PHILIP R. DE LUCCA, D/B/A DE LUCCA'S ORGANIZATION, APPELLANT,
v.
FLAMINGO CORPORATION, A FLORIDA CORPORATION, APPELLEE
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A real estate broker appealed a summary judgment dismissing his breach of contract action against a property owner. The court affirmed, holding that the broker could not recover damages for the owner's alleged breach of an implied promise to sell property at a specified price because such an oral promise to convey real property violates the Statute of Frauds.
The court held that the broker cannot recover because the alleged promise was to convey real property, which is unenforceable under the Statute of Frauds, and therefore an action for damages for breach of such an oral promise will not lie.
“It is sufficient for a decision of the case before us to point out that the undisputed facts preclude recovery.”
Establishes that the factual record supports summary judgment and no genuine issue of material fact exists.
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Join FLexlaw to unlock all legal intelligenceDe Lucca, a real estate broker, was employed by Flamingo Corporation to find a purchaser for property at a net price of $140,000. De Lucca was to rece…
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The plaintiff appeals from a summary final judgment in an action for breach of contract. The trial judge found as a matter of law that the plaintiff could not recover under any view of the facts. There is therefore no question of a genuine issue of material fact because in each factual area where there might be an issue of fact the judge has taken the view most favorable to the plaintiff.
The factual basis as set forth by the trial judge is therefore not contradicted and is as follows:
“This is an action for damages by a real estate broker against an owner of property for an alleged breach of an employment contract. The defendant owner of property employed the plaintiff broker to find a purchaser to purchase the property at a net price of $140,000.00 to the owner.
“This case is unusual in that the plaintiff broker concedes that the promise which he contends was breached by the defendant was an implied promise that the defendant would sell its real estate to the purchaser procured by the plaintiff for the sum of $140,-000.00 net to it, thus enabling the plaintiff to secure a commission for his services from the purchaser. The defendant did not agree to pay any commission to the plaintiff but on the contrary it was expressly agreed between the plaintiff and the defendant that the plaintiff was to obtain his commission from the purchaser.
“The plaintiff then procured a written offer from a purchaser agreeing to pay $140,000.00 net to the owner and, further, the purchaser, simultaneously upon executing the written order of purchase, agreed to pay the plaintiff broker a $5,000.00 commission. The plaintiff then presented the written offer to the defendant owner who refused to execute the contract and who *804refused to convey the property to the purchaser at the listed price of $140,-000.00 net. The gravamen of the complaint is contained in the allegation that ‘the defendant impliedly agreed that it would perform said listing contract (sell its real property for $140,-000.00 net) and thus afford plaintiff an opportunity of securing a commission for said services from the prospective purchaser.’ ”
Appellant real estate broker urges that the trial judge was in error when he .found that the gravamen of the complaint was the defendant’s alleged implied agreement to sell'the property. Cf. Stagg v. Lawton, 133 Conn. 203, 49 A.2d 599. He contends that he was employed to find a purchaser and that after he produced the purchaser the owner-defendant violated the contract of employment thereby giving rise to a cause of action for. damages, i. e., the commission the purchaser had agreed to pay upon the completed sale.
It is sufficient for a decision of the case before us to point out that the undisputed facts preclude recovery. The testimony of the plaintiff himself -upon a prior trial of this cause was that the owner did not promise to pay him anything. This lack of a contract by the defendant to pay the plaintiff any sum distinguishes this case from those where recovery has been permitted because of a contract by the owner to pay a broker all that is obtained over a stipulated amount. See cases collected at 88 A.L.R. 299; 144 A.L.R. 921.
It unmistakably appears from the record that the broker was acting for the purchaser, yet he claims a promise by the owner to him that the former would sell to his customer for a certain price. Thus it is not a promise to pay a commission that the broker seeks to enforce, but a promise to convey. Under such circumstances, since the oral promise to convey real property could not be enforced because it comes within the purview of the Statute of Frauds, § 725.01, Fla.Stat, F.S.A., an action for damages for the breach thereof will not lie. See cases cited at 37 C.J.S. Frauds, Statute of § 224.
Affirmed.
HORTON, C. J., and CARROLL, CHAS., J., concur.
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Brines Strong v. Colbert M. Chisolm and Elizabeth K. Chisolm, 422 So. 2d 974 (Fla. 4th DCA 1982)…ving those issues relating to the authority of the broker and the broker’s entitlement to a commission. See e.g. Whitson v. Owens, 94 Fla. 1201, 115 So. 512 (1927); Black v. Clifton, 284 So. 2d 465 (Fla. 4th DCA 1973); and Delucca v. Flamingo Corp., 121 So. 2d 803 (Fla. 3d DCA 1960). Accordingly, the judgment of the trial court is affirmed. DOWNEY, ANSTEAD and GLICK-STEIN, JJ., concur.…
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Wilder v. Zaydon, 277 So. 2d 50 (Fla. 3d DCA 1973)…was error to dismiss the second amended complaint in that it stated a cause of action. We are in accord. The record reveals that in dismissing the second amended complaint, the lower court relied upon DeLucca v. Flamingo Corporation, Fla.App.1960, 121 So. 2d 803 wherein the court found that the plaintiff understood that he would have to look to the purchaser procured by him for the payment of his commission and, therefore, the contract was not a contract to pay commission but an oral promise to convey the p…
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Benton W. Powell v. Green, 330 So. 2d 74 (Fla. 2d DCA 1976)…isputed facts in the record show that the broker was to be paid his commission by the purchaser and that the owners did not agree to pay any commission or part thereof to the broker. In the case of De Lucca v. Flamingo Corporation, Fla.App.3d 1960, 121 So. 2d 803, our sister court held, under identical facts that appear in this record, that a broker under said facts is not entitled to damages from the owners. In De Lucca the court stated at page 804: “It is sufficient for a decision of the case before us to…
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