Greater Miami Tel. Answering Service v. A-1 Answering Service

Decision Date29 May 1962
Docket NumberNo. 61-595,A-1,61-595
Citation141 So.2d 619
PartiesGREATER MIAMI TELEPHONE ANSWERING SERVICE, a Florida corporation, Appellant, v.ANSWERING SERVICE, a Florida corporation, Appellee.
CourtFlorida District Court of Appeals

Alan R. Lupka, Miami, for appellant.

Leonard Edward Abel, Miami Beach, for appellee.

Before PEARSON, TILLMAN, C. J., and HORTON and BARKDULL, JJ.

PEARSON, TILLMAN, Chief Judge.

The appellant, who was seller of a telephone answering service, appeals from a final judgment entered upon the pleadings. The appellee was the purchaser. The complaint brought by the appellant was for the balance claimed to be due on the purchase price. It appears from the complaint and exhibits that at the time of the delivery of possession of the property, a portion of the purchase price was paid to an escrow agent who subsequently embezzled the money to be used for the last payment to appellant. The appellee-purchaser admitted the payment into the hands of the escrow agent and claimed that he had thus paid in full to the agent of appellant. He thereupon moved, pursuant to Rule 1.11(c), Florida Rules of Civil Procedure, 30 F.S.A., for a judgment on the pleadings. The judgment was entered and is now appealed.

In a motion for judgment on the pleadings, the moving party admits for the purpose of the motion the facts well-pleaded by his adversary despite their denial in the movant's pleadings; and the movant also admits the untruth of his own allegations which have been denied by his adversary. Falick v. Sun N Sea, Inc., Fla.1955, 81 So.2d 749; Reinhard v. Bliss, Fla.1956, 85 So.2d 131. While the facts pleaded by defendant may have been sufficient in law to constitute a defense, these facts are deemed denied (and thus admitted as being false for purposes of the motion) since averments in a pleading to which no responsive pleading is required are taken as denied. Rule 1.8(e), 1954 Florida Rules of Civil Procedure.

Here, the issue turns on whether the escrow agent was the agent of the plaintiff-buyer or defendant-seller. Under the rule of the Falick and Reinhard cases, it does not appear from the complaint that the escrow agent was the agent of the plaintiff-seller, and thus it cannot be said as a matter of law that the complaint does not state a cause of action. We are, therefore, required to reverse this judgment. Falick v. Sun N Sea, Inc., supra, Reinhard v. Bliss, supra.

It is to be noted that the escrow receipt which was approved by...

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6 cases
  • Pelle v. Gluckman, 72--821
    • United States
    • Florida District Court of Appeals
    • November 21, 1972
    ...104 So.2d 860, 861; Storer v. Florida Sportservice, Inc., Fla.App.1959, 115 So.2d 433; Greater Miami Telephone Answering Service v. A--1 Answering Service, Fla.App.1962, 141 So.2d 619; Butts v. State Farm Mutual Automobile Ins. Co., Fla.App.1968, 207 So.2d 73, 75; Homer v. Connecticut Gener......
  • Butts v. State Farm Mut. Auto. Ins. Co., 67--158
    • United States
    • Florida District Court of Appeals
    • February 20, 1968
    ...allegations contained therein are deemed denied. Miller v. Eatmon, Fla.App.1965, 177 So.2d 523; Greater Miami Telephone Answering Service v. A-1 Answering Service, Fla.App.1962, 141 So.2d 619; Storer v. Florida Sportservice, Inc., supra; Paradise Pools, Inc. v. Genauer, Fla.App.1958, 104 So......
  • Bergeron Land Development, Inc. v. Knight, 74--529
    • United States
    • Florida District Court of Appeals
    • January 31, 1975
    ...as true all well-pleaded allegations (affirmative and negative) of the nonmoving party. Greater Miami Tel. Answer. Serv. v. A--1 Answer. Serv., Fla.App.1962, 141 So.2d 619; Kendall Flying School, Inc., v. Robertson, Fla.App.1969, 225 So.2d 344. The second rule is that 'the trial court is no......
  • Homer v. Connecticut General Life Ins. Co., 67--47
    • United States
    • Florida District Court of Appeals
    • June 4, 1968
    ...So.2d 523.3 Adams Engineering Co. v. Construction Products Corp., Fla.App.1963, 158 So.2d 559; Greater Miami Telephone Answering Service v. A--1 Answering Service, Fla.App.1962, 141 So.2d 619.4 McNayr v. State ex rel. Dupont Plaza Center, Inc., Fla.1964, 166 So.2d 142.5 Section 193.29, Fla.......
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