RUPERT BODDEN, D/B/A COIN-OP-LAUNDRY, APPELLANT,
v.
JAMES P. CARBONELL, D/B/A HAPPY VILLAS, APPELLEE
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.
Rupert Bodden appeals a judgment in favor of James Carbonell regarding a laundry equipment lease at an apartment complex. The trial court characterized the agreement as a terminable license rather than a lease, but the appellate court reversed, finding the agreement constituted a binding lease that survived the property's sale to the appellee.
The agreement constituted a binding lease, not a license. The lease survived the property transfer to Carbonell and was binding on him, particularly because he accepted rental payments from Bodden after taking title with knowledge of the agreement.
[1] A written agreement granting exclusive possession of a described area, for a definite term, and requiring periodic rent payments, constitutes a lease, notwithstanding its…
[2] A subsequent purchaser of property is bound by an existing lease when they have actual knowledge of the lease and accept rental payments thereunder.
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“the agreement was for a definite term of years, and the agreement was referred to as a lease. In addition, in the instant case appellant had exclusive possession of a particularly described area in the apartment complex, and the parties to the agreement clearly intended to enter into a lease.”
Establishes the essential elements distinguishing a lease from a license: definite term, periodic rent, exclusive possession, and mutual intent.
Previewing 1 of 3 key quotes on this case — the court’s exact language, pinpointed for members.
Join FLexlaw to unlock all legal intelligenceBodden entered into a written agreement with Desmont, Inc. in March 1975 to lease and operate a laundry room at Woodcrest Apartments. Carbonell purcha…
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.
Explore caselaw by topic → Browse Estoppel By Conduct cases and more on FLexlaw
BOARDMAN, Chief Judge.
Appellant/plaintiff, Rupert Bodden, d/b/a Coin-Op-Laundry, appeals the final judgment rendered in favor of appel-lee/defendant, James P. Carbonell, d/b/a Happy Villas. We reverse.
Appellant was in the business of leasing and operating laundry rooms and installing necessary equipment at various apartment complexes. On March 1, 1975 appellant entered into a written agreement with Des-mont, Inc., owner of the apartment complex Woodcrest Apartments, located at 1348 Dottie Drive, Tampa, Florida. Desmont, Inc., which is not a party to this proceeding, was the predecessor in title to appellee who purchased the apartment complex on November 26, 1975. The deed of conveyance provided that it was subject to existing leases with tenants. In February 1976 appellee notified appellant that he was to remove equipment from the laundry room. Appellant did not remove the equipment and in April 1976 appellee placed the machines in storage.
Appellant filed an amended complaint alleging in Count I breach of a lease and in Count II forcible entry and unlawful detainer. Appellant filed an answer and counterclaim which was based upon a breach of the written lease agreement. Subsequent to trial before the court the final judgment was rendered adversely to appellant.
The trial court found, among other things, that the document is a license “[njotwithstanding that the agreement is entitled Lease. . .” The trial court in reaching this conclusion placed considerable reliance on the cases of Wash-O-Matic Laundry Co. v. 621 Lefferts Avenue Corp., 191 Misc. 884, 82 N.Y.S.2d 572 (Sup.Ct.1948) and Kaypar Corp. v. Fosterport Realty Corp., 1 Misc.2d 469, 69 N.Y.S.2d 313 (Sup.Ct.1947). The trial court further found that since the agreement was a license and not a lease it could be terminated at the will of either party.
We have reviewed the record, including the documentary exhibits admitted into evidence, the brief filed by appellant and oral argument of counsel for appellant. For reasons known only to appellee we were not favored with either his brief or the benefit of oral argument of counsel.
We have read the cases which were relied upon by the trial court in reaching its decision and believe they are distinguishable from the case before us. In Wash-O-Matic and Kaypar the court held the agreements to be licenses because the sole purpose of the agreements was to supply equipment and did not grant a right of exclusive possession to the premises where the equipment was placed. As argued by appellant, the facts in this case more neatly fit the factual situation found in Polner v. Arling Realty, Inc., 194 Misc. 598, 88 N.Y.S.2d 348 (Sup.Ct.1949). In Polner and the case before us periodic rent was to be paid on the premises, the agreement was for a definite term of years, and the agreement was referred to as a lease. In addition, in the instant case appellant had exclusive possession of a particularly described area in the apartment complex, and the parties to the agreement clearly intended to enter into a lease. The evidence shows that appellee purchased the apartment complex with actual knowledge of the existence of the agreement that had been entered into between appellant and appellee’s predecessor in title and, more significantly, appellee thereafter accepted rental payments from appellant under the payment provisions of the lease.
The case is remanded for a new trial on all issues framed by the pleadings.1
REVERSED and REMANDED for further proceedings consistent with this opinion.
SCHEB and RYDER, JJ., concur. . Although the lease does not comply with § 689.01, Fla.Stat. (1975) for lack of one witness to the five-year agreement, appellee is estopped by his conduct in accepting rental payments to assert this as a defense. Gill v. Livingston, 158 Fla. 577, 29 So. 2d 631 (1947).
Cases With Similar Vibessemantic neighbors from the corpus
Citator
Cited By
-
Wash-Bowl Vending Co., Inc. v. NO. 3 Condo. Ass'n, 485 So. 2d 1307 (Fla. 3d DCA 1986)…dominium or cooperative- shall be fair and reasonable and may be canceled by unit owners other than the developer under the following circum-stances_(emphasis supplied). . Gill v. Livingston, 158 Fla. 577, 29 So. 2d 631 (1947); Bodden v. Carbonell, 354 So. 2d 927 (Fla. 2d DCA 1978); Taylor v. Rosman, 312 So. 2d 239 (Fla. 3d DCA 1975); Arvanetes v. Gilbert, 143 So. 2d 825 (Fla. 3d DCA 1962). . "The manifest object of requiring an attestation of subscribing witnesses is to enable the grantee to prove the exec…
-
Commercial Laundries, Inc. v. Eureka Hous. Corp., 775 So. 2d 999 (Fla. 3d DCA 2000)…appropriate resolution, including but not necessarily limited to questions of standing, implied actual notice of the interests of the tenant, see Lee County Bank v. Metropolitan Life Ins. Co., 126 So. 2d 589 (Fla. 2d DCA 1961); Bodden v. Carbonell, 354 So. 2d 927 (Fla. 2d DCA 1978), and laches, see City of Miami v. Carter, 105 So. 2d 5 (Fla.1958); City of Miami v. Gates, 393 So. 2d 586 (Fla. 3d DCA 1981), review denied, 402 So. 2d 608 (Fla.1981), the summary judgment reforeclosing the appellant’s leasehold i…
-
Se. Leisure Sys., Inc. v. Lantice & Ronnie Green, Inc., 453 So. 2d 112 (Fla. 1st DCA 1984)…nt was not a lease of any premises and did not create a [*115] license coupled with an interest. Such has no bearing on the issue of the liability, as between the contracting parties, for damages for breach of the agreement. Cf. Bodden v. Carbonell, 354 So. 2d 927 (Fla. 2nd DCA 1978). For example, it matters not, contrary to the Green corporation’s contention, that the agreement did not specifically describe a certain location at the golf course premises where the machines would be placed. We simply have a g…
Authorities Cited
- Gill v. Livingston, 158 Fla. 577 (Fla. 1947)