Viscito v. Fred S. Carbon Co., Inc., No. 97-1560

CourtCourt of Appeal of Florida (US)
Writing for the CourtBRYAN, BEN L.
Citation717 So.2d 586
Decision Date02 September 1998
Docket NumberNo. 97-1560
Parties23 Fla. L. Weekly D2034 Anthony VISCITO and Frances Viscito, d/b/a Waffle Land U.S.A., Appellants, v. FRED S. CARBON CO., INC., a foreign corporation, Appellee.

Page 586

717 So.2d 586
23 Fla. L. Weekly D2034
Anthony VISCITO and Frances Viscito, d/b/a Waffle Land U.S.A., Appellants,
v.
FRED S. CARBON CO., INC., a foreign corporation, Appellee.
No. 97-1560.
District Court of Appeal of Florida,
Fourth District.
Sept. 2, 1998.

John G. George of George and Lander, P.A., Fort Lauderdale, for appellants.

William F. Cobb of Barnett & Barnard, P.A., Fort Lauderdale, and Gary A. Dumas of Gary A. Dumas, P.A., Miami Lakes, for appellee.

BRYAN, BEN L., Associate Judge.

Anthony and Frances Viscito, d/b/a Waffle Land U.S.A. ("the Viscitos") appeal from entry of final summary judgment on all three counts of their second amended complaint, alleging tortious interference, conversion, and breach of contract against Fred S. Carbon, Inc. ("Carbon"). We affirm in part and reverse in part.

This is the second appeal 1 in this case stemming from an oral agreement between

Page 587

the Viscitos and Carbon. Pursuant to the agreement, Carbon agreed to provide the Viscitos with exclusive distributorship rights to sell and distribute its waffle mix in South Florida, and the Viscitos, in return, agreed to obtain customers for the product. In Counts I and II of their second amended complaint, the Viscitos alleged that Carbon tortiously interfered with their business relationships and wrongly utilized the Viscitos' customer list for its own benefit. They claimed Carbon had converted their customers as its own by first wrongfully obtaining a list of customers from them under the guise of implementation of a new billing system, and then providing the list of names and addresses to another distributor. They also alleged breach of contract in Count III.

Thereafter, Carbon moved for summary judgment based on the Agreement being barred by the Statute of Frauds, and on there being no genuine issues of material facts as to their claims for tortious interference and conversion. The Viscitos filed an affidavit in opposition, but it was stricken as untimely. Based only on the record evidence timely presented, the court granted the motion. The Viscitos appealed.

The fact is undisputed that the parties' oral agreement created a business relationship that lasted over an extended and indefinite period of time. Under the agreement, Carbon had the right to terminate the relationship at any time, and, in fact, did. As such, we believe the trial court correctly concluded that enforcement of the agreement was barred by the Statute of Frauds....

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6 practice notes
  • Furmanite America, Inc. v. T.D. Williamson, Inc., No. 6:06-cv-641-Orl-19JGG.
    • United States
    • United States District Courts. 11th Circuit. United States District Court of Middle District of Florida
    • April 11, 2007
    ...under certain circumstances could constitute tortious interference with business relationships. E.g., Viscito v. Fred S. Carbon, Inc., 717 So.2d 586 (Fla. 4th DCA 1998). For these reasons, Defendants' claim for summary judgment on Count I of the Complaint is G. Florida Deceptive and Unfair ......
  • Centro Nautico Representacoes Nauticas, LDA. v. International Marine Co-op, Ltd., CO-O
    • United States
    • Court of Appeal of Florida (US)
    • October 14, 1998
    ...already sold, as we have just seen, such an unwritten agreement is unenforceable. Viscito v. Fred S. Carbon Co., 23 Fla. L. Weekly D2034, 717 So.2d 586 (Fla. 4th DCA 1998); Chong v. Milano, 623 So.2d 536 (Fla. 4th DCA 1993). Because the parties had long since passed the $500 and 1 year benc......
  • Browning v. Poirier, No. 5D12–1823.
    • United States
    • Court of Appeal of Florida (US)
    • March 8, 2013
    ...can be considered in determining what the parties intended at the time the agreement was made. See Viscito v. Fred S. Carbon Co., Inc., 717 So.2d 586, 587 (Fla. 4th DCA 1998) (“The fact is undisputed that the parties' oral agreement created a business relationship that lasted over an extend......
  • Lynkus Communications, Inc. v. Webmd Corp., No. 2D04-3967.
    • United States
    • Court of Appeal of Florida (US)
    • August 15, 2007
    ...856, 858 (Fla. 3d DCA 1986) (quoting Weinsier v. Soffer, 358 So.2d 61, 63 (Fla. 3d DCA 1978)); see also Viscito v. Fred S. Carbon Co., 717 So.2d 586, 587 (Fla. 4th DCA 1998) (holding that where it was "undisputed that the parties' oral agreement created a business relationship that lasted o......
  • Request a trial to view additional results
6 cases
  • Furmanite America, Inc. v. T.D. Williamson, Inc., No. 6:06-cv-641-Orl-19JGG.
    • United States
    • United States District Courts. 11th Circuit. United States District Court of Middle District of Florida
    • April 11, 2007
    ...under certain circumstances could constitute tortious interference with business relationships. E.g., Viscito v. Fred S. Carbon, Inc., 717 So.2d 586 (Fla. 4th DCA 1998). For these reasons, Defendants' claim for summary judgment on Count I of the Complaint is G. Florida Deceptive and Unfair ......
  • Centro Nautico Representacoes Nauticas, LDA. v. International Marine Co-op, Ltd., CO-O
    • United States
    • Court of Appeal of Florida (US)
    • October 14, 1998
    ...already sold, as we have just seen, such an unwritten agreement is unenforceable. Viscito v. Fred S. Carbon Co., 23 Fla. L. Weekly D2034, 717 So.2d 586 (Fla. 4th DCA 1998); Chong v. Milano, 623 So.2d 536 (Fla. 4th DCA 1993). Because the parties had long since passed the $500 and 1 year benc......
  • Browning v. Poirier, No. 5D12–1823.
    • United States
    • Court of Appeal of Florida (US)
    • March 8, 2013
    ...can be considered in determining what the parties intended at the time the agreement was made. See Viscito v. Fred S. Carbon Co., Inc., 717 So.2d 586, 587 (Fla. 4th DCA 1998) (“The fact is undisputed that the parties' oral agreement created a business relationship that lasted over an extend......
  • Lynkus Communications, Inc. v. Webmd Corp., No. 2D04-3967.
    • United States
    • Court of Appeal of Florida (US)
    • August 15, 2007
    ...856, 858 (Fla. 3d DCA 1986) (quoting Weinsier v. Soffer, 358 So.2d 61, 63 (Fla. 3d DCA 1978)); see also Viscito v. Fred S. Carbon Co., 717 So.2d 586, 587 (Fla. 4th DCA 1998) (holding that where it was "undisputed that the parties' oral agreement created a business relationship that lasted o......
  • Request a trial to view additional results

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