UTC INDUSTRIES, INC., ET AL., APPELLANTS,
v.
PRESIDENTIAL FINANCIAL CORP., ET AL., APPELLEES

Fla. 3d DCA | 2008-02-27
Nos. 3D07-1071, 3D07-473
Before GERSTEN, C.J., and SUAREZ and ROTHENBERG, JJ.
976 So. 2d 92 Florida District Court of Appeal, Third District (2008) Positive Treatment
Cited by 3 cases

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Synopsis

UTC Industries and related parties appealed the dismissal of their conspiracy to defraud claim against Presidential Financial Corporation. The court affirmed dismissal of a third-party complaint for failing to allege indemnity, contribution, or subrogation, but reversed dismissal of a separate action, finding the complaint adequately alleged a civil conspiracy claim with an underlying tort.


Holding

The court affirmed the dismissal of the third-party complaint because the facts did not give rise to indemnity, contribution, or subrogation. However, the court reversed the dismissal of the separate action, holding that the complaint adequately pleaded all elements of a civil conspiracy claim, including an underlying tort (improper asset valuation and transfer without competitive bidding).


Headnotes

[1] A third-party complaint must assert a claim for indemnity, contribution, or subrogation before alleging other causes of action against a third-party defendant.

[2] A civil conspiracy claim requires an agreement between two or more parties to commit an unlawful act or a lawful act by unlawful means, an overt act in furtherance of the…

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Key Quotes

“A civil conspiracy requires: (a) an agreement between two or more parties, (b) to do an unlawful act or to do a lawful act by unlawful means, (c) the doing of some overt act in pursuance of the conspiracy, and (d) damage to plaintiff as a result of the acts done under the conspiracy.”

Establishes the four-element test for civil conspiracy that the court applied to evaluate Uffner's claim

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Facts & Procedural History

Uffner was in business with Schreiber entities. Schreiber sued Uffner for breach of a promissory note, theft, and conversion. Uffner acknowledged the …

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Opinion of the Court
PER CURIAM.

PER CURIAM.

UTC Industries, Inc., Jerome Uffner, Marc Uffner, and Judith Uffner (collectively “Uffner”) appeal the dismissal of their complaint against Presidential Financial Corporation and Presidential Financial Corporation of Florida (“Presidential”). We affirm in part, reverse in part, and remand with instructions.

Uffner was in business with UTC Fabrics, LLC, Lawrence C. Schreiber, Inc., d/b/a Confetti, Lawrence Schreiber, Jo Schreiber, Alan Schreiber, and Paul Schreiber (collectively “Schreiber”). Schreiber sued Uffner claiming breach of a promissory note, theft, and conversion, and sought an injunction. In answering the complaint, Uffner acknowledged the existence of a promissory note and security agreement in favor of Schreiber. According to Uffner, however, the note was subsequently assigned to Presidential in consideration for a loan made to Schreiber, and Presidential thereafter released Uff-ner from any obligation. Uffner also alleged the property and accounts they took belonged to Uffner. Uffner filed a third party complaint against Presidential for conspiracy to defraud. Uffner alleged that Presidential conspired with Schreiber to wrongfully foreclose on the promissory note and to fraudulently transfer Uffner’s assets. Specifically, Uffner alleged that its assets were disposed of in a commercially unreasonable manner because the property was not properly valued, was offered without competitive bidding only to Schreiber, and was transferred to Schreiber without proper consideration.

The trial court dismissed the third party complaint for failure to allege a claim for indemnity, contribution, or subrogation. Uffner then filed a separate action against Presidential. Presidential moved to dismiss this action on the ground that the conspiracy claim could not stand without allegations of an underlying tort or wrong. The trial court also dismissed the separate action.

On appeal, Presidential contends that both the third party complaint and the separate complaint were properly dismissed. Uffner, however, asserts that their separate complaint sufficiently alleges an underlying tort or wrong to support the conspiracy claim against Presidential. We agree with Uffner. Turning first to the third party complaint, we affirm the trial court’s dismissal. Before a party may allege any other cause of action against a third party defendant, he or she must first assert a claim for indemnity, contribution, or subrogation. Fla. R. Civ. P. 1.180(a); Leggiere v. Merrill Lynch Realty/Fla., Inc., 544 So. 2d 240 (Fla. 2d DCA 1989). Here, the facts do not give rise to a claim of indemnity, contribution, or subrogation against Presidential. Therefore, the trial court properly dismissed the third party complaint against Presidential.

Turning to the separate action, we determine that the trial court erred in dismissing the complaint. “A civil conspiracy requires: (a) an agreement between two or more parties, (b) to do an unlawful act or to do a lawful act by unlawful means, (c) the doing of some overt act in pursuance of the conspiracy, and (d) damage to plaintiff as a result of the acts done under the conspiracy.” Raimi v. Furlong, 702 So. 2d 1273, 1284 (Fla. 3d DCA 1997).

In the conspiracy claim, Uffner alleges Presidential entered into an agreement with Schreiber to defraud Uffner. The improper valuation and asset transfer to Schreiber, without competitive bidding or proper compensation, was the underlying tort or wrong. The overt act in furtherance of the conspiracy was transferring Uffner’s inventory and customer lists to Schreiber. Uffner also alleged damages resulting from these acts. Therefore, the complaint pleads a claim of conspiracy to defraud against Presidential that is sufficient to overcome dismissal.

Accordingly, we affirm the order dismissing the third party complaint, and reverse the order dismissing the complaint filed in the separate action. Because the claims against the various parties are intertwined, the trial court might consider consolidating the two cases.

Affirmed in part, reversed in part, and remanded with instructions.


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Citator

Cited By

  • Edwards v. Landsman, 51 So. 3d 1208 (Fla. 4th DCA 2011)
    …urt’s dismissal of the third-party complaint because Edwards improperly joined Landsman. Landsman argues that Edwards could join Landsman only in a claim for “indemnity, contribution, or subrogation.” See UTC Indus., Inc. v. Presidential Fin. Corp., 976 So. 2d 92, 93-94 (Fla. 3d DCA 2008). While this would be true if Edwards had joined Landsman under Florida Rule of Civil Procedure 1.180(a), here Landsman joined Edwards under Rule 1.170(h) which permits a party to add additional parties to a counterclaim whe…
  • Feng v. Walsh (S.D. Fla. 2020)
    …conspiracy, and (d) damage to plaintiff as a result of the acts done under the conspiracy.’” Tippens v. Round Island Plantation L.L.C., No. 09-CV- 14036, 2009 WL 2365347, at *4 (S.D. Fla. 2009) (quoting UTC Indus., Inc. v. Presidential Fin. Corp., 976 So. 2d 92, 94 (Fla. 3d DCA 2008)). “[A] conspiracy requires a meeting of the minds between two or more persons to accomplish a common and unlawful plan.” McAndrew v. Lockheed Martin Corp., 206 F. 3d 1031, 1036 (11th Cir. 2000) (citing Bivens Gardens Office B…

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