Westerman v. Shell's City, Inc., No. 42162

• Court: United States State Supreme Court of Florida
• Writing for the Court: PER CURIAM; ROBERTS
• Citation: 265 So.2d 43
• Parties: Max WESTERMAN, individually and as Trustee for Gala Showplace, Inc., a dissolved Florida corporation, Petitioner, v. SHELL'S CITY, INC., a Florida corporation, Respondent.
• Decision Date: 19 July 1972
• Docket Number: No. 42162

Page 43

265 So.2d 43 Max WESTERMAN, individually and as Trustee for Gala Showplace, Inc., a dissolved Florida corporation, Petitioner,
v.
SHELL'S CITY, INC., a Florida corporation, Respondent. No. 42162. Supreme Court of Florida. July 19, 1972.

Alan H. Rothstein, Miami, for petitioner.

Thomas H. Anderson and Robert C. Sommerville, of Shutts & Bowen, Miami, for respondent.

PER CURIAM:

Upon petition for certiorari to review the opinion of the Third District Court of Appeal at 257 So.2d 276 (1971), conflict appears with the myriad cases ¹

Page 44

setting forth the rule that an appellate court cannot substitute its judgment by a reevaluation of the evidence, vesting jurisdiction here under Fla.Const. art. V, § 4(2), F.S.A.

The obvious reweighing of the evidence in a De novo consideration thereof is apparent in the following several passages in the district opinion:

'It is contrary to human behavior to assume that Empire would make the lease in November and that Shell's would agree to pay a substantial rental and undertake the improvements of the premises . . ..' (P. 280)

'Finally, it is noteworthy that a valid license was worth no more than $30,000.00 at the time of the alleged sale, yet Westerman claims that Shell's made an oral contract to pay an amount which equals almost three times this much. . . .' (P. 280)

'Westerman's inaction clearly contradicts any claim of an express agreement between him and McKelvey (Shell's City, Inc.). The circumstances of the reinstatement of the license and the execution of the lease all controvert Westerman's story. . . .' (P. 281)

'. . . Admittedly the license only had a market value of $30,000.00 and to award the sum of $90,000.00 upon such Unbelievable and uncorroborated testimony not only results in a gross miscarriage of justice but it opens the door to all conceivable forms of fraud.' (P. 281) (emphasis ours)

These were all matters for the trial judge who entered his findings and conclusions in a comprehensive final judgment with which the district court apparently did not agree; this was nevertheless for the trial judge in these circumstances wherein the evidence supported the judgment within the law and it should not be disturbed.

This cause was tried before a very able and experienced circuit judge who himself had earlier served his state as a highly-respected beverage commissioner. Both parties chose to waive jury and (perhaps for the very reason of the eminent jurist's qualifications and background) chose to have him try the case without a jury.

Involved was the sale of a liquor license on Miami Beach by Gala Showplace, Inc., to Shell's City, Inc., a chain retail liquor establishment in Dade County. Westerman had been individually interested and was at the time of the sale acting as Trustee for Gala Showplace, Inc., which had gone out of business after losing the liquor license for B-girl activities. ² Shell's City stepped in and leased the premises and had spent $30,000.00 on renovations but was without a liquor license to operate. Naturally this made the license held by Gala Showplace of particular value because none other was available under the Miami Beach ordinance, which would not allow the transfer of a liquor license beyond 300 ft. Under these circumstances Westerman negotiated with Shell's City's Vice President--General Manager, George McKelvey, to purchase Gala's license. Gala's volume in the past had been limited and of course was now closed and future volume was uncertain. Against this...