Allen v. Berry, 5D99-2704.

• Decision Date: 16 June 2000
• Docket Number: No. 5D99-2704.,5D99-2704.
• Citation: 765 So.2d 121
• Parties: Stacy ALLEN, and Lillie Pearl Allen, Appellants, v. Ophelia BERRY, Appellee.
• Court: Florida District Court of Appeals

765 So.2d 121

Stacy ALLEN, and Lillie Pearl Allen, Appellants, v. Ophelia BERRY, Appellee.

No. 5D99-2704.

District Court of Appeal of Florida, Fifth District.

June 16, 2000.

Rehearing Denied August 17, 2000.

Johnie A. McLeod, of McLeod, McLeod & McLeod, P.A., Apopka, for Appellants.

Sidney H. Shams, of Moran & Shams, P.A., Orlando, for Appellee.

ORFINGER, M., Senior Judge.

The Allens appeal from a final judgment granting Berry's request for ejectment and denying Allens' counterclaim for breach of contract, specific performance, reformation and declaratory judgment. We affirm in all respects. Although appellant raises several issues on appeal, only one merits discussion.

Appellants contend that there was an oral agreement between them and Berry for the purchase and sale of the property on which the encroachment is claimed. They point to a letter written to them by Berry which, arguably, together with a ledger and memoranda kept by Berry, would indicate that Berry intended to sell them some land, so as to satisfy the writing requirement of the statute of frauds. § 725.01, Fla. Stat. However, the evidence at trial was in sharp conflict as to what land appellants intended to purchase or what land Berry proposed to sell, or even what the purchase price would be. It is clear from the evidence at trial that there was never a meeting of the minds as to the details of the proposed transaction. Thus even appellants' claim of partial performance must be rejected because there never was an understanding as to what was to be performed.

It is well established that in order for there to be an enforceable contract to sell land, there must exist a written memorandum as required by the statute of frauds, which sufficiently demonstrates that there was a meeting of the minds as to all of the essential terms of the sale, and these terms cannot be explained by resort to parol evidence. Socarras v. Claughton Hotels, Inc., 374 So.2d 1057 (Fla. 3d DCA 1979). Where it appears that the parties are continuing to negotiate as to essential terms of an agreement, there can be no meeting of the minds. Drost v. Hill, 639 So.2d 105 (Fla. 3d DCA 1994).

AFFIRMED.

SAWAYA, J., concurs.

W. SHARP, J., concurring and dissenting, with opinion.

W. SHARP, J., concurring in part and dissenting in part.

I agree with the majority opinion as far as it goes. The trial court concluded, based on the evidence presented, and there was substantial evidence to support his conclusion, that there never was a meeting of the minds as to what land was to be purchased, and at what price.

However, the...