Callava v. Feinberg, 3D02-1206.
Decision Date | 15 October 2003 |
Docket Number | No. 3D02-1206.,3D02-1206. |
Citation | 864 So.2d 429 |
Parties | Pilar CALLAVA f/k/a Pilar Pefaur, Appellant, v. Brenda FEINBERG, Appellee. |
Court | Florida District Court of Appeals |
Guy Spiegelman, Miami, for appellant.
Levey, Airan, Brownstein, Shevin, Friedman, Roen & Kelso and Dar Airan; Jay M. Levy, Miami, for appellee.
Before COPE, LEVY and FLETCHER, JJ.
Pilar Callava appeals a final judgment of foreclosure of an equitable lien on her homestead in favor of appellee Brenda Feinberg, her former attorney. We reverse.
This case has its genesis in a dissolution of marriage action between Callava and her former husband. During the course of that action, which has a long and tortured history, appellant was represented by several different attorneys, owing in part to the difficulty of obtaining suit monies from the former husband, a citizen of Argentina. See Pefaur v. Pefaur, 626 So.2d 1025 (Fla. 3d DCA 1993)
; Pefaur v. Pefaur, 617 So.2d 425 (Fla. 3d DCA 1993).
In 1993 the trial court in the dissolution action ordered that certain real property located in Miami Dade County be transferred to Callava to satisfy child support and alimony arrearages owed by the former husband. During the hearing on the transfer it was discussed that Callava would be able to use the equity in the home to fund her attorney's fees. The property had not originally been the marital home, but became Callava's residence during the course of the dissolution of marriage action. In connection with that transfer, the trial court stated:
In April 1995, Callava sold the property and purchased a much more affordable home. The actual purchase of the home was made in the name of Jorge Gaviria, as Trustee. A portion of the proceeds of the sale of the first home was used to pay attorney's fees owed to other counsel, but Feinberg did not receive any of the proceeds of that sale.
In June, 1995 Feinberg filed a complaint against Callava for her unpaid attorney's fees alleging breach of contract and other counts. After trial, in October 2000 the trial court in the attorney's fees action awarded Feinberg a final judgment of $168,301.71, plus additional fees incurred in that action.
Feinberg then filed an Emergency Motion to Impose Equitable Lien seeking imposition of a lien on the home purchased by Callava in 1995. The trial court imposed the lien based on its finding that in the dissolution action Callava had been awarded a "distinct marital asset" from which she was to pay her attorney's fees. Callava did not appeal the order imposing the equitable lien.
Feinberg then sought foreclosure of the equitable lien. The trial court entered a foreclosure judgment and Callava has appealed. We conclude that the trial court erred in permitting the foreclosure because the property was her homestead.
Article X, Section 4, of the Florida Constitution "exempts a homestead from forced sale and provides that no judgment or execution shall be a lien thereon." Bowers v. Mozingo, 399 So.2d 492, 493 (Fla. 3d DCA 1981). Feinberg argues that Callava is not entitled to the protection of the constitutional provision, because legal title to her home was not in Callava's name but is held by Jorge Gaviria, as Trustee.
Feinberg's argument is not well taken. The constitutional provision "does not designate how title to the property is to be held and it does not limit the estate that must be owned...." Southern Walls, Inc. v. Stilwell Corp., 810 So.2d 566, 569 (Fla. 5th DCA 2002). "[T]he individual claiming homestead exemption need not hold fee simple title to the property." Id. (citing Bessemer Props., Inc. v. Gamble, 158 Fla. 38, 27 So.2d 832 (1946)). See also HCA Gulf Coast Hospital v. Estate of Downing, 594 So.2d 774, 776 (Fla. 1st DCA 1991)
(. ) Thus, even if Callava owns only a beneficial interest in the property, she is entitled to claim a homestead exemption to the forced sale of the property and the trial court erred in foreclosing her interest in the property.
Feinberg's alternative argument that the property cannot be Callava's homestead by virtue of Section 689.07, Florida Statutes (1995), also fails.1 The purpose of Section 689.07 is "to prevent fraud being perpetrated upon persons who might subsequently rely upon the record when dealing with the grantee." Meadows v. Citicorp Leasing, Inc., 511 So.2d 622, 623 (Fla. 5th DCA 1987)(citing, Arundel Debenture Corp. v....
To continue reading
Request your trial-
Cutler v. Cutler
...have confirmed that property held in trust may be impressed, legally speaking, with the character of homestead. Callava v. Feinberg, 864 So.2d 429, 431 (Fla. 3d DCA 2003) (stating "[t]he constitutional provision does not designate how title to the property is to be held") (internal citation......
-
In re Kent
...life estate, or some lesser interest." Southern Walls, Inc. v. Stilwell Corporation, 810 So.2d at 569 (quoted in Callava v. Feinberg, 864 So.2d 429, 431 (Fla. 3d DCA 2003)). Consequently, the constitutional exemption attaches to "any estate in land" owned by a natural person residing in Flo......
-
In re Reinhard, Bankruptcy No. 06-50298-LMK.
...in order for the exemption to apply. See Bessemer v. Gamble, 158 Fla. 38, 27 So.2d 832, 833 (1946); see also Callava v. Feinberg, 864 So.2d 429, 431 (3rd Fla. Dist.Ct.App.2003). Thus, the claimant must have some existing property interest to which homestead status can attach. Pasco v. Harle......
-
In re Alexander
...that legal title does not need to be in an individual's name in order to qualify for Florida's homestead exemption. Callava v. Feinberg, 864 So.2d 429, 431 (Fla. 3d DCA 2004). In Callava, legal title to the home was held not in the plaintiff's name, but in the name of Jorge Gaviria, as Trus......
-
Family law proceedings and grounds
...nexus between the apparent legal or equitable ownership of the property and the dispute embodied in the lawsuit. • Callava v. Feinberg, 864 So. 2d 429 (Fla. 3d DCA 2003). Error to enter judgment of foreclosure of equitable lien on homestead property although title to property was held in th......
-
Enforcement of orders and judgments
...affirmative fraudulent or reprehensible conduct which improperly interfered with spouse’s ability to recover award); Callava v. Feinberg, 864 So. 2d 429 (Fla. 3d DCA 2003) (error to enter judgment of foreclosure of equitable lien on homestead property although title to property was held in ......
-
Equitable distribution and property issues
...affirmative fraudulent or reprehensible conduct which improperly interfered with spouse’s ability to recover award); Callava v. Feinberg, 864 So. 2d 429 (Fla. 3d DCA 2003) (error to enter judgment of foreclosure of equitable lien on homestead property although title to property was held in ......
-
Florida's homestead realty: is it exempt from imposition of an equitable lien for nonpayment of alimony and child support?
...v. Rodriguez, 960 So. 2d 47 (Fla. 4th D.C.A. 2007). (12) See Sell v. Sell, 949 So. 2d 1108 (Fla. 3d D.C.A. 2007); Callava v. Feinberg, 864 So. 2d 429 (Fla. 3d D.C.A. 2003); Partridge v. Partridge, 790 So. 2d 1280 (Fla. 4th D.C.A. 2001); Dyer v. Beverly & Title, P.A., 777 So. 2d 1055 (Fl......