Telf Corp. v. Gomez

Decision Date03 April 1996
Docket NumberNo. 96-2,96-2
Citation671 So.2d 818
Parties21 Fla. L. Weekly D800 TELF CORPORATION, a Florida corporation, and Jesus Paredes, a/k/a Jesus Osvaldo Paredes, individually, Appellants, v. Ivon GOMEZ, Appellee.
CourtFlorida District Court of Appeals

An appeal from the Circuit Court for Dade County; Juan Ramirez, Jr., Judge.

Jesus Huerta, South Miami, for appellants.

Jose C. Bofill; David Pollack, Miami, for appellee.

Before SCHWARTZ, C.J., and GODERICH and GREEN, JJ.

PER CURIAM.

We affirm the order of the trial court denying appellants' respective motions to quash service of process. It has well been established that a process server's return of service on a defendant which is regular on its face is presumed to be valid absent clear and convincing evidence presented to the contrary. Florida Nat'l Bank v. Halphen, 641 So.2d 495 (Fla. 3d DCA 1994); Lazo v. Bill Swad Leasing Co., 548 So.2d 1194 (Fla. 4th DCA 1989); Slomowitz v. Walker, 429 So.2d 797 (Fla. 4th DCA 1983); Brugh v. Savings & Profit Sharing Pension Fund of United Ins. Co. of Am., 211 So.2d 613 (Fla. 1st DCA 1968). Further, a defendant may not impeach the validity of the summons with a simple denial of service, but must present 'clear and convincing evidence' to corroborate his denial. Halphen, 641 So.2d at 496; Jefferson Bank & Trust v. Levy, 498 So.2d 450 (Fla. 3d DCA 1986). Where as here, the individual appellant, who happens also to be the resident agent/officer/director/shareholder of the corporate appellant, sought to attack the service of process with uncorroborated affidavits that he did not reside at the address to which service was accepted and that the corporate appellant transacted no business at that address, we conclude that appellants have not sustained their high burden of demonstrating the invalidity of their service.

Affirmed.

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29 cases
  • Robles–Martinez v. Diaz, Reus & Targ, LLP
    • United States
    • Court of Appeal of Florida (US)
    • 20 Octubre 2011
    ...that is regular on its face is presumed to be valid absent clear and convincing evidence presented to the contrary.” Telf Corp. v. Gomez, 671 So.2d 818 (Fla. 3d DCA 1996).3 Here, the verified returns of service were regular on their face, containing all of the information in compliance with......
  • Robles-Martinez v. Diaz
    • United States
    • Court of Appeal of Florida (US)
    • 17 Agosto 2011
    ...that is regular on its face is presumed to be valid absent clear and convincing evidence presented to the contrary." Telf Corp. v. Gomez, 671 So. 2d 818 (Fla. 3d DCA 1996).3 Here, the verified returns of service were regular on their face, containing all of the information in compliance wit......
  • Re-Employment Services, Ltd. v. Nlac
    • United States
    • Court of Appeal of Florida (US)
    • 16 Noviembre 2007
    ...evidence. Id. at 769; Melchi Dev. Group, Inc. v. Berky Dev. Group, L.L.C., 918 So.2d 407 (Fla. 5th DCA 2006); Telf Corp. v. Gomez, 671 So.2d 818 (Fla. 3d DCA 1996). However, if the return is defective on its face, it cannot be relied upon as evidence that the service of process was valid. K......
  • Vives v. Wells Fargo Bank, N.A.
    • United States
    • Court of Appeal of Florida (US)
    • 23 Octubre 2013
    ...absent clear and convincing evidence to the contrary. Bank of Am. v. Bornstein, 39 So.3d 500 (Fla. 4th DCA 2010); Telf Corp. v. Gomez, 671 So.2d 818, 818 (Fla. 3d DCA 1996). Moreover, a simple denial is insufficient to impeach the validity of service. Telf Corp.. As instructed by Bennett, w......
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