Rogers v. First Nat. Bank at Winter Park

Decision Date18 March 1970
Docket NumberNo. 38853,38853
PartiesInger ROGERS, Petitioner, v. FIRST NATIONAL BANK AT WINTER PARK, a National Banking Association, Frank P. Glackin, Jr., James S. Fortiner and John Bartz, Respondents.
CourtFlorida Supreme Court

J. Russell Hornsby and John Edwin Fisher, of Akerman, Senterfitt, Eidson, Mesmer, Robbinson & Wharton, Orlando, for petitioner.

George N. Diamantis and John G. Baker, of Carlton, Fields, Ward, Emmanuel, Smith & Cutler and Fletcher G. Rush and P. Thomas Boroughs, of Rush, Marshall & Bergstrom, Orlando, for respondents.

CARLTON, Justice.

This case involves an application of Rule 1.540(b) F.R.C.P., 31 F.S.A., which relates to relief from judgments, decrees or orders in situations affected by mistake, inadvertence, excusable neglect and the like. We have jurisdiction due to conflict between the decision in this case and decisions rendered by two other District Courts in the cases of Nenow v. Ceilings and Specialities, Inc., 151 So.2d 28 (2nd D.C.A.Fla.1963), and Sapienza v. Karland, Inc., 154 So.2d 204 (3rd D.C.A.Fla.1963).

The procedural events occurring below, which are the subject matter of this dispute, are described in the opinion of the District Court, Fourth District, reported at 223 So.2d 365. We present here only an overview of the underlying factual situation as we understand it.

Petitioner-plaintiff was represented by the firm of Hornsby & Salfi in suit for fraud against respondents-defendants. Salfi handled the case. The initial complaint filed by Salfi was defective and he was given 20 days to amend; subsequently by stipulation this was extended another week. While this amendment period was running, the Hornsby & Salfi firm dissolved and Salfi's cases were given to Moran who was associated with Hornsby. About 40 days after the expiration of the amendment period, Moran asked respondent's attorneys for the status of the time stipulation. He was informed that respondent's attorneys had filed a motion to vacate the complaint and that the trial judge had granted the motion by order dismissing the complaint with prejudice. This came as a surprise since the Hornsby firm apparently had never received copies of the respondent's motion to vacate or the dismissal order.

Hornsby then filed motion to vacate the dismissal order and also an amended complaint. Trial court refused to grant the motion because Moran was attorney of record and no affidavit was submitted by him as to why the complaint was not...

To continue reading

Request your trial
23 cases
  • Bryant v. State
    • United States
    • Florida Supreme Court
    • 28 April 2005
    ...629 So.2d 817 (Fla.1993) (noting that the plaintiff was granted twenty days to amend the complaint); Rogers v. First Nat'l Bank at Winter Park, 232 So.2d 377, 377 (Fla.1970) (noting that the trial court granted plaintiff twenty days to amend the complaint); Rohlwing v. Myakka River Real Pro......
  • Paul v. Bank
    • United States
    • Florida District Court of Appeals
    • 2 September 2011
    ...1.540(b) and reentering it to allow appellant not timely served with copy of order time to appeal) (citing Rogers v. First Nat'l Bank at Winter Park, 232 So.2d 377 (Fla.1970)).Relief After Sale Mrs. Paul advised the trial court of Sterling Factors, 968 So.2d 658, in support of her position ......
  • Sammons v. Greenfield, Case No. 2D17-755
    • United States
    • Florida District Court of Appeals
    • 19 October 2018
    ...be resolved in favor of allowing trial upon the merits." Tucker, 552 So. 2d at 1179; see also Rogers v. First Nat'l Bank at Winter Park, 232 So. 2d 377, 378 (Fla. 1970) (explaining that courts should be liberal when determining excusable neglect because "[w]hile ourPage 3 procedural rules p......
  • Sammons v. Adam Greenfield, D.O.
    • United States
    • Florida District Court of Appeals
    • 8 May 2019
    ...doubt should be resolved in favor of allowing trial upon the merits." Tucker, 552 So. 2d at 1179 ; see also Rogers v. First Nat'l Bank at Winter Park, 232 So. 2d 377, 378 (Fla. 1970) (explaining that courts should be liberal when determining excusable neglect because "[w]hile our procedural......
  • Request a trial to view additional results

VLEX uses login cookies to provide you with a better browsing experience. If you click on 'Accept' or continue browsing this site we consider that you accept our cookie policy. ACCEPT