Hawkins v. Williams, 36001
Decision Date | 28 June 1967 |
Docket Number | No. 36001,36001 |
Citation | 200 So.2d 800 |
Parties | Drucilla Ingram HAWKINS, Petitioner, v. James E. WILLIAMS, Respondent. |
Court | Florida Supreme Court |
Ernest W. Welch, of Isler & Welch, Panama City, for petitioner.
Marvin A. Urquhart, Jr., of Davenport, Johnston, Harris & Urquhart, Panama City, for respondent.
Petitoner Hawkins seeks review by petition for writ of certiorari of that decision of the District Court of Appeal, First District, reported at 192 So.2d 326 (Fla.App.1966).
In the opinion under attack, Judge Wigginton writing for that court said:
Fletcher v. Williams, Fla.App.1963, 153 So.2d 759, was cited as authority for the quoted statement.
Petitioner argues that the quoted statement is in direct conflict with the decisions of the District Court of Appeal, Second District, in Martin v. Highway Equipment Supply Company, Fla.App.1965, 172 So.2d 246, and Jackson Grain Company v. Kemp, Fla.App.1965, 177 So.2d 513, and with the decision of this court in Faulk v. Parrish, Fla.1952, 58 So.2d 523. Respondent does not deny the conflict in opinions but argues that the quoted statement is obiter dictum. Respondent is correct. The statement is obiter dictum. Nevertheless, in Sunad, Inc. v. City of Sarasota, Fla.1960, 122 So.2d 611, a majority of this court determined that obiter dictum was sufficient to create conflict in decisions necessary to invoke our jurisdiction. We therefore have jurisdiction.
Fletcher v. Williams, supra, cited by Judge Wigginton, held that the defense of statute of frauds could not be raised on motion to dismiss, but could be asserted only in an answer pursuant to Rule 1.8(b), 1954 Rules of Civil Procedure, 30 F.S.A. For this holding he relied on statements in Tuggle v. Maddox, Fla.1952, 60 So.2d 158 and Proctor v. Schomberg, Fla.1953, 63 So.2d 68.
However, in the Martin case, supra, the District Court of Appeal, Second District, for reasons explained therein, held that the defense of statute of frauds could be utilized on motion to dismiss. In the Jackson Grain Company case, supra, the same district court discussed the holding in Fletcher v. Williams, supra, and refused to follow it holding instead that such a defense could be raised on motion to dismiss under the circumstances present in that case.
Of the decisions cited thus far in this opinion only Faulk v. Parrish, supra, involved the defense of contributory negligence. Nevertheless, because contributory negligence is listed in former F.R.C.P. 1.8(d) along with the defenses discussed in the other cited cases we think they are relevant.
As we understand the opinions in the Martin and Jackson Grain Company cases and the one in Faulk, supra, they simply hold that a complaint which shows on its face a defect or facts which will clearly and certainly defeat the claim for relief, i.e., that plaintiff would not be entitled to the relief prayed under any set of facts he could prove in support of the complaint, the effect can be reached...
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B. B. S. v. R. C. B.
...'appearing on the face of a prior pleading' to be asserted as grounds for a motion or defense under Rule 1.140(b). Hawkins v. Williams, Fla.1967, 200 So.2d 800; Barrentine v. Vulcan Materials Company, Fla.App.1968, 216 So.2d 59. In the case sub judice R. C. B. alleged 'that from time to tim......
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Graddy v. Wal-Mart Stores E., LP, Case No: 5:16–cv–9–Oc–28PRL
...is sufficient to create a conflict in the interpretation of the FWA among Florida's district courts of appeal. Cf. Hawkins v. Williams , 200 So.2d 800, 801 (Fla. 1967) ("[O]biter dictum [is] sufficient to create conflict in decisions necessary to invoke [the Florida Supreme Court's] jurisdi......
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Barrentine v. Vulcan Materials Co.
...cited and discussed, the final judgment appealed herein is affirmed. CARROLL, DONALD K., and RAWLS, JJ., concur. 1 Hawkins v. Williams (Fla.1967), 200 So.2d 800.2 F.S. § 95.06, F.S.A.3 Schneider v. Cohan (Fla.1955), 82 So.2d 133; Reinschmidt v. Crosby, 98 Fla. 365, 123 So. 755, 124 So. 4.4 ......
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Bill Branch Chevrolet, Inc. v. Philip L. Burnett, P.A.
...affirmative defense appears on the face of the complaint, it may be considered by the trial court on a motion to dismiss. Hawkins v. Williams, 200 So.2d 800 (Fla.1967); Goodman v. Habif, 424 So.2d 171 (Fla. 3d DCA 1983); Vaswani v. Ganobsek, 402 So.2d 1350 (Fla. 4th DCA 1981); Margerum v. R......