JULIUS QUATTROCCHI, APPELLANT,
v.
I. D. MACVICAR, JESSE H. YARBOROUGH, HUGH PETERS, GRANT STOCKDALE, AND PRESTON BIRD, AS BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS OF DADE COUNTY, FLORIDA, APPELLEES

Fla. | 1955-10-21
THOMAS, HOBSON and ROBERTS, JJ., concur., DREW, C. J., and THORNAL and SE-BRING, JJ., concur in part and dissent in part.
82 So. 2d 873 Florida Supreme Court (1955) Positive Treatment
Cited by 14 cases

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Synopsis

A property owner challenged a single-family zoning classification as arbitrary and unreasonable, claiming it deprived him of reasonable use of his land despite the property being taxed as business property. The trial court found the zoning unreasonable and directed that the property be rezoned to permit duplex and multi-family use, but the Florida Supreme Court affirmed on narrower grounds, holding that courts cannot rezone property but can declare existing zoning invalid, leaving the zoning authority to establish proper classification.


Holding

The court affirmed the trial court's decree but on narrower grounds. While courts may declare zoning restrictions unreasonable and arbitrary and invalid, they lack authority to rezone property themselves. The decree properly invalidated the existing zoning and directed the zoning authority to establish a proper classification permitting duplex and multi-family use.


Key Quotes

“courts should not substitute their judgment for that of the city zoning authority in the matter of promulgating zoning regulations unless some constitutional right of the landowner is invaded”

Establishes the standard of review: courts defer to zoning authorities unless constitutional rights are violated

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Facts & Procedural History

Appellant Quattrocchi owned Lots 48-51 in Coral Way Center, Dade County, which was zoned for single-family use only. The property was assessed and tax…

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Opinion of the Court
TERRELL, Justice.

TERRELL, Justice.

Appellant as plaintiff below filed complaint in the Circuit Court of Dade County, charging that his property, Lots 48, 49, SO and 51, Amended Plat of Coral Way Center, according to the plat thereof, recorded in Plat Book 26 at page 76, Public Records of Dade County, is zoned by .defendants for single family use. only, and that said zoning is arbitrary, unreasonable,' illegal, unconstitutional and unlawfully deprives him of a reasonable use of his land. He further contends that said property is being taxed on a business property valuation. The complaint prayed that the zoning be declared void, arbitrary and unreasonable and that his lands be decreed to be business.,property subject to business use only.

At final hearing the chancellor found that a zoning classification which would permit the erection of. duplex houses or multi-fam-ily residential units .on said lands would be a reasonable restriction upon the use of the property. He further found the existing zoning restrictions upon plaintiff’s lands to be “unreasonable and arbitrary”' and set them aside with the admonition that “said property should be zoned in such manner as to permit its use by the erection of duplex and .multi-family buildings.” We are confronted with an appeal from this decree.

. The point for determination is whether or not the zoning of appellant’s property was arbitrary, unreasonable, illegal, unconstitutional, and unlawfully deprives him of the reasonable use of his property. This court is committed to the doctrine that courts should not substitute their judgment for that of the city zoning authority in the matter of promulgating zoning regulations unless some constitutional right of the landowner is invaded. City of Miami Beach v. Hogan, Fla. 1953, 63 So. 2d 493. It is therefore clear that the chancellor had no authority to rezone appellant’s lands. His final decree is subject to more than one interpretation but read in sum we do not think he undertook to rezone the property. He held the zoning “unreasonable and arbitrary” and pronounced that “said property should be zoned in such a manner” as to permit its use for duplex and multi-family buildings. We think this left the way open for the appellee to rezone the property and place it in a proper classification.

It is accordingly our view that the decree appealed from should be and is hereby affirmed.

Affirmed.

THOMAS, HOBSON and ROBERTS, JJ., concur. DREW, C. J., and THORNAL and SE-BRING, JJ., concur in part and dissent in part.

Other
THORNAL, Justice

THORNAL, Justice

(concurring in part and dissenting in part).

I concur with the majority in affirming the decree of the trial court, save and except as to that portion of the decree which reads as follows, to-wit:

“and said property should be zoned in such manner as to permit its use by the erection of duplex and multifamily buildings.”

It. appears to me that by this provision the Court undertakes to substitute its judgment for that of the municipal zoning authorities contrary to the rule announced in City of Miami Beach v. Hogan, Fla.1953, 63 So. 2d 493.

As to the above quoted provision of the final decree it is my view that the decree should be reversed for such further proceedings before the municipal zoning officials as to the parties might appear appropriate. In-other respects I concur in the affirmance.

DREW, C. J., and SEBRING, J., concur.


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Citator

Cited By

  • City OF ST. Petersburg v. Aikin, 217 So. 2d 315 (Fla. 1968)
    …n this Court on other grounds does not require consideration of the obvious error in directing rezoning to a particular use, rather than remanding to zoning authorities for redetermination of proper classification. Quattrocchi v. MacVicar, Fla.1955, 82 So. 2d 873, 874; City of Punta Gorda v. Morningstar, Fla.App.1959, 110 So. 2d 449, 454. . Ibid. pp. 270 and 272. . Fla.App.3rd 1967, 200 So. 2d 624, 626. . Fla.1965, 172 So. 2d 820. . Lawley v. Town of Golfview, Fla.App. 2nd 1965, 174 So. 2d 767, 770. . S…
  • Waiter Wood v. Twin Lakes Mobile Homes Vill., Inc., 123 So. 2d 738 (Fla. 2d DCA 1960)
    …s improperly zoned, the matter should be re-submitted to the zoning authorities to determine the proper classification of the property for zoning purposes. See City of Miami Beach v. Hogan, Fla.1953, 63 So. 2d 493; Quattrocchi v. MacVicar, Fla.1955, 82 So. 2d 873; and City of Miami Beach v. Wiesen, Fla.1956, 86 So. 2d 442. This court has likewise held that rezoning is not a duty of the court but the duty of the zoning authorities. City of Tampa v. Consolidated Box Co., Fla.App.1959, 110 So. 2d 446; City of P…
  • City OF Tampa v. Consol. BOX Co., Inc., 110 So. 2d 446 (Fla. 2d DCA 1959)
    …rt. Therefore, although the lower court erroneously in effect rezoned the property, the amendment of the zoning ordinance permitting the use requested rendered the error of the lower court harmless. In the case of Quattrocchi v. MacVicar, Fla.1955, 82 So. 2d 873, 874, the majority opinion affirmed the lower court on the basis that the lower court’s decree in favor of the property owner was subject to two interpretations. The Court, in effect, determined that the decree did not rezone the property but left t…

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