BAY N GULF, INC., D/B/A SAVE ON SEAFOOD, APPELLANT,
v.
ANCHOR SEAFOOD, INC., APPELLEE

Fla. 3d DCA | 2007-10-24
No. 3D07-1965
Before GERSTEN, C.J., and GREEN and SHEPHERD, JJ.
971 So. 2d 842 Florida District Court of Appeal, Third District (2007) Positive Treatment
Also reported at: 2007 WL 3085381 · 2007 Fla. App. LEXIS 16717
Cited by 27 cases

AI-generated. These summaries, headnotes, and key points are machine-generated and may contain errors or omissions. Always verify against the full opinion text below. Not legal advice.

Synopsis

Bay N Gulf appealed the trial court's dissolution of a temporary injunction preventing Anchor Seafood from conveying frozen seafood. The court affirmed, holding that a trial court has continuing discretion to dissolve a temporary injunction and that the trial court did not abuse its discretion in finding an adequate remedy at law through money damages.


Holding

A trial court has continuing discretion to modify or dissolve a temporary injunction and is not bound by the initial injunction order. The trial court did not abuse its discretion in dissolving the injunction based on finding an adequate remedy at law through money damages.


Headnotes

[1] A trial court's decision to dissolve a temporary injunction is reviewed for an abuse of discretion.

[2] A party seeking a temporary injunction must demonstrate, among other things, that there is no adequate remedy at law.

Previewing 2 of 6 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

Key Quotes

“a trial court's decision to subsequently modify or dissolve a temporary injunction is subject to the same abuse of discretion standard”

Establishes that trial courts retain discretion to dissolve injunctions after they are entered, not bound by the initial order.

Previewing 1 of 3 key quotes on this case — the court’s exact language, pinpointed for members.

Join FLexlaw to unlock all legal intelligence

Facts & Procedural History

Bay N Gulf sued Anchor Seafood for replevin, conversion, and injunctive relief over contested ownership of frozen seafood. The trial court initially g…

The full statement of facts, procedural history, and disposition for this case are member content.

Join FLexlaw to unlock all legal intelligence

© FLexlaw, Inc. — AI-generated enrichments are proprietary. All rights reserved.


Opinion of the Court
GERSTEN, C.J.

GERSTEN, C.J.

Bay N Gulf, Inc., d/b/a Save On Seafood (“SOS”), appeals an order dissolving a temporary injunction. Finding the trial court did not abuse its discretion, we affirm.

SOS sued Anchor Seafood, Inc. (“Anchor”) for replevin, conversion and injunctive relief arising out of the contested ownership of frozen seafood. Initially, the trial court granted SOS’ motion to temporarily enjoin conveyance of the seafood. Subsequently, upon Anchor’s motion, the trial court dissolved the injunction. The trial court’s basis for dissolving the temporary injunction was SOS’ adequate remedy at law.

SOS contends that once a trial court enters a temporary injunction, it cannot dissolve it without a change in circumstances obviating the need for the injunction. Anchor asserts that a trial court continues to have discretion to dissolve a temporary injunction. We agree with Anchor. Turning first to the requirements of a temporary injunction, under Florida law, the party seeking the injunction must establish that: (1) irreparable injury will result if the injunction is not granted, (2) there is no adequate remedy at law, (3) the party has a clear legal right to the requested relief, and (4) the public interest will be served by the temporary injunction. DiChristopher v. Bd. of County Comm’rs, 908 So. 2d 492 (Fla. 5th DCA 2005). If the trial court enters a temporary injunction, its ruling is subject to an abuse of discretion standard. Alachua County v. Lewis Oil Co., 516 So. 2d 1033, 1035 (Fla. 1st DCA 1987). Further, the trial court’s discretionary ruling should not be disturbed on appeal, unless it is unreasonable. Canakaris v. Canakaris, 382 So. 2d 1197, 1203 (Fla.1980).

Turning next to dissolving a temporary injunction, a trial court’s decision to subsequently modify or dissolve a temporary injunction is subject to the same abuse of discretion standard. Precision Tune Auto Care, Inc. v. Radcliff, 731 So. 2d 744 (Fla. 4th DCA 1999). As the Fourth District recognized in Radclijf, to hold otherwise would be inconsistent with two other well-established legal principles: (1) that injunctions rest in the discretion of the court based on surrounding circumstances, see Fla. R. Civ. Proc. 1.610(d); Lewis Oil, 516 So. 2d at 1035, and (2) that a trial court has inherent authority to reconsider and modify its interlocutory orders. Bettez v. City of Miami, 510 So. 2d 1242, 1243 (Fla. 3d DCA 1987).

Here, when dissolving the temporary injunction, the trial court concluded that SOS would not suffer irreparable harm because it could be adequately compensated by money damages. See, e.g., Estate of Yerex v. Durzo, 651 So. 2d 220 (Fla. 4th DCA 1995); Neel v. Williams Commc’n Serv., Inc., 638 So. 2d 1017, 1018 (Fla. 2d DCA 1994). We agree with this conclusion and determine that the trial court was well within its discretion.

Finding no abuse of discretion, the order dissolving the temporary injunction is affirmed.

Affirmed.

GREEN, J., concurs.

Dissent
SHEPHERD, J.,

SHEPHERD, J.,

dissenting.

I respectfully dissent. The temporary injunction in this case was entered on Feb ruary 2, 2007, upon notice and hearing. Anchor appealed the order and then abandoned the appeal, electing instead to challenge the injunction on motion to dissolve brought pursuant to Florida Rule of Civil Procedure 1.610(d).1 On July 26, 2007, Anchor succeeded. There is no evidence in the record to support a change of facts or conditions since the entry of the initial injunction that would justify the dissolution. Bay N Gulf argues that when considering a motion to dissolve an injunction entered after notice and hearing afforded to a defendant, a trial court should not grant the motion unless the moving party comes forward in the subsequent hearing on the motion to dissolve with proof of a “change in conditions” or “[change of] facts to the point that equity dictates the injunction no longer needed.” See Thomas v. Osler Med., Inc., 963 So. 2d 896 (Fla. 5th DCA 2007); City of Ormond Beach v. City of Daytona Beach, 794 So. 2d 660 (Fla. 5th DCA 2001).

I agree.

The majority ignores this authority from the Fifth District Court of Appeal, and concludes, upon the authority of Precision Tune Auto Care, Inc. v. Radcliff, 731 So. 2d 744 (Fla. 4th DCA 1999), that “a trial court’s decision to subsequently modify or dissolve a temporary injunction is subject to the same abuse of discretion standard [as the temporary injunction itself].” See supra p.

843. Applying this standard, the majority affirms the dissolution of the injunction below on a ground that either was, or could have been, raised by Anchor on its now-dismissed interlocutory appeal. Under Precision Tune, it quickly becomes apparent that it is the enjoined party, rather than this Court (or the Florida Rules of Appellate Procedure), who has control of the rule concerning when, prior to final judgment, an appeal from an injunction entered after notice may be brought to us for plenary review. In so doing, Precision Tune easily disregards Florida Rules of Appellate Procedure 9.130(a)(3)(B) and 9.130(b), which require that appeals of non-final orders that “grant ... injunctions” be filed “within 30 days of rendition .... ” and also arguably violates the Florida Constitution’s mandate that our supreme court set the time for appellate review. See Art. V, § 2(a), Fla. Const. (“The supreme court shall adopt rules for the practice and procedure in all courts including the time for seeking appellate review -”) (emphasis added).

Of course, Precision Tune also empowers an enjoined party to seek a complete re-trial of temporary injunctions at that moment. I believe Precision Tune is flawed and should not be followed by this Court.

I believe the flaw in Precision Tune— transported today by the majority into the jurisprudence of this Court — arises from that court’s failure to appreciate the differences between an injunction entered ex parte, and one, like that here, entered with prior notice and an opportunity to be heard. As succinctly and elegantly explained by the distinguished Fifth District Court of Appeal Judge Thomas Sawaya in Thomas:

[i]n cases where the enjoined party takes a direct appeal from an ex parte injunction and does not file a motion to dissolve, in which instance there obviously is no factual record to be reviewed on appeal because there has been no evidentiary hearing the appellate court is constrained to review only the legal sufficiency of the order, the com plaint, and any supporting documents .... In such instances, a motion to dissolve and an evidentiary hearing are necessary to make a factual record that an appellate court can review.... If a motion to dissolve an ex parte temporary injunction is filed and a hearing on the motion is held, “the party who obtained the injunction bears the burden of going forward with evidence to establish a prima facie case to support the injunctive relief,”....

[On the other hand, i]f the enjoined party takes a direct appeal after notice and a hearing without moving to dissolve, an appellate court may consider the underlying factual matters because there is a record of the evidence and testimony presented upon which the trial court based its decision to grant the temporary injunction....

To summarize, a motion to dissolve is necessary only where an ex parte temporary injunction was issued. If proper notice was provided and an evidentiary hearing conducted prior to issuance of the temporary injunction, an appeal should be filed to review the propriety of the temporary injunction; in this instance, a motion to dissolve is limited to raising only new matters and a trial court will not abuse its discretion in denying the motion if the enjoined party does not establish that a change in conditions justifies dissolution.

Thomas, 963 So. 2d at 900 (emphasis added) (citations omitted).3

In reasoning to this result, Judge Sawa-ya generously recognized and confessed to error in his own prior opinion, Yardley v. Albu, 826 So. 2d 467, 469 (Fla. 5th DCA 2002), where he wrote in another appeal of an injunction entered after notice and hearing:

when the party against whom a preliminary injunction is entered does not file a motion to dissolve the injunction pursuant to rule 1.610(d) prior to the direct appeal, the appellate court may not inquire into the factual matters presented; instead the court’s inquiry is limited to the legal sufficiency of the trial court’s order, the complaint, and any supporting documents.

Having considered Judge Sawaya’s thoughtful reprise of himself in Thomas, I fear the next mea culpa might be our own.

I would reverse the order on appeal.

. The rule states, "[a] party against whom a temporary injunction has been granted may move to dissolve or modify it at any time. If a party moves to dissolve or modify, the motion shall be heard within 5 days after the movant applies for a hearing on the motion.” Fla. R. Civ. P. 1.610(d).

. As Judge Sawaya points out: A trial court may not conduct an evidentiary hearing if the request for temporary injunction is made without notice to the other party. Fla. R. Civ. P. 1.610(d)(2) (stating that where no notice is given, the trial court is limited to considering the affidavit or verified pleading when deciding an injunction motion).

Thomas, 963 So. 2d at 900 n. 2.

. My own research of the decisions of the remaining District Courts of Appeal, who also have considered the issue before us, reveals they are in accord with the Fifth District, and do not authorize the dissolution of a temporary injunction entered after notice and hearing absent a significant change in facts or circumstances. See Hunter v. Dennies Contracting Co., 693 So. 2d 615, 616 (Fla. 2d DCA 1997) (holding that it was incumbent upon the enjoined to party to prove “some change of circumstance” that would justify dissolution despite the fact that the movant made "a persuasive argument that the evidence submitted at the initial temporary injunction hearing was legally insufficient to support issuance of the temporary injunction! ]”); Brock v. Brock, 667 So. 2d 310, 312 (Fla. 1st DCA 1995) (“A temporary injunction should be dissolved only where the facts and circumstances have changed to the point that equity dictates the injunction is no longer needed.”).

Until today, the Fourth District Court of Appeal has stood alone in its contrary view.


Cases With Similar Vibessemantic neighbors from the corpus


Citator

Cited By (15 total)

  • LoBELLO v. State Farm Fla. Ins. Co., 152 So. 3d 595 (Fla. 2d DCA 2014)
    …ent is an interlocutory order, and a trial court has inherent authority to reconsider and modify its interlocutory orders.” AC Holdings 2006, Inc. v. McCarty, 985 So. 2d 1123, 1125 (Fla. 3d DCA 2008) (citing Bay N Gulf, Inc. v. Anchor Seafood, Inc., 971 So. 2d 842, 843 (Fla. 3d DCA 2007)). However, two things are noteworthy about the circuit court’s order granting State Farm’s renewed motion for summary judgment. First, the circuit court never vacated its earlier order granting the partial summary judgment i…
  • AC Holdings 2006, Inc. v. McCARTY, 985 So. 2d 1123 (Fla. 3d DCA 2008)
    …because a prior motion for rehearing had been denied. An order granting summary judgment is an interlocutory order, and a trial court has inherent authority to reconsider and modify its interlocutory orders. Bay N Gulf, Inc. v. Anchor Seafood, Inc., 971 So. 2d 842, 843 (Fla. 3d DCA 2007); Bettez v. City of Miami, 510 So. 2d 1242, 1243 (Fla. 3d DCA 1987). Next, we consider whether the trial court abused its discretion in refusing to consider the Torres affidavit. There is case law to support the argument that…
  • Victor Genchi, M.D. v. Lower Fla. Keys Hosp. Dist., 45 So. 3d 915 (Fla. 3d DCA 2010)
    …3d 771, 775 (Fla. 4th DCA 2009); Colonial Bank, N.A. v. Taylor Morrison Servs., Inc., 10 So. 3d 653, 655 (Fla. 5th DCA 2009); Lennar Homes, L.L.C. v. V Ventures, LLC, 988 So. 2d 660, 663 (Fla. 3d DCA 2008); Bay N Gulf, Inc. v. Anchor Seafood, Inc., 971 So. 2d 842, 843 (Fla. 3d DCA 2007). If the party seeking the temporary injunction fails to establish any of these requirements, the party’s motion for temporary injunction must be denied. With respect to the first requirement, we conclude that Dr. Genchi fail…

Previewing 3 of 15 citing cases — full citator treatment, depth of discussion, and citing context are member features.

Join FLexlaw to unlock all legal intelligence

Authorities Cited (12 total)

View all 12 cited authorities →

Full citator, related cases, and AI research tools

Open in FLexlaw