STATE OF FLORIDA, DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND REHABILITATIVE SERVICES, DIVISION OF VOCATIONAL REHABILITATION, PLAINTIFF,
v.
WILLIAM NECKMAN, TRUSTEE, DEFENDANT

Fla. 3d DCA | 1975-09-23
No. 75-1193
Before BARKDULL, C. J., and PEARSON and HENDRY, JJ.
320 So. 2d 21 Florida District Court of Appeal, Third 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 Florida Supreme Court declined to accept a certified question from a trial court regarding whether a receiver appointed in a mortgage foreclosure action is a necessary party to a separate declaratory judgment action seeking to invalidate leases on the foreclosed property. The court held that Rule 4.6 certification is unavailable when the question has already been decided by the trial court.


Holding

The court did not address the substantive question because it lacked jurisdiction to do so. Rule 4.6 certification is not available when the question presented has already been ruled upon by the trial court.


Headnotes

[1] A trial court's order appointing a receiver pendente lite, stating the receiver takes subject to actions against the owner, does not automatically make the receiver a nec…

[2] A receiver pendente lite appointed in a mortgage foreclosure action is not necessarily a necessary party with standing to vacate a default judgment in a separate suit to…

Previewing 2 of 4 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

“Rule 4.6, Florida Appellate Rules, is not a substitute for appeal. * * * This court has held that questions already ruled on below cannot be certified here.”

Establishes the fundamental limitation on Rule 4.6 certification—it cannot be used to review questions the trial court has already decided.

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

A State agency filed a declaratory judgment action against William Neckman, Trustee (lessor) on January 4, 1975, seeking to invalidate certain leases.…

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
PER CURIAM.

PER CURIAM.

The Honorable Sam I. Silver, Judge of the Circuit Court in and for the Eleventh Judicial Circuit, Dade County, Florida, has certified a question to this court, as provided under Rule 4.6, Florida Appellate Rules.

In support of the certification, the trial court stated the following facts :

On January 4, 1975, a State agency filed a declaratory judgment action against the lessor, William Neckman, Trustee, seeking to declare certain leases between the parties invalid. On February 5, 1975, in a separate mortgage foreclosure action involving the subject property herein, the trial court therein appointed Joseph J. Ger-sten as Receiver pendente lite for purpose of preserving the mortgaged property.. On February 7, 1975, William Neckman, Trustee, was served with a declaratory judgment suit filed on January 4, 1975. On May 5, 1975, a final judgment after default was entered against William Neckman, Trustee, declaring the leases invalid. On May 6, 1975, after receiving notice, the Receiver moved to vacate the final judgment on the ground that he was a necessary party. After notice and hearing, the trial court granted the Receiver’s motion to vacate and set aside the final judgment based upon a finding that:
“1. That the motion to vacate corrected final judgment is well taken;

“2. That the receiver is a necessary party-defendant to the within cause; * * *”

* * * * *

Thereupon, the State agency requested the question be certified. The Trial court then certified the following question for our determination :

“ * * * is the Receiver pendente lite appointed on a mortgage foreclosure case by the attached Order a necessary party in a suit to invalidate a lease on the mortgaged premises with standing to open up a final order entered after default against the owner of the receivership property declaring invalid a lease on such property where:
1. The order appointing Receiver pen-dente lite states he takes subject to the action against the owner?

2. The action had been filed prior to the order of appointment but was not served until several days thereafter?”

* sjs * * * *

The question certified has already been ruled upon by the trial court and is properly reviewable on appeal. As so succinctly stated by Justice Boyd in State v. Potter, Fla.1969, 224 So. 2d 291:

* * * * sfi *

“ Rule 4.6, Florida Appellate Rules, is not a substitute for appeal. * * * This court has held that questions already ruled on below cannot be certified here. * * * We have also held that Rule 4.6 must be strictly construed in order to avoid encroachment on the full and proper exercise of jurisdiction by the trial judges. * * *”

**

Therefore, on the authority of State v. Potter, supra; Prigger v. Kingery, Fla.App.1962, 144 So. 2d 323; Johnson v. Southeast Title and Insurance Company, Fla.App.1963, 148 So. 2d 67; Oakford v. Oakford, Fla.App.1963, 176 So. 2d 563; Boyer v. City of Orlando, Fla.1970, 232 So. 2d 169, we are compelled to deny the certificate.


Cases With Similar Vibessemantic neighbors from the corpus


Citator

Authorities Cited

Full citator, related cases, and AI research tools

Open in FLexlaw