MUSSELMAN STEEL FABRICATORS, INC., A FLORIDA CORPORATION, PETITIONER,
v.
KATHLEEN MAE RADZIWON, INDIVIDUALLY, AND AS WIDOW OF FRANK RADZIWON, DECEASED, AND FRANK J. ROONEY, INC., A FLORIDA CORPORATION, RESPONDENTS

Fla. | 1972-05-10
No. 41465
ROBERTS, C. J., and ERVIN, CARLTON, ADKINS, BOYD and McCAIN, JJ., concur.
263 So. 2d 221 Florida Supreme Court (1972) Caution
Cited by 46 cases

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Synopsis

The Florida Supreme Court held that nonrecord activities, such as mailing photographic copies of deposition exhibits, constitute sufficient "action" under Rule 1.420(e) to avoid dismissal for failure to prosecute, provided such action is calculated to hasten the suit toward judgment.


Holding

The Court held that both the filing of depositions with the clerk and the mailing of photocopied exhibits constitute sufficient affirmative action to avoid dismissal for failure to prosecute. Nonrecord activity is permissible provided it is intended and calculated to hasten the suit to judgment.


Headnotes

[1] Filing of deposition transcripts with the clerk of court constitutes affirmative action sufficient to preclude dismissal for failure to prosecute.

[2] Mailing photographic copies of exhibits marked during depositions to opposing counsel is affirmative action that hastens a suit toward judgment and can preclude dismissal…

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Key Quotes

“Necessary "action" is not confined to acts within the record, although of course the act must be "intended and calculated to hasten the suit to judgment."”

Establishes the core holding that nonrecord activity can constitute sufficient action under Rule 1.420(e)

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Facts & Procedural History

Plaintiff filed a damages action against defendant Musselman Steel on October 24, 1969. Defendant took depositions on January 2, 1970, which were file…

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Opinion of the Court
DEKLE, Justice.

DEKLE, Justice.

Petition for writ of certiorari brings for review a “failure to prosecute” decision of the Fourth District Court of Appeal at 250 So.2d 327 (1971). We tentatively accepted jurisdiction upon the basis of apparent conflict with prior decisions of this Court in Gulf Appliance Distributors, Inc. v. Long, 53 So.2d 706 (Fla.1971), and Sroczyk v. Fritz, 220 So.2d 908 (Fla.1969). Fla.Const. art. V, § 4(2), F.S.A.

We are asked to determine whether there was sufficient affirmative action pursuant to Rule 1.420(e), R.C.P., 30 F.S.A., to justify a denial of a motion to dismiss for failure to prosecute. It is noted that the further Fourth District case of Eastern Elevator, Inc. v. Page, at 250 So.2d 326 (Fla. App. 4th 1971), cert. dischg. with opinion this day, 263 So.2d 218 (Fla.1972); Fleming v. Florida Power Corp., 254 So.2d 546 (Fla.App.2d 1971), cert. denied this day *222also at 262 So.2d 447 (Fla.1972); and this Court’s recent opinion in Chrysler Leasing Corp. v. Passacantilli, 259 So.2d 1 (Fla.1972), involve constructions of the same Rule.1

The respondent (hereafter referred to as “plaintiff”) filed an action for damages against petitioner (“defendant”) on October 24, 1969. Service was made on all defendants by October 30, 1969. The defendant filed its answer on November 20, 1969, and took the depositions of two witnesses on January 2, 1970. Notice of filing of the depositions was waived by both parties. On January 19, 1970, the court reporter filed transcripts of the two depositions with the clerk of the court. On January 4, 1971, the defendant filed a motion to dismiss the cause for failure to prosecute pursuant to Rule 1.420(e), R.C.P. This motion was made after a year had elapsed since the taking of the depositions; however, it was within one year from the date the transcripts were filed in the circuit court. Plaintiff timely filed a response under the Rule, reciting this to show “good cause” why the case should not be dismissed.

The trial judge found the filing to be “action” and denied the motion to dismiss, saying:

“[T]he filing of the depositions . . . with the Clerk of the Circuit Court of Broward County, Florida, pursuant to the provisions of R.C.P. 1.310(f) constituted the taking of a sufficient action in this cause within a one year period to preclude dismissing this cause for lack of prosecution. . . . ”

We agree with the learned chancellor and with his appellate court in affirming his action as correct in these circumstances.

Aside from the court reporter’s filing of depositions, defendant counsel’s act of mailing to plaintiff’s counsel photographic copies of 3 exhibits which were marked for identification during the depositions constitutes sufficient action within the meaning of Rule 1.420(e). This was affirmative action moving in a continuous stream toward disposition of the cause. Accordingly, the motion to dismiss could be denied on this reason alone (even though it is not set forth as an express ground in the trial court’s actual order or the district court’s opinion itself, but appears in the record on appeal). It is worthy of mention here as a future guide which may prove helpful in the seemingly never-ending ramifications of this squid-like problem. A similar holding is well expressed by Judge Robert Mann of the Second District in Fleming v. Florida Power Corp., supra.

Petitioner argues that “nonrecord” activity, such as this mailing of photographic copies, is not “action.” Necessary “action” is not confined to acts within the record, although of course the act must be “intended and calculated to hasten the suit to judgment.” 2 In Adams Engineering Co. v. Construction Products Corp., 156 So.2d 497 (Fla.1963), the clerk of circuit court had failed to docket the case for trial as directed in an order which was entered more than one year prior to the motion to dismiss for lack of prosecution. Prior to expiration of one year from date of the order to set for trial, plaintiff’s counsel brought the order to the attention of the clerk, who *223then stated that the case would be set for trial. This “action” which was nonrecord activity was the only “action” within the one-year period. It was supported by affidavit upon hearing of the motion to dismiss for lack of prosecution (as appears from our original record in Adams). This Court in Adams, speaking through our eminent, now retired Mr. Justice Drew, held this to be “action” sufficient to avoid dismissal. See also Mr. Justice Drew’s concurring opinion in Sroczyk, supra, wherein he commented upon Adams, saying: (220 So.2d p. 913).

“[T]he Adams’ decision clearly held that ‘action’ under the statute may be shown by acts outside the record in the trial proceedings. ...”

We note that Adams was decided under Fla.Stat. § 45.19, F.S.A. prior to the adoption of Rule 1.420(e). However, as we said in Chrysler Leasing Corp., supra, the promulgation of this Rule does not change any prior decisions.

Moreover, nonrecord activity has heretofore been considered as sufficient action under Rule 1.420(e). See Whitney v. Whitney, 241 So.2d 436 (2nd DCA Fla. 1970), cert. denied 245 So.2d 88 (Fla.1971). There an exchange of letters for a voluntary production of checks and stubs was an accelerated means to be encouraged which hastened the suit toward judgment. The letters appeared in the record as proof submitted to show the nonrecord “action.” This avoided a motion and order for production, the slower process which might have been used and would of course have constituted “prosecution.”

We therefore find that the act of sending photographic copies of exhibits by defense counsel to plaintiff’s counsel here is similar action which moves the cause without resort to the courtroom, and correspondingly hastens the suit toward judgment.

For the above reasons, the writ of certio-rari is hereby discharged.

It is so ordered.

ROBERTS, C. J., and ERVIN, CARLTON, ADKINS, BOYD and McCAIN, JJ., concur.


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Citator

Cited By (23 total)

  • Am. E. Corp. v. Henry Blanton, Inc., 382 So. 2d 863 (Fla. 2d DCA 1980)
    …activity formerly accepted as good cause which will no longer suffice to avoid dismissal for want of prosecution are: defense counsel’s mailing to plaintiffs counsel of photographic copies of exhibits, Musselman Steel Fabricators, Inc. v. Radziwon, 263 So. 2d 221 (Fla. 1972); the furnishing of a medical report by plaintiffs in accordance with defendants’ specific directions, Eddings v. Davidson, 302 So. 2d 155 (Fla. 1st DCA 1974); a verbal request by plaintiff’s counsel to produce certain logs and records, D…
  • Harris v. Winn-Dixie Stores, Inc., 378 So. 2d 90 (Fla. 1st DCA 1979)
    …party which is more than a passive effort, i. e. an affirmative act directed toward disposition of the cause, ■is sufficient to avoid dismissal for failure to prosecute.” The cases of Musselman Steel Fabricators, Inc. v. Radziwon, Fla.Sup.Ct.1972, 263 So. 2d 221 and Manteiga v. City of Miami, Fla. 3rd DCA 1972, 268 So. 2d 537 are in accord with the concept that record activity of any party intended or calculated to move a case toward a judgment precludes dismissal for lack of prosecution if filed within the…
  • ELI Einbinder, Inc. v. Miami Crystal ICE Co., 317 So. 2d 126 (Fla. 3d DCA 1975)
    …rs denying the motion to dismiss. We find that the record amply supports this determination of sufficient activity and good cause shown due to the serious illness of plaintiff’s attorney. Cf. Musselman Steel Fabricators, Inc. v. Radziwon, Fla. 1972, 263 So. 2d 221 and Chrysler Leasing Corporation v. Passacantilli, Fla.1972, 259 So. 2d 1. Thus, we cannot say that the trial judge abused his discretion and, therefore, this point on appeal must fail. Appellants secondly contend that the trial court erred in find…

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Authorities Cited (11 total)

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