State ex rel. Office Realty Co. v. Ehinger

Decision Date30 May 1950
Citation46 So.2d 601
PartiesSTATE ex rel. OFFICE REALTY CO. v. EHINGER et al.
CourtFlorida Supreme Court

Aronovitz & Aronovitz, Miami, for appellant.

Alley, Drew, Burns & Middleton and E. Harris Drew, West Plam Beach, for appellees.

SEBRING, Justice.

The appellant has appealed from a judgment quashing an alternative writ of mandamus action brought to compel the issuance of a permit for the erection of an apartment house on property zoned exclusively for one-family dwellings. The order which formed the basis for the judgment is worded as follows:

'This cause was duly presented by counsel for the parties and considered by the Court.

'Petitioner seeks to void a municipal zoning ordinance and require the City [of Palm Beach] to issue a permit for an apartment house in a residential area, largely because of a municipal beach across the street, undue traffic by the place, depreciation in value, and because property, not contiguous but to the South of Petitioner's property, had been zoned for apartment house purposes by the City.

'No apartment areas adjoin petitioner's property.

'While the value of this particular property might well be enhanced should petitioner place an apartment house on it rather than a residence, I am not satisfied that would be in the best interest of the municipality, or fair to the owners of adjoining residential property. 'Spot zoning' has a proper place in the development of a zoning plan, but the facts--aside from the conclusions--do not appear to be sufficient to require such zoning for this property which has been zoned as residential over 20 years last past. A stronger showing than this should be made before the Court should declare the ordinance void.

'Thereupon, it is ordered and adjudged that the demurrer and motion to quash the alternative writ be granted, with leave to petitioner to seek an amended alternative writ within 20 days from date.'

Following the entry of this order the appellant elected not to plead further, whereupon the trial court entered the final judgment appealed from.

We find no error in the judgment entered by the trial court. A regularly enacted ordinance will be presumed to be valid until the contrary is shown, and a party who seeks to overthrow such an ordinance has the burden of establishing its invalidity. State ex rel. Taylor v. City of Jacksonville, 101 Fla. 1241, 133 So. 114. In case an ordinance dealing with property zoning is the subject of dispute, the court will...

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21 cases
  • Lowe v. Broward County
    • United States
    • Florida District Court of Appeals
    • September 20, 2000
    ...shown, and a party who seeks to overthrow such an ordinance has the burden of establishing its invalidity." State ex rel. Office Realty Co. v. Ehinger, 46 So.2d 601, 602 (Fla.1950) (citation omitted). An appellate court will "indulge every reasonable presumption in favor of an ordinance's c......
  • Metropolitan Dade County v. Floyd, Pearson, Richman, Greer, Weil, Zack & Brumbaugh
    • United States
    • Florida District Court of Appeals
    • February 6, 1990
    ...until the contrary is shown by the party challenging it"), cert. denied, 272 So.2d 816 (Fla.1973); see, e.g., State ex rel. Office Realty Co. v. Ehinger, 46 So.2d 601 (Fla.1950); City of Miami Beach v. Texas Co., 141 Fla. 616, 194 So. 368 (1940); see also 12 Fla.Jur.2d Counties and Municipa......
  • City of Miami v. Silver, 71-133
    • United States
    • Florida District Court of Appeals
    • January 11, 1972
    ...of the evidence presented in this case.'1 City of Miami Beach v. Ocean & Inland Co., 147 Fla. 480, 3 So.2d 364; State ex rel. Office Realty Co. v. Ehinger, Fla.1950, 46 So.2d 601; City of Miami Beach v. Lachman, Fla.1953, 71 So.2d 148; City of Miami Beach v. Wiesen, Fla.1956, 86 So.2d 442, ......
  • City of Miami Beach v. Prevatt
    • United States
    • Florida Supreme Court
    • July 24, 1957
    ...of Miami Beach v. Elsalto Real Estate, Inc., Fla., 63 So.2d 495, Segal v. City of Miami, Fla., 63 So.2d 496, and State ex rel. Office Realty Co. v. Ehinger, Fla., 46 So.2d 601. Appellee relies on Forde v. City of Miami Beach, 146 Fla. 676, 1 So.2d 642, City of Miami Beach v. Ocean & Inland ......
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