In Deutsche Bank Nat'l Trust Co. v. Estrella Perez, et al., No. 3D15-58, 2015 WL 8347002 (Fla. 3d DCA Dec. 9, 2015), Florida's Third District Court of Appeal held that the trial court erred in dismissing a foreclosure case on the ground that Plaintiff failed to specifically name its corporate representative that would testify at trial. Burr & Forman LLP attorneys Brendan A. Sweeney, Esq. and Douglas J. Stamm, Esq. represented Plaintiff/Appellant Deutsche Bank National Trust Company on behalf of LSF MRA Pass-Through Trust ("Deutsche Bank") at the trial and appellate level. On ...
The Supreme Court Monday re-affirmed the enforceability of class-waivers in arbitration agreements. The five-justice majority felt the need to rebuke the California courts for trying to end-run Federal preemption through a latent "States-rights" nullification approach. Two of the three dissenters saw the case as a consumerist crusade against big business. But the biggest take away for businesses using arbitration clauses just might lie hidden within the opinion. DirectTV's Conditional Class-Waiver. DirectTV's consumer contracts contained a conditional class waiver ...
In Bank of America, N.A. v. Kipps Colony II Condominium Association, Inc., the Second District Court of Appeal reversed a 2011 final judgment entered in favor of Kipps Colony II Condominium Association, Inc. ("Association"). See Nos. 2D14-858, 2D14-4436, 2015 WL 8321268 (Fla. 2d DCA Dec. 9, 2015). Though Bank of America had been defaulted in the Association's claim of lien foreclosure action, the appellate court found the trial court erred in denying Bank of America's Florida Rule of Civil Procedure 1.540(b) motion. Judge Black delivered the opinion of the court finding that the ...
In Surloff v. Regions Bank, et al., No. 4D14-842, 2015 WL 7275207 (Fla. 4th DCA Nov. 18, 2015), the Fourth District Court of Appeal of Florida was faced with the issue of whether Regions Bank (the "Bank") had any duty or "special relationship" with its client that would subject the Bank to liability for its client's suicide. The issue arose after the trial court granted the Bank's motion to dismiss Plaintiff Cheri Surloff's (as personal representative of the Estate of Arthur B. Surloff) (the "Plaintiff") claims of negligent undertaking and negligent infliction of emotional ...
Be careful what you wish for. That was the message Middle District of Florida Judge Carlos Mendoza delivered in Claudet v. First Federal Credit Control, Inc., 14-CV-2068 (M.D. Fla. Nov. 17, 2015) to the filer of an improper motion for sanctions under Rule 11 of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure. The Court awarded attorney's fees AGAINST the filer of the improper Rule 11 motion, finding it was filed for an improper purpose (to harass opposing counsel) and certainly not the outcome the filer had in mind. More interestingly, the Court did so without any motion from the non-movant.
The ...