PBCBA BAR BULLETINS pbcba_bulletin_may 2018 | Page 19

REAL ESTATE C o r n e r Florida Real Property and Business Litigation Report MANNY FARACH U. S. Bank N. A. v. Village at Lakeridge, LLC, Case No. 15–1509 (2018). A bankruptcy court’s determination of a mixed question of law and fact (such as who is a non-statutory “insider” under the Bankruptcy Code) is reviewed under a “clear” error” and not a de novo standard of review. international waters in the Pacific Ocean on a cruise ship built in Italy which was owned by a Washington corporation when the injuries occurred. Nationstar Mortgage, LLC v. Yesenia Silva, Case No. 3D16-1936 (Fla. 3d DCA 2018). A foreclosing lender is not required to send a new notice of default if the default Hemingway Villa Condominium Owners date in the foreclosure complaint is Association, Inc. v. Wells Fargo Bank, N.A., changed, and substantial compliance with Case No. 3D17-926 (Fla. 3d DCA 2018). a condition precedent is sufficient unless The Third District adopts Beltway Capital, the party to whom the notice is directed can LLC v. Greens COA, Inc., 153 So. 3d 330 demonstrate prejudice, e.g., attempts to pay (Fla. 5th DCA 2014), and holds that a “first in a mortgage foreclosure context. mortgagee” for the purposes of the Safe Harbor provision regarding association fees Citigroup Mortgage Loan Trust Inc. v. “is simply one who holds the first mortgage, Scialabba, Case No. 4D17-401 (Fla. 4th DCA whether that be the original lender or a 2018). subsequent holder.” Substantial compliance with a condition precedent is sufficient unless the party Meyrowitz v. Andrew M. Schwartz, P.A., to whom the notice is directed can Case No. 4D17-1983 (Fla. 4th DCA 2018). demonstrate prejudice, e.g., attempts to pay The “tried on the following docket” in a mortgage foreclosure context. exception of the requirement Florida Rule of Civil Procedure 1.442’s requirement that CSC Serviceworks, Inc. v. Boca Bayou a Proposal for Settlement is timely only if Condominium Association, Inc., Case No. made 45 days before the beginning of the 4D17-0974 (Fla. 4th DCA 2018). trial docket or the date of trial, whichever is An association disconnecting, but not earlier, is if all parties know the case is to be removing, a prior servicer’s laundry tried on a following docket. equipment from a condominium association laundry room does not constitute an Deutsche Bank Trust Company Americas v. unlawful detainer by the association. Merced, Case No. 5D16-3486 (Fla. 5th DCA 2018). Palisades Owners’ Association, Inc. v. Proof of contractual authority to testify Browning, Case No. 1D17-2129 (Fla. 1st DCA is not required for a witness to lay the 2018). predicate to testify under the Business A dispute between a property owner Records Exception to the Hearsay Rule and an association alleging breaches of because a witness may testify to matters fiduciary duty by the association is more within his or her personal knowledge. complex than garden-variety community association disagreements and falls outside Tobinick v. Novella, Case No. 16-16210 (11th the arbitration requirements of Florida Cir. 2018). Statute section 718.1255(1). The “exceptional case” standard for awarding attorney’s fees in Patent Act cases Ocean Concrete, Inc. v. Indian River County, as set forth in Octane Fitness, LLC v. ICON Board Of County Commissioners, Case No. Health & Fitness, Inc., 572 U.S. ___, (2014), 4D16-3210 (Fla. 4th DCA 2018). also applies to Lanham Act cases. A determination whether inordinate government regulation violates the Fincantieri-Cantieri Navali Italiani S.p.A. v. anticipated use provision of the Bert Harris Yuzwa, No. 3D16-1015 (Fla. 3d DCA 2018). Act, Florida Statute section 71.001, must be Florida courts do not have long-arm made without considering the economic jurisdiction over a lawsuit brought by viability of the anticipated use. a Canadian citizen against an Italian shipbuilder for injuries sustained in McMichael v. Deutsche Bank National PBCBA BAR BULLETIN 19 Trustee Company, Case No. 4D16-3879 (Fla. 4th DCA 2018). A party who fails to read a contract before signing it cannot claim “unclean hands” regarding the provisions contained in the contract. Baker v. Economic Research Services, Inc., Case No. 1D16-4139 (Fla. 1st DCA 2018). A forum selection clause survives termination of the contract which contains the clause. Mullen v. Bal Harbour Village, Case No. 3d17-1144 (Fla. 3d DCA 2018). A development order may not, according to the dictates of Florida Statute section 163.167(8)(a), be subject to the will of the voters through referenda and must instead be reviewed under a quasi-judicial