WFSH OF NICEVILLE, FLORIDA, A FLORIDA CORPORATION, RED GILSON, AND GEORGE CAIN, APPELLANTS,
v.
CITY OF NICEVILLE AND GEORGE H. IRELAND, CITY CLERK, IN HIS OFFICIAL CAPACITY, APPELLEES

Fla. 1st DCA | 1982-11-17
No. AJ-448
BOOTH and WENTWORTH, JJ., concur.
422 So. 2d 980 Florida District Court of Appeal, First District (1982) Positive Treatment
Cited by 2 cases

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Synopsis

WFSH radio station sought access to city election records under Florida's Public Records Act. The City of Niceville initially withheld the records based on incorrect advice from the State Superintendent of Elections, but the trial court granted access and denied WFSH's request for attorney's fees. The appellate court affirmed, holding the city did not act unreasonably in relying on official advisory opinions.


Holding

The court held that the city did not act unreasonably because it was justified in relying on the incorrect advisory opinion from the State Superintendent of Elections, and therefore WFSH is not entitled to attorney's fees under Section 119.12(1), Florida Statutes.


Headnotes

[1] An agency's reliance on an incorrect advisory opinion from the Division of Elections, when seeking guidance on election law, may justify its actions in withholding public…

[2] A court shall assess a reasonable attorney's fee against an agency under the Public Records Act only when the agency unreasonably refused to permit public records to be i…

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Key Quotes

“Whenever an action has been filed against an agency to enforce the provisions of this Chapter and the court determines that such agency unreasonably refused to permit public records to be inspected, the court shall assess a reasonable attorney's fee against such agency.”

Statement of the statutory standard for awarding attorney's fees in public records cases under Section 119.12(1)

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Facts & Procedural History

WFSH demanded access to election records from the City of Niceville. The city clerk, on advice of the city attorney, consulted the State Superintenden…

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Opinion of the Court
McCORD, Judge.

McCORD, Judge.

Appellants appeal the trial court’s denial of their petition for attorney’s fees pursuant to Section 119.12(1), Florida Statutes. We affirm.

Appellant radio station WFSH of Nice-ville, demanded from appellee City of Nice-ville access to all election records pertaining to a certain city election. The city clerk, on the advice of the city attorney and in the presence of WFSH’s reporter, called the State Superintendent of Elections who advised that a court order was needed before supplying the records. WFSH then brought an action for access to the records under the Florida Public Records Act, Chapter 119, Florida Statutes. The city immediately tendered the records into the protection and direction of the court stating that “the defendants do not object to the plaintiffs’ request, provided that it is legally valid and lawfully proper.” The trial judge allowed appellant access to the records. WFSH then filed a motion for assessment of attorney’s fees and court costs under Section 119.12(1), Florida Statutes, which provides:

Whenever an action has been filed against an agency to enforce the provisions of this Chapter and the court determines that such agency unreasonably refused to permit public records to be inspected, the court shall assess a reasonable attorney’s fee against such agency. (Emphasis supplied.)

The trial court determined that the city had not acted unreasonably and denied the motion.

Section 106.23(2) provides:

The Division of Elections shall provide advisory opinions when requested by any supervisor of elections, candidate, local officer having election related duties ..., or other person or organization engaged in political activity, relating to any provisions or possible violations of Florida election laws with respect to actions such supervisor, ... has taken or proposes to take.... The opinion, until amended or revoked, shall be binding on any person or organization who sought the opinion or with reference to whom the opinion was sought, unless material facts were omitted or misstated in the request for the advisory opinion. (Emphasis supplied.)

Although the State Supervisor of Election’s advice was incorrect, the city was justified, pursuant to the above statute, and therefore did not act unreasonably, in relying upon that advice and in withholding the election records in question until a ruling could be obtained from the trial court. Consequently, the trial court did not abuse its discretion in determining that WFSH is not entitled to attorney’s fees pursuant to Section 119.12(1), Florida Statutes.

AFFIRMED.

BOOTH and WENTWORTH, JJ., concur.


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Citator

Cited By

  • Greater Orlando Aviation Auth. v. Nejame, 4 So. 3d 41 (Fla. 5th DCA 2009)
    …s request for attorney’s fees as we conclude that GOAA did not act unreasonably or in bad faith in refusing production. See Knight Ridder, Inc. v. Dade Aviation Consultants, 808 So. 2d 1268 (Fla. 3d DCA 2002); WFSH of Niceville v. City of Niceville, 422 So. 2d 980 (Fla. 1st DCA 1982). AFFIRMED in part; REVERSED in part; and REMANDED. GRIFFIN and COHEN, JJ., concur. . Though styled as a complaint for injunctive relief, substantively Nejame, Lafay's complaint was a petition for writ of mandamus, the remedy g…

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