Segal v. Garrigues, 74--1682

Decision Date04 April 1975
Docket NumberNo. 74--1682,74--1682
PartiesJoseph SEGAL, Appellant, v. William A. GARRIGUES, III, Appellee.
CourtFlorida District Court of Appeals

Lloyd Herold, P.A., North Palm Beach, for appellant.

Larry Klein, of Cone, Wagner, Nugent, Johnson & McKeown, P.A., West Palm Beach, for appellee.

DOWNEY, Judge.

ON MOTION TO DISMISS APPEAL

Appellant Segal sued appellee Garrigues in three counts. Count I is for slander; count II is for interference with contractual rights in the operation of appellant's business; count IV is for conspiracy to destroy appellant's business and good will; count III has been abandoned. Upon motion to dismiss, the trial court granted the motion as to count I 'with prejudice' and as to counts II and IV 'with leave to amend.' Appellee has moved to dismiss appellant's plenary appeal from the dismissal of count I on the ground that said order is not a final appealable order, relying upon the decision of this court in Raphael v. Carner, Fla.App.1967, 194 So.2d 298.

In the Raphael case this court held that an order granting a motion to dismiss a complaint 'with prejudice' is not a final order; that the words 'with prejudice' added nothing to the effect of the order. However, in Duncan v. Pullum, Fla.App.1967, 198 So.2d 658, the Second District Court of Appeal held that striking a counterclaim 'with prejudice' was a final appealable order. Only recently in Mendez v. West Flagler Family Association, Inc., Fla.1974, 303 So.2d 1, the Supreme Court of Florida approved the holding in Duncan v. Pullum, supra, thus for all intents and purposes overruling our holding in Raphael. Accordingly, it appears safe to conclude now that the addition of the words 'with prejudice' indicates finality.

Since the order granting the motion to dismiss count I with prejudice is a final order, it is appealable even though other counts of the complaint remain pending if count I is a distinct and separate cause of action which is not interdependent with counts II and IV. Mendez v. West Flagler Family Association, Inc., supra. As previously noted count I attempted to allege a cause of action for slander by virtue of remarks which appellee allegedly publicly made about appellant. Counts II and IV charge appellee with business interference. In our view count I is a distinct and separate cause of action and is not interdependent with the other two counts. Consequently, the order appealed from is a final appealable order within the...

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5 cases
  • Gries Inv. Co. v. Chelton
    • United States
    • Florida District Court of Appeals
    • September 30, 1980
    ...contention that the addition of the words "with prejudice" makes the order final. In so doing, we do not overlook Segal v. Garrigues, 320 So.2d 475 (Fla. 4th DCA 1975), which in no uncertain terms states that an order granting a motion to dismiss with prejudice is final for appeal purposes.......
  • Lawler v. Harris
    • United States
    • Florida District Court of Appeals
    • September 8, 1982
    ...Fourth District has held it to be a final, appealable order. Cordani v. Roulis, 395 So.2d 1276 (Fla. 4th DCA 1981); Segal v. Garrigues, 320 So.2d 475 (Fla. 4th DCA 1975). The Third District, in an opinion by Judge Pearson, has held that an order granting a motion to dismiss with prejudice i......
  • Russell v. Russell
    • United States
    • Florida District Court of Appeals
    • April 29, 1987
    ...upon authority of Board of County Commissioners of Madison Co. v. Grice, 438 So.2d 392 (Fla.1983). We recede from Segal v. Garrigues, 320 So.2d 475 (Fla. 4th DCA 1975), because of the holding in Grice, which holding relied upon Gries Investment Co. v. Chelton, 388 So.2d 1281 (Fla. 3d DCA 19......
  • Cordell v. World Ins. Co.
    • United States
    • Florida District Court of Appeals
    • November 4, 1977
    ...106 (Fla. 1st DCA 1963) and that the use of the words "with prejudice" in an order of dismissal indicates finality. (Segal v. Garrigues, 320 So.2d 475 (Fla. 4th DCA 1975). In Costin v. Hargraves, 283 So.2d 375 (Fla. 1st DCA 1973) this court entertained an interlocutory appeal instituted by ......
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