RODERICK W. CAMPBELL, PETITIONER,
v.
STATE OF FLORIDA DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION, RESPONDENT

Fla. 4th DCA | 1976-01-30
No. 75-929
OWEN and MAGER, JJ, and STRAWN, DAVID U., Associate Judge, concur.
326 So. 2d 66 Florida District Court of Appeal, Fourth District (1976) Positive Treatment
Cited by 8 cases

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Synopsis

A Florida appellate court quashed a final order from the Department of Transportation because the agency rejected the hearing examiner's findings of fact without complying with statutory procedural requirements. The agency was required to state with particularity why the examiner's findings were not based on competent substantial evidence or violated essential requirements of law before substituting its own findings.


Holding

The final order did not comply with the statutory requirements because the agency rejected the hearing examiner's findings of fact without stating with particularity that those findings were not based on competent substantial evidence or that the proceedings violated essential requirements of law.


Headnotes

[1] An agency's final order rejecting or modifying a hearing examiner's findings of fact must state with particularity that the findings were not based upon competent substan…

[2] An agency may reject or modify a hearing examiner's conclusions of law and interpretation of administrative rules, but not the findings of fact, without specific procedur…

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Key Quotes

“the agency's order rejects the findings of fact made by the hearing examiner but fails to "state(s) with particularity in the order, that the findings of fact [of the examiner] were not based upon competent substantial evidence or that the proceedings on which the findings were based did not comply with essential requirements of [law]..."”

Establishes that the agency violated the statutory requirement to explain why it rejected the examiner's findings

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Facts & Procedural History

Petitioner Campbell's business was required to vacate due to a highway construction project. A hearing examiner found that Campbell's vacated business…

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Opinion of the Court
PER CURIAM.

PER CURIAM.

Upon due consideration we are of the opinion that the final order of the State Department of Transportation, respondent herein, entered on April 25, 1975, does not conform to the provisions of sec. 120.-57(1) (b) (10), Florida Statutes, 1974 supplement, which was in existence at the time said final order was entered. (See Chapter 74-310, Laws of Florida.)1

The record reflects recommended orders entered by the hearing examiner containing findings of fact and conclusions of law. The agency’s order rejects the findings of fact made by the hearing examiner but fails to “state(s) with particularity in the order, that the findings of fact [of the examiner] were not based upon competent substantial evidence or that the proceedings on which the findings were based did not comply with essential requirements of law . .."2 (See also footnote 1, su pra).

It is clear from a reading of the agency’s order that its ultimate determination disallowing payments to the petitioner was based exclusively upon its own findings of fact rather than those of the hearing examiner without conforming to the procedures set forth in sec. 120.57(1)(b) (10). Accordingly, the final order is quashed and the cause remanded to the respondent for the entry of an order consistent with findings of the hearing examiner. OWEN and MAGER, JJ, and STRAWN, DAVID U., Associate Judge, concur. . Chap. 74-310, enacted on June 25, 1974, became fully effective on January 1, 1975. Sec. 120.57(1) (b) (10), F.S., provides:

“120.57 Decisions which affect substantial interests * * *

(1) Formal proceedings. * * *

(b) * * * * *

(10) The agency may [accept] the recommended order [and adopt it] as the agency’s final order. The agency in its final order may reject or modify the conclusions of law and interpretation of administrative rules in the recommended order, but may not reject or modify the findings of fact unless the agency first determines from a review of the complete record and states with particularity in the order, that the findings of fact were not based upon competent substantial evidence or that the proceedings on which the findings were based did not comply with essential requirements of law. The agency may accept or reduce the recommended penalty in a recommended order, but may not increase it without a review of the complete record. In the event a court, in reversing an agency’s order, finds that such agency action was done in bad faith or maliciously, the court may award attorney’s fees and costs to the aggrieved prevailing party.”

. The hearing examiner found that petitioner’s business which was required to be vacated pursuant to a highway construction project was a sole proprietorship and that another business operated by petitioner at another location was a partnership ; the examiner concluded that the sole proprietorship “was not part of a commercial enterprise having at least one other establishment which is not being acquired by the state and which is engaged in the same or similar business” thereby entitling petitioner to certain payments under Part 19.e of Instructional Memorandum S0-1--71, implementing the Uniform Relocation Assistance and Real Property Acquisition Policies Act of 1970.


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Citator

Cited By

  • Silver Sand Co. OF Leesburg, Inc. v. Dep't OF Revenue, 365 So. 2d 1090 (Fla. 1st DCA 1979)
    …petent substantial evidence or that the proceedings on which the findings were based did not comply with essential requirements of law” as required by Section 120.-57(l)(b)(9), Florida Statutes 1975. (Campbell v. State, Department of Transportation, 326 So. 2d 66 (Fla. 4th DCA 1976).) The Department may not characterize findings of fact as legal conclusions so that it may avoid the requirements of the statute. The second error alleged by Silver Sand is that the Department, in its final order, applied a stat…
  • Donald P. Austin, D.D.S. v. Dr. Irving Gordon, D.D.S., 333 So. 2d 118 (Fla. 2d DCA 1976)
    …er’s findings are rejected, the Board must state with particularity that the examiner’s findings of fact were not based upon competent substantial evidence, Fla. Stat. § 120.57(1) (b) (9); Campbell v. State Dept. of Transportation, Fla.App.4th 1976, 326 So. 2d 66. The record demonstrates that in this instance the Board was not in a position to comply with this requirement. Moreover, not only were the examiner’s findings supported by competent substantial evidence, but the augmented findings of the Board were…
  • Borovina v. Fla. Constr. Indus. Licensing Bd., 369 So. 2d 1038 (Fla. 4th DCA 1979)
    …opractic Examiners, 356 So. 2d 1315 (Fla. 4th DCA 1978); Moore v. Florida Construction Industry Licensing Board, 356 So. 2d 19 (Fla. 4th DCA 1978); Harvey v. Nuzum, 345 So. 2d 1106 (Fla. 1st DCA 1977); Campbell v. State Department of Transportation, 326 So. 2d 66 (Fla. 4th DCA 1976). In view of the agency’s failure to follow the mandate of Section 120.57(l)(b)(9), Florida Statutes (1977), the order appealed from is reversed and the cause is remanded with directions to the Florida Construction Industry Licen…

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