d DCA 1976); Silber v. Campus Sweater & Sportswear, 313 So. 2d 409 (Fla. 1st DCA 1975). Moreover, the same attorney had initially admitted the buyer’s breach of contract, and although in his affidavit based on information and belief he stated settlement had been effected, he later, by way of deposition, stated ther…
  • Thompson v. Citizens Nat'l Bank OF Leesburg, 433 So. 2d 32 (Fla. 5th DCA 1983)
    …ather than personal knowledge is not admissible into evidence and should not be considered by the trial court on a motion for summary judgment. See, e.g., Campbell v. Salman, 384 So. 2d 1331 (Fla. 3d DCA 1980); Silber v. Campus Sweater & Sportswear, 313 So. 2d 409 (Fla. 1st DCA 1975); Garwood v. Equitable Life Assurance Society of U.S., 299 So. 2d 163 (Fla. 3d DCA 1974). The affiant did not (nor could he) state that he had personal knowledge of the matters contained in Metro’s business records, nor that the b…
  • Nour v. ALL State Pipe Supply Co., 487 So. 2d 1204 (Fla. 1st DCA 1986)
    …since it is not a statement of fact, but is itself a mere conclusion or opinion of the affiant. In the face of appellant’s answer denying all allegations of the complaint, appellee’s affidavit is insufficient. Silber v. Campus Sweater & Sportswear, 313 So. 2d 409 (Fla. 1st DCA 1975); Montejo Investments, N. V. v. The Green Companies, Inc., of Florida, 471 So. 2d 158 (Fla. 3d DCA 1985); Thomasson v. The Money Store/Florida, Inc., 464 So. 2d 1309 (Fla. 4th DCA 1985); Rule 1.510(e), Florida Rules of Civil Proce…

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