MASTON G. O'NEAL, JR., APPELLANT,
v.
CITY OF CORAL GABLES, FLORIDA, A MUNICIPAL CORPORATION, ET AL., APPELLEES
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.
O'Neal sought specific performance of an alleged contract with the United States for the Biltmore Hotel property in Coral Gables. The trial court granted the City's motion for summary judgment, finding O'Neal's contract with the federal government was void and he had no valid claim against the City. The appellate court affirmed, holding O'Neal's only remedy, if any, lay against the United States, not the City.
O'Neal has no cause of action for specific performance against the City because: (1) the issues were previously adjudicated in federal court, creating an estoppel; (2) the United States is an indispensable party; and (3) the City cannot be liable since it received the property after the contract was declared void and had no notice of any valid contract between O'Neal and the federal government.
[1] A prior federal court judgment declaring a contract null and void collaterally estops a party from relitigating the same issues in a subsequent state court action.
[2] A party seeking specific performance of a contract for the conveyance of property may not have a cause of action against a subsequent grantee if the original contract was…
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“The court held that the Administrator had acted outside his authority in entering into the contract with O'Neal without first affording to the City of Coral Gables its full statutory rights under federal law to acquire the Biltmore property.”
Establishes the basis for the federal court's declaration that O'Neal's contract was void
Previewing 1 of 3 key quotes on this case — the court’s exact language, pinpointed for members.
Join FLexlaw to unlock all legal intelligenceO'Neal claimed to have a contract with the U.S. Administrator of General Services for conveyance of the Biltmore Hotel property in Coral Gables. A fed…
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.
Explore caselaw by topic → Browse Statutory Rights cases and more on FLexlaw
PER CURIAM.
This is an action for specific performance of a contract between appellant, Mas-ton G. O’Neal, Jr., and the United States of America for conveyance of what is commonly referred to as the old Biltmore Hotel property in Coral Gables.
The complaint was filed against the appellee, City of Coral Gables, which filed an alternative motion to dismiss or for summary judgment. Following a hearing thereon, the trial court entered a final judgment in favor of the city. This appeal ensued.
The court found as fact that the contract which appellant previously had entered into with the federal government by and through the U. S. Administrator of General Service was declared a nullity by the United States District Court for the Southern District of Florida. See, Hall v. Kunzig, 331 F.Supp. 1163 (S.D.Fla.1971).
In that case, the court held that the Administrator had acted outside his authority in entering into the contract with O’Neal without first affording to the City of Coral Gables its full statutory rights under federal law to acquire the Biltmore property.
The trial judge further found that the U. S. Government in accordance with the U. S. District Court’s judgment deeded the Biltmore property to the city. The two deeds by which the federal government conveyed the property to the city contained therein specific restrictions upon the utilization and alienation of the property in accordance with federal statutory authority. The deeds recited that the property could be used only “for public historic preservation, park or recreational purposes” and prohibited transfer by the city to private parties.
As conclusions of law, the trial court determined (1) that the issues raised by appellant’s complaint were previously adjudicated in the federal court, and appellant therefore was estopped to proceed further, and that as a matter of comity, the proceeding should be dismissed; (2) the United States government and the Administrator of the General Services Administration are indispensable parties; and (3) the complaint fails to state a cause of action on which relief can be granted and is without equity.
We have considered all points raised by the briefs in light of the record on appeal as well as arguments of counsel, and have concluded that no reversible error has been demonstrated.
In our view, appellant’s remedy, if any, would lie in an action against the United States for any alleged breach of contract. See, 28 U.S.C.A. § 1491. The city was deeded the Biltmore property after the federal District Court declared appellant’s contract null and void. Therefore, we do not think appellant has a cause of action against the city for specific performance, since the city cannot be said to have taken the property with notice of any valid contract of sale between the appellant and the federal government.
We note that the same deeds which appellant contends afford him a right to specific performance against the city contain restrictions on the transfer of the property to private persons such as the appellant.
Therefore, for the reasons stated, the judgment appealed is affirmed.
Affirmed.
Cases With Similar Vibessemantic neighbors from the corpus
Citator
Cited By
-
McDONALD v. McGOWAN, 402 So. 2d 1197 (Fla. 5th DCA 1981)…5 (Fla.3d DCA 1976), cert. denied, 348 So. 2d 948 (Fla. 1977). Only rarely is the record so clear that a judgment can be directed as a matter of law. See Florida Power & Light Co. v. Rader, 306 So. 2d 565 (Fla. 4th DCA 1975); O’Neal v. Coral Gables, 294 So. 2d 102 (Fla.3d DCA), cert. denied, 303 So. 2d 640 (Fla.1974). Where as in this case, there are conflicting inferences to be drawn from the circumstances, where there is a means of learning about a prior contract which is not pursued, and where there is a q…