Herskowitz v. Schwarz & Schiffrin, 82-2
| Decision Date | 06 April 1982 |
| Docket Number | No. 82-2,82-2 |
| Citation | 411 So.2d 1359 |
| Parties | Judith HERSKOWITZ, Petitioner, v. SCHWARZ & SCHIFFRIN, Respondent. |
| Court | Florida District Court of Appeals |
Judith Herskowitz, in pro. per.
Norman Schwarz, Miami Beach, for respondent.
Before BARKDULL, BASKIN and JORGENSON, JJ.
The petitioner has filed a petition for writ of certiorari seeking review of an order of the circuit court (sitting in its appellate capacity) which affirmed a trial court's order denying the defendant's motion to quash service of process.
Service of process was attempted by the process server going to the defendant's residence where, upon knocking on the door, a male voice answered. The unknown male refused to open the door so the process server left the papers on the door step and departed. His return indicated that he had served a John Doe, a person above the age of 15, who was a resident of the defendant's household, pursuant to Section 48.031, Florida Statutes (1979). The defendant moved to quash service of process, contending that both she and her son, the only permanent residents of her household, were out of town on the date service of process was alleged to have occurred. The trial court denied the motion. Timely appeal to the circuit court resulted in the order of affirmance.
The error alleged herein is of such fundamental nature that it rises to a level of denial of due process, so fatally infecting the proceeding that the ruling cannot answer constitutional muster. Thus, we shall exercise our certiorari jurisdiction. See: City of Winter Park v. Jones, 392 So.2d 568 (Fla. 5th DCA 1980). Section 48.031, Florida Statutes (1979), reads as follows:
Statutes governing substituted service of process must be strictly construed and must be strictly complied with. Atlas Van Lines Inc., v. Rossmoore, 271 So.2d 31 (Fla. 2d DCA 1972); Hauser v. Schiff, 341 So.2d 531 (Fla. 3d DCA 1977). Section 48.031, Florida Statutes (1979) clearly requires that in order to perfect substituted service it must be made upon a person over the age of 15 years, who resides in the defendant's place of abode. The process server's return filed herein shows on its face that service was made on a John Doe person residing therein. Clearly, such a return is invalid on its face and without more cannot reflect a determination that...
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