Guirlinger v. Goldome Realty Credit Corp., 90-3680

Decision Date07 February 1992
Docket NumberNo. 90-3680,90-3680
Citation593 So.2d 1135
Parties17 Fla. L. Weekly D436 Austin E. GUIRLINGER, Appellant, v. GOLDOME REALTY CREDIT CORP., Appellee.
CourtFlorida District Court of Appeals

Richard W. Taylor, Taylor and Early, Deland, for appellant.

Michael L. Rosen, Susan L. Turner and Lawrence J. Hamilton, III, Holland and Knight, Jacksonville, for appellee.

ERVIN, Judge.

Appellant, Austin E. Guirlinger, seeks review of an order granting summary final judgment in favor of appellee, Goldome Realty Credit Corporation (Goldome). We reverse the summary final judgment and remand for further proceedings. In so doing, we affirm many of the 19 issues raised by appellant without comment and address only those issues pertinent to the summary judgment issue or to the proceedings on remand.

This suit was instituted by the filing of a complaint by Goldome on May 26, 1989, against Northgate Terrace Apartments Ltd., a Florida limited partnership (hereinafter the Northgate Partnership or partnership), and appellant, Austin E. Guirlinger. Count I of the complaint sought foreclosure of a mortgage executed by the Northgate Partnership and appointment of a receiver over the real property and improvements thereon, which consisted of an apartment complex known as Northgate Terrace Apartments, and Count II was an action against appellant based on a personal guaranty he had executed on November 22, 1983, in connection with the note and mortgage executed by the Northgate Partnership on the same date.

Of specific relevance to this suit is paragraph 10 of the guaranty which provides:

10. Notwithstanding anything contained in this Agreement to the contrary, this Agreement and Guarantor's obligations herein shall terminate upon the fulfillment of all of the following conditions:

(a) The "Project" as defined in the Construction Loan Agreement shall have been completed in accordance with Paragraph 23 of the Construction Loan Agreement.

(b) The "Project" is free of all liens and encumbrances not permitted by the Mortgage.

(c) There exists no ongoing, uncured defaults under the Loan Documents.

(d) The gross rentals derived from the Project are equal to or greater than the sum of the operating expenses of the Project plus debt service on the Project.

Appellant filed his answer and affirmative defenses, wherein he demanded trial by jury on all matters so triable. Although a final default judgment of foreclosure was entered against the Northgate Partnership in the amount of $1,467,696.78 on November 16, 1989, because the Northgate Partnership subsequently filed bankruptcy, the property could not be sold. Consequently, Goldome filed a motion to sever and to set Count II for trial, which was granted.

Both parties subsequently filed motions for summary judgment and numerous affidavits and depositions in support and opposition thereto. It was appellant's position that all conditions set forth in paragraph 10 of the guaranty had been met, and that pursuant to the terms of the guaranty, his obligation was terminated. Goldome contended that a second mortgage existed on the property, and because payments of interest on the second mortgage caused operating expenses to be greater than gross rentals, the conditions for termination of the guaranty were not satisfied. Several hearings were held on the parties' respective motions, after which the trial judge denied appellant's motion and entered summary judgment in favor of Goldome. An evidentiary hearing was subsequently held, over appellant's objection to the nonjury nature of the proceeding, following which the trial court entered summary final judgment in favor of Goldome in the amount of $1,578,674.43.

When reviewing the propriety of the entry of summary final judgment, the classic inquiry is of course whether any genuine issues of material fact remain for resolution. If such issues do exist, and the slightest doubt remains, then summary judgment cannot be granted. All doubts as to the existence of a genuine issue of material fact must be resolved against the moving party. 1 Fletcher Co. v. Melroe Mfg. Co., 261 So.2d 191, 193 (Fla. 1st DCA 1972); Allington Towers N., Inc. v. Teich, 345 So.2d 745, 746 (Fla. 4th DCA 1977).

Without reciting the details of the numerous affidavits and depositions the parties submitted, suffice it to say that genuine issues of material fact exist regarding the existence of a "second mortgage," and, because they do, a genuine issue remains concerning whether that indebtedness may represent some type of internal partnership form of financing,...

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5 cases
  • BDO Seidman v. British Car Auctions, Inc.
    • United States
    • Florida District Court of Appeals
    • October 31, 2001
    ...DCA 1995); Aerovias Nacionales De Colombia, S.A. v. Tellez, 596 So.2d 1193, 1195 (Fla. 3d DCA 1992); Guirlinger v. Goldome Realty Credit Corp., 593 So.2d 1135, 1136 n. 1 (Fla. 1st DCA 1992). As the forum state in this case, Florida law determines whether section 768.79 is substantive or pro......
  • Siegel v. Novak
    • United States
    • Florida District Court of Appeals
    • January 18, 2006
    ...DCA 1995); Aerovias Nacionales De Colombia, S.A. v. Tellez, 596 So.2d 1193, 1195 (Fla. 3d DCA 1992); Guirlinger v. Goldome Realty Credit Corp., 593 So.2d 1135, 1136 n. 1 (Fla. 1st DCA 1992)). "As the forum state in this case, Florida law determines whether [the issue of standing] is substan......
  • Provident Nat. Assur. Co. v. Sbrocca
    • United States
    • Arizona Court of Appeals
    • July 21, 1994
    ...878 (guarantor's liability under unconditional guaranty was not limited by nonrecourse nature of note); Guirlinger v. Goldome Realty Credit Corp., 593 So.2d 1135, 1137 (Fla.App.1992) (nonrecourse nature of note did not prevent mortgagee from pursuing remedies on A contract of guaranty may p......
  • Wolfe v. Smilack
    • United States
    • Florida District Court of Appeals
    • November 29, 2012
    ...defendant has the right to jury trial on the issue of damages when such damages are not liquidated.” Guirlinger v. Goldome Realty Credit Corp., 593 So.2d 1135, 1137 (Fla. 1st DCA 1992) (citing Ansel v. Kizer, 428 So.2d 671, 672 (Fla. 2d DCA 1982)). We therefore affirm in part, reverse in pa......
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