OSWALD MILLER, PETITIONER, CROSS-RESPONDENT,
v.
OOLITE INDUSTRIES, INC., ET AL., RESPONDENTS, CROSS-PETITIONERS

Fla. | 1976-07-30
No. 47963
OVERTON, C. J., and ADKINS and BOYD, JJ., concur., ENGLAND, J., concurs with an opinion, with which OVERTON, C. J., and ADKINS, J., concur., OVERTON, C. J., and ADKINS, J., concur.
336 So. 2d 1152 Florida Supreme Court (1976) Positive Treatment
Cited by 12 cases

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Synopsis

The Florida Supreme Court held that the statutory requirement for a judge of industrial claims to enter an order within thirty days of hearing is directory rather than mandatory, and does not divest the judge of jurisdiction when the deadline is missed. The court reversed the Industrial Relations Commission's decision to reverse based solely on the delay in entering the order.


Holding

The court held that the statutory language requiring the judge to enter an order within thirty days is directory only and does not divest the judge of jurisdiction. The inordinate delay in entering the order does not render it void or deprive the judge of authority to rule on the merits of the case.


Headnotes

[1] A statutory provision requiring a judge to enter an order within a specified time after a hearing is directory, not mandatory, and does not divest the judge of jurisdicti…

[2] Reversal and remand for a trial de novo is not required solely because a judge of industrial claims failed to enter an order within the thirty-day period specified by sta…

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Key Quotes

“We cannot agree with the Industrial Relations Commission that the subject statutory provision, which provides: '. . . The hearing shall be conducted by a judge of industrial claims, who shall within thirty days, unless otherwise agreed to by the parties, after such hearing determine the dispute in a summary manner.' is mandatory and divest the Judge of Industrial Claims of jurisdiction.”

The court's holding that the thirty-day deadline is directory rather than mandatory and does not divest jurisdiction.

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Facts & Procedural History

Petitioner Miller suffered a compensable industrial accident on April 29, 1971, fracturing his left index finger when it was caught between a belt and…

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Opinion of the Court
ROBERTS, Justice.

ROBERTS, Justice.

We have for review by petition for writ of certiorari an order of the Industrial Relations Commission reversing the order of the Judge of Industrial Claims on the sole basis that it was not entered within the thirty-day period specified in Section 440.25(3)(b), Florida Statutes.

Petitioner, claimant, fractured the distal phalanx of the left index finger in a compensable industrial accident on April 29, 1971, when his finger was caught between a belt and pulley while changing a belt on a stone crushing machine. Timely notice was given, and claim was filed for temporary total disability benefits from February 4, 1972, through December 18, 1972, permanent partial disability of the body as a whole, for a higher disability rating than the 21% disability, to the hand previously accepted by the employer-carrier, for payment of medical bills and attorney’s fees. The employer-carrier defended on the grounds that the claimant was not temporarily disabled as a result of the accident, that disability was restricted solely to the index finger, that there had been an overpayment on permanent partial disability to the hand, that all benefits were timely and voluntarily paid and, therefore, claimant was not entitled to further benefits. The final hearing was concluded on April 3, 1973, with a deposition being received into evidence May 9, 1973. However, the Judge of Industrial Claims did not enter his order in the cause until December 17, 1974, in which order he found claimant to have sustained a 35% permanent partial disability to the left hand and a 10% permanent partial disability to the body as a whole, and awarded .temporary total disability benefits from February 4, 1972, through December 18, 1972, attorney’s fees and costs.

Respondent raised several points on appeal relative to the findings of the Judge of Industrial Claims, but the Industrial Relations Commission concluding that it was unnecessary under the circumstances to deal with these issues in view of the meritorious claim by respondent as to the 'inordinate-delay of the Judge of Industrial Claims in entering the order, reversed and remanded the cause to the Judge of Industrial Claims for trial de novo as required on the basis of its earlier decision — Scottie-Craft v. Smith, Fla., 336 So. 2d 1150, here under review as well. Once again the Industrial Relations Commission expressed its understanding that the language of Florida Statute 440.25(3)(b) is mandatory — the Judge of Industrial Claims shall enter his order before expiration of 30 days from the date of last hearing.

We cannot agree with the Industrial Relations Commission that the subject statutory provision, which provides: '

“. . . The hearing shall be,conducted by a judge of industrial claims, who shall within thirty days, unless otherwise agreed to by the parties, after such hearing determine the dispute in a summary manner.”

is mandatory and divest the Judge of Industrial Claims of jurisdiction.

We find that the language of the statute is directory only. In Jarvis v. Miami Retreat Foundation, 128 So. 2d 393 (Fla.1961),1 wherein petitioner complained that the deputy had made his decision in the cause eight months after testimony was taken, this Court stated, “However, it is presumed that the deputy did render his order on the facts reflected in the transcript. This order specifically states that he did so. We have reviewed the record and found it sufficient to sustain the order. In view of this, we find no merit to the petitioner’s contention on this point.”

Accordingly, certiorari is hereby granted, the decision of the Industrial Relations Commission is quashed and the cause is remanded for prompt disposition of the other questions raised on application for review.

It is so ordered.

OVERTON, C. J., and ADKINS and BOYD, JJ., concur. ENGLAND, J., concurs with an opinion, with which OVERTON, C. J., and ADKINS, J., concur. . At which time, F.S. 440.25(3)(b) read in pertinent part: “. . . The hearing shall be conducted by a deputy commissioner, who shall within twenty days after such hearing determine the dispute in a summary manner.”

Concurrence
ENGLAND, Justice

ENGLAND, Justice

(concurring).

I concur for the reasons I expressed in Scottie-Craft Boat Corp. v. Smith, Fla., 336 So. 2d 1150, opinion filed simultaneously with this case. In this case, unlike the other, the parties had filed a record of the proceedings with the Commission, and a review of the parties’ contentions, including the discretionary “staleness” issue arising from the delay between final hearing and order, can be promptly made.

OVERTON, C. J., and ADKINS, J., concur.


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Citator

Cited By

  • Cornelia Rappoport v. Am. Hosp. & Risk Corp. of Fla., 406 So. 2d 1244 (Fla. 1st DCA 1981)
    …are aware of the cases in which our Supreme Court has held the 30 [*1245] day period of Florida Statutes § 440.25(3)(b) to be directory only. In Scottie-Craft Boat Corp. v. Smith, 336 So. 2d 1150 (Fla.1976), and in Miller v. Oolite Industries, Inc., 336 So. 2d 1152 (Fla.1976), the Supreme Court held that delays of 250 days and 18 months respectively did not require reversal. As noted in a special concurrence by Justice England to Scottie-Craft, joined by two of the four majority votes, those decisions left the…
  • Misal Indus. & Allstate Ins. Co. v. Hartman, 339 So. 2d 655 (Fla. 1976)
    …he thirty-day period specified in Section 440.25(3)(b), Florida Statutes. Since the entry of the Commission’s order in this case, we have decided Scottie-Craft Boat Corp. v. Smith, Fla., 336 So. 2d 1150, and Miller v. Oolite Industries, Inc., Fla., 336 So. 2d 1152, opinions filed July 30, 1976. On the authority of those decisions, we now grant the petition in the instant ease, quash the order of the Industrial Relations Commission, and remand to the Commission for a determination whether on the facts of this…
  • AT&T Wireless & Kemper Ins. v. Frazier, 871 So. 2d 939 (Fla. 1st DCA 2004)
    …t [*941] this would have necessitated continuing the scheduled merits hearing. The time limitations of section 440.25 are directory, not mandatory. See Brown v. Pumpian, 504 So. 2d 481 (Fla. 1st DCA 1987). See also Miller v. Oolite Industries, Inc., 336 So. 2d 1152 (Fla.1976); Scottie-Craft Boat Corp. v. Smith, 336 So. 2d 1150 (Fla.1976). They do not foreclose appointment of an EMA when the request is made with reasonable promptness after the conflict in the medical opinions become apparent. We find that the…

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