GEORGE A. ZEIGLER AND WIFE, MARGARET E. ZEIGLER, APPELLANTS,
v.
LOUISE A. HAWKINS, APPELLEE

Fla. 1st DCA | 1975-06-30
No. V-481
RAWLS, C. J., and JOHNSON, J., concur.
315 So. 2d 200 Florida District Court of Appeal, First District (1975)

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

The Zeiglers appealed a summary judgment against them in a suit to vacate a contract for deed. The court reversed, holding that summary judgment was improper because material factual disputes existed regarding the Zeiglers' affirmative defenses and counterclaims that were not controverted by the plaintiff.


Holding

Summary judgment was improper and must be reversed. The Zeiglers' allegations that plaintiff's actions precluded performance, demands for accounting and opportunity to pay, and claims to equity of redemption were material factual issues that required resolution at an adversary hearing.


Headnotes

[1] Summary judgment is improper when controverted issues of material fact exist.

[2] A party moving for summary judgment bears the burden of clearly and unequivocally establishing the right to summary judgment.

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

“It is elemental that the movant at all times carries the burden of clearly and unequivocally establishing the right to summary judgment, and that it cannot be granted if there exists any controverted issue of material fact or if the proofs supporting the motion fail to overcome every theory upon which, under the pleadings, the adversary's position might be sustained.”

Establishes the high standard for summary judgment and why it was improper here

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

The Mangolds entered into a contract for deed with Hawkins (plaintiff) for property. The Mangolds later quitclaim deeded the property to the Zeiglers,…

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
MILLS, Judge.

MILLS, Judge.

Appellants Zeigler, defendants below, appeal from a summary final judgment entered against them in a suit brought by appellee, plaintiff below, to vacate a contract for deed. The sole issue before us is the propriety of the trial court’s entry of summary judgment.

Plaintiff’s complaint alleges that by quitclaim deed defendants Mangold deeded the property in question to the Zeiglers subject to the contract for deed previously entered into between plaintiff and the Mangolds, and the Zeiglers failed to make the monthly payments, maintain insurance, and prevent deterioration as required by the contract. The Zeiglers answered admitting the contents of the contract, quitclaim deed, and default in making the required monthly payments, but denying the failure to maintain insurance and prevent deterioration. In addition, the Zeiglers affirmatively pled or counterclaimed alleging they were precluded from performing under the contract due to certain actions of plaintiff, demanding an accounting, offering to pay the sums due, and if the contract was foreclosed, protecting their equity of redemption. Plaintiff did not reply to the counterclaim, but moved for summary judgment. At the summary judgment hearing, the trial court had before it only the complaint, answer and counterclaim upon which it entered summary judgment for plaintiff. We reverse.

This Court stated in Posey v. Pensacola Tractor & Equipment Company, Inc., 138 So. 2d 777 (Fla.App.1962):

“It is elemental that the movant at all times carries the burden of clearly and unequivocally establishing the right to summary judgment, and that it cannot be granted if there exists any controverted issue of material fact or if the proofs supporting the motion fail to overcome every theory upon which, under the pleadings, the adversary’s position might be sustained.”

The Zeiglers’ allegations that plaintiff’s actions precluded them from complying with the contract and their contentions that they were entitled to an accounting, an opportunity to pay, and if the contract foreclosed, equity of redemption, were not controverted and remain unresolved.

We are of the opinion the trial court should have considered plaintiff’s action as a mortgage foreclosure [Mid-State Investment Corp. v. O’Steen, 133 So. 2d 455 (Fla.App.1961)]; and based on the plead ings before it at the summary judgment hearing, it should have denied plaintiffs motion, as several controverted issues of material fact existed under the theory raised by the Zeiglers’ pleadings which the trial court could not resolve until hearing evidence at an adversary final hearing.

Reversed and remanded for proceedings consistent herewith.

RAWLS, C. J., and JOHNSON, J., concur.


Cases With Similar Vibessemantic neighbors from the corpus


Citator

Authorities Cited

Full citator, related cases, and AI research tools

Open in FLexlaw