GEORGE BULL, APPELLANT,
v.
CITY OF ATLANTIC BEACH, ETC., ET AL., APPELLEES
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Bull sued the City of Atlantic Beach and individual officials alleging an illegal contract with an architect in violation of the Consultants' Competitive Negotiation Act. The trial court dismissed the complaint against individual defendants and awarded them attorney's fees under Section 57.105, which the appellate court reversed, finding the claim was not frivolous.
The court reversed the attorney's fee award, holding that the cause of action against the individual defendants was not frivolous. Although standing in taxpayer suits and tort immunity are debatable questions of law, Bull's complaint raised plausible legal arguments and sought declaratory and injunctive relief to which immunity does not apply.
[1] An award of attorney's fees under Section 57.105, Florida Statutes, requires a complete absence of a justiciable issue of law or fact, meaning the claim must be frivolous…
[2] A claim is not frivolous for purposes of Section 57.105 attorney's fees if it raises an honestly debatable question of law.
Previewing 2 of 5 headnotes on this case. FLexlaw’s editorially structured points of law — every proposition, pinpointed — are reserved for members.
Join FLexlaw to unlock all legal intelligence“An award of attorney's fees pursuant to Section 57.105 is only proper if there is a complete absence of a justiciable issue of either law or fact raised by the losing party. This means a claim so devoid of merit that it is frivolous.”
Establishes the legal standard for when attorney's fees under Section 57.105 are proper.
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Join FLexlaw to unlock all legal intelligenceBull, as a taxpayer, brought suit against the City of Atlantic Beach and later named individual city commissioners, the city manager/finance director,…
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MILLS, Judge.
We are asked to reverse the trial court’s order awarding attorney’s fees pursuant to Section 57.105, Florida Statutes (1981). We think the awards unsupportable and therefore reverse.
Bull brought suit against the City of Atlantic Beach alleging that he, as a taxpayer, was being damaged by the City’s contract with Walter J. Parks for Parks’ architectural and engineering services. Bull contended Parks’ employment violated the Consultants’ Competitive Negotiation Act, Section 287.055, Florida Statutes (1981).
With his Second Amended Complaint, Bull named the individual city commissioners (Van Ness, Morris, Cook, and Gulli-ford), City Manager/Finance Director Moss, and Parks as additional defendants. The relief sought was: (1) a declaratory judgment that Parks was employed illegally; (2) an injunction against the city commissioners and the city manager/finance director preventing them from paying Parks; and (3) reimbursement to the City by the commissioners and city manager/finance director of funds already paid Parks.
The trial court found the Second Amended Complaint failed to state a cause of action against the individual defendants. The order of dismissal gave Bull ten days to attempt to state a cause of action and provided that if no attempt was made, the Second Amended Complaint was dismissed as to the individual defendants with prejudice. Bull filed nothing within ten days, but afterward unsuccessfully sought leave to attempt, once again, to state a cause of action against the individual defendants. Bull subsequently filed a Third Amended Complaint against the City only.
The individual defendants filed motions to tax attorney’s fees against Bull pursuant to Section 57.105. After a hearing, the trial court, finding Bull had not raised a justiciable issue of either law or fact against the individual defendants, granted the motions. The trial court awarded an aggregate fee of $600 to Van Ness, Morris, Cook, and Moss who were represented by City Attorney Jensen. Gulliford, represented by a private attorney, was awarded a $400 fee.
An award of attorney’s fees pursuant to Section 57.105 is only proper if there is a complete absence of a justiciable issue of either law or fact raised by the losing party. This means a claim so devoid of merit that it is frivolous. Whitten v. Progressive Casualty Insurance Co., 410 So. 2d 501 (Fla.1982); Castaway Lounge of Bay County, Inc. v. Reid, 411 So. 2d 282 (Fla. 1st DCA 1982). Although we do not assess the propriety of the trial court’s dismissal of Bull’s suit against the individual defendants, as that issue is not before us, we do find the cause of action against the individual defendants was not frivolous.
Appellees argue that Bull, as a taxpayer, did not have standing to sue. It may be that standing to bring a taxpayer’s suit requires an allegation of special injury or a constitutional challenge. Godheim v. City of Tampa, 426 So. 2d 1084 (Fla. 2d DCA 1983). But a plausible argument can be made to the contrary. Godheim, 426 So. 2d at 1092 (Lehan, J., dissenting). If the trial court awarded attorney’s fees because it believed Bull had no standing to bring a taxpayer’s action, the effect was to penalize Bull for maintaining a suit based on an honestly debatable question of law. This, we cannot condone.
Appellees also argue they are immune from personal liability absent a proper allegation of tortious conduct. Therefore, they contend Bull’s suit against them necessarily lacked a justiciable issue. The Second Amended Complaint, however, not only sought monetary reimbursement to the City, but also declaratory and injunctive relief to which tort immunity does not apply.
It is not necessary to reach the other issues raised by Bull.
REVERSED.
SMITH and NIMMONS, JJ., concur.
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Bull v. Gulliford, 453 So. 2d 103 (Fla. 1st DCA 1984)…PER CURIAM. REVERSED. Bull v. City of Atlantic Beach, 450 So. 2d 570 (Fla. 1st DCA 1984). ERVIN, C.J., and BOOTH and WENT-WORTH, JJ., concur.…
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Bull v. Persons, 453 So. 2d 103 (Fla. 1st DCA 1984)…PER CURIAM. REVERSED. Bull v. City of Atlantic Beach, 450 So. 2d 570 (Fla. 1st DCA 1984). ERVIN, C.J., and BOOTH and WENT-WORTH, JJ., concur.…
Authorities Cited
- Whitten v. Progressive Cas. Ins. Co., 410 So. 2d 501 (Fla. 1982)
- The Castaway Lounge OF BAY Cnty., Inc. v. Reid, 411 So. 2d 282 (Fla. 1st DCA 1982)
- State v. Piccirilli, 426 So. 2d 1084 (Fla. 2d DCA 1983)
- Godheim v. City OF Tampa, 426 So. 2d 1084 (Fla. 2d DCA 1983)