MECHANICAL METHODS COMPANY, APPELLANT,
v.
JERRY KLEIN, APPELLEE
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The Fourth District Court of Appeal reversed an award of attorney's fees to Klein under the Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act because Klein failed to disclose the statutory basis for the fee claim prior to the hearing, violating Mechanical Methods Company's due process rights.
A party seeking an award of attorney's fees must reveal the basis of such award to the opposing party prior to a hearing on the matter. Klein's failure to disclose the Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act as the statutory basis violated Mechanical's due process right to notice and hearing.
[1] A party seeking an award of attorney's fees must plead the statutory basis of entitlement in a pleading, motion, memorandum, or other document filed with the trial court.
[2] A party seeking attorney's fees must provide the opposing party with notice of the basis for such an award prior to a hearing on the matter.
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Join FLexlaw to unlock all legal intelligence“a party seeking an award of attorney's fees must reveal to the opposing party the basis of such an award prior to a hearing on the matter”
Establishes the core holding that procedural notice of the statutory basis for fees is required before the fee hearing
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Join FLexlaw to unlock all legal intelligenceKlein sued Mechanical Methods Company for breach of contract and requested attorney's fees. The complaint and post-judgment motion for attorney's fees…
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GUNTHER, Judge.
We reverse the attorney’s fees awarded to Jerry Klein (Klein) pursuant to the Mag-nuson-Moss Warranty Act. Mechanical Methods Company (Mechanical) correctly asserts that the trial court erred in awarding attorney’s fees to Klein since he failed to plead the statutory basis of entitlement in any pleading, motion, memorandum, or other document filed with the trial court. See Brown v. Gardens by the Sea South Condo. Ass’n, 424 So. 2d 181 (Fla. 4th DCA 1983).
Although the Brown court upheld an attorney’s fees award, it did so on the theory that the opposing party was aware of the basis of attorney’s fees because the statute was referred to in a memorandum filed with the court. In the instant case, the opposing party had no prior notice of the basis of entitlement until the hearing on the post-judgment motion for attorney’s fees.
Klein’s suit against Mechanical alleged only a breach of contract and requested an award of attorney’s fees. The complaint failed to state either a contractual or statutory basis for recovering such fees. After trial, the court entered judgment in favor of Klein and reserved jurisdiction to consider an award of attorney’s fees. Although Klein filed a post-judgment motion for attorney’s fees, neither that motion nor any other document filed with the court stated either a contractual or statutory basis for awarding such fees.
At the hearing on fees, Klein raised the Magnu-son-Moss Warranty Act for the very first time as a basis for recovering attorney’s fees.
Thus, Mechanical had no prior notice that Klein would seek attorney’s fees based on this statute. After the fees were awarded, Mechanical moved for a rehearing which was denied by the trial court without entertaining argument.
We conclude that Mechanical’s right to due process notice and hearing was violated. See Autorico Inc. v. Government Employees Insurance Company, 398 So. 2d 485 (Fla. 3d DCA 1981). In our view, a party seeking an award of attorney’s fees must reveal to the opposing party the basis of such an award prior to a hearing on the matter. We decline to review whether Klein is entitled to an award of attorney’s fees pursuant to the Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act because the record on this point is inadequate.
Accordingly, we reverse the award of attorney’s fees to Klein and remand for further proceedings consistent with this opinion.
REVERSED AND REMANDED.
DELL, J., concurs.
LETTS, J., concurs specially with opinion.
LETTS, Judge,
concurring specially.
I agree completely with the opinion and with its analysis of Brown. I write only to stress that the reference to a memorandum in Brown, while completely accurate, should not be used as a predicate in future cases for the proposition that all memoranda submitted to the court are part of the record. Indeed, in many instances they are not.
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Downs v. Stockman, 555 So. 2d 867 (Fla. 4th DCA 1989)…546 So. 2d 739 (Fla. 3d DCA 1989). By petition for rehearing, Stockman contends that two cases from this court, Brown v. Gardens by the Sea South Condominium Association, 424 So. 2d 181 (Fla. 4th DCA 1983), and Mechanical Methods Company v. Klein, 535 So. 2d 693 (Fla. 4th DCA 1988), required us to affirm the trial court since neither Finkelstein nor Hollander had the effect of reversing or receding from those cases. The issue involved is a recurring one of great public importance, thus we choose now to writ…1 / 2
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Barton v. Hertz Corp., 35 F. Supp. 2d 1377 (M.D. Fla. 1999)…41 So.2d 1281 (Fla. 4th DCA 1989). Plaintiff has a statutory legal basis to bring a claim for attorney’s fees pursuant to the Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act. 15 U.S.C.A. § 2310 through 2312 (1998). The court in Mechanical Methods Co. v. Klein, 535 So.2d 693 (Fla. 4th DCA 1988), indicated that the defendant needed to have prior notice that the plaintiff would seek attorney’s fees based on the Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act. In Klein, the appellate court determined that the trial court erred in awardin…
Authorities Cited
- Brown v. Gardens BY THE SEA S. Condo. Ass'n, 424 So. 2d 181 (Fla. 4th DCA 1983)
- Peadon v. State, 398 So. 2d 485 (Fla. 1st DCA 1981)