American Savings & Loan of Florida v. Pembroke Lakes Regional Center Associates, Ltd.

711 F. Supp. 1072, 1989 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 4185, 1989 WL 40113
CourtDistrict Court, S.D. Florida
DecidedApril 11, 1989
DocketNo. 87-0991-CIV
StatusPublished

This text of 711 F. Supp. 1072 (American Savings & Loan of Florida v. Pembroke Lakes Regional Center Associates, Ltd.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, S.D. Florida primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
American Savings & Loan of Florida v. Pembroke Lakes Regional Center Associates, Ltd., 711 F. Supp. 1072, 1989 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 4185, 1989 WL 40113 (S.D. Fla. 1989).

Opinion

MEMORANDUM OPINION

ORDER GRANTING MOTION FOR DIRECTED VERDICT

SPELLMAN, District Judge.

THIS CAUSE comes before this Court after a jury trial held on April 3, 4, 5, 6 and 10,1989. At the close of the evidence, both parties made a motion for a directed verdict. This Court hereby grants directed verdict for PEMBROKE LAKES REGIONAL CENTER ASSOCIATES, LIMITED on all claims.

BACKGROUND

This action between PEMBROKE LAKES REGIONAL CENTER ASSOCIATES, LIMITED, (“PEMBROKE LAKES”) and CF-PEMBROKE ASSOCIATES (“CF-PEMBROKE”), is a derivative action from a suit filed in interpleader by AMERICAN SAVINGS AND LOAN OF FLORIDA (“ASL”) as the holder of an escrow fund. On June 13, 1985, PEMBROKE LAKES and CF-PEMBROKE entered into a contract for the sale of real property. Two million dollars was placed in escrow with ASL as a deposit by CF-PEMBROKE. In essence, the land sale contract provided that if PEMBROKE LAKES failed to satisfy all pre-closing conditions, CF-PEMBROKE could get its deposit back, but that if CF-PEMBROKE failed to go through with the contract, it did so at the expense of forfeiting that deposit to PEMBROKE LAKES.

CF-PEMBROKE wrote two letters to PEMBROKE LAKES; one on August 27, 1986, and one on January 12,1987, demanding return of the deposit pursuant to Paragraph Twelfth of the Agreement of Sale and alleging that PEMBROKE LAKES had failed to comply with the pre-closing conditions to the contract. A copy of the August 27, 1986 letter was contemporaneously sent to ASL. ASL, in turn, brought the original action in interpleader asking that the Court determine which of the defendants (PEMBROKE LAKES or CF-PEMBROKE) is in fact entitled to the money. ASL was subsequently discharged from the action.

Jurisdiction is based upon diversity of citizenship and amount in controversy pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 1332. CF-PEMBROKE removed this case from state court.

CLAIMS OF THE PARTIES

First, CF-PEMBROKE claims that PEMBROKE LAKES REGIONAL CENTER ASSOCIATES, LTD. was required to obtain site plan approval leading to the issuance of building permits and that PEMBROKE LAKES breached the Agreement for Sale and Purchase by establishing a closing date and by attempting to conduct a closing prior to obtaining such site plan approval.

[1074]*1074Second, CF-PEMBROKE further contends that if it was CF-PEMBROKE’s responsibility to furnish the site plan, and it was PEMBROKE LAKES’s responsibility to seek the approval of that site plan, that PEMBROKE LAKES failed under the contract to notify CF-PEMBROKE so that such a site plan could be furnished and approval thereafter obtained; and that PEMBROKE LAKES therefore breached the contract.

PEMBROKE LAKES claims that it fulfilled all of the conditions of closing and special closing conditions provided for in the Agreement for Sale and Purchase and that CF-PEMBROKE breached that contract by refusing to close on the date set. PEMBROKE LAKES contends that it was never required under the contract to obtain site plan approval for building permit purposes.

Lastly, CF-PEMBROKE claims that if the Agreement for Sale and Purchase did not require that PEMBROKE LAKES obtain site plan approval leading to the issuance of building permits, CF-PEMBROKE was operating under a mistake which went to the substance of the agreement and was not the result of lack of due care on its part. CF-PEMBROKE contends that there was therefore a unilateral or mutual mistake in the making of the contract and that CF-PEMBROKE is entitled to rescission of the contract.

THE EVIDENCE

The evidence, taken in the light most favorable to the nonmoving party, CF-PEMBROKE, reveals the following:

In May or June of 1984, Cadillac Fair-view Shopping Centers (US), Ltd. and PEMBROKE LAKES signed a Letter of Intent to enter into a Joint Venture with respect to a 247.047 acre parcel of land in Broward County, Florida. The Joint Venture was for the purpose of developing a regional shopping center and developing residual lands for residential and commercial purposes. The Letter of Intent provided that it was not to be binding upon the parties until a final agreement was reached. The arrangement was cancelable at the will of either party. No final agreement was reached.

In October of 1984, PEMBROKE LAKES notified Cadillac Fairview that it did not wish to go forward with the Joint Venture.

On June 13, 1985, the parties signed a Contract of Purchase and Sale (“the Agreement”) by which CF-PEMBROKE agreed to purchase 95 acres of the site which was the subject of the Letter of Intent for use as a multi-tenant enclosed mall regional shopping center. The contract obligated PEMBROKE LAKES to obtain certain government approvals. Pursuant to the Agreement of Sale, CF-PEMBROKE paid $2,000,000 as a contract deposit to ASL as escrow agent, to be held in accordance with the provisions of the Agreement.

CF-PEMBROKE is a New York general partnership that was created specifically in connection with the subject transaction. It is one of a number of “Cadillac Fairview” entities.

PEMBROKE LAKES is a Florida limited partnership that was created specifically in connection with the subject transaction.

On July 15, 1986, PEMBROKE LAKES notified CF-PEMBROKE that all special closing conditions had been met pursuant to the agreement of June 13, 1985, and set a closing for August 15, 1986.

On August 1, 1986, CF-PEMBROKE notified PEMBROKE LAKES that it did not believe that PEMBROKE LAKES had satisfied the Special Closing Conditions of the Agreement of June 13, 1985.

On August 19,1986, the parties and their lawyers met at the offices of Broad and Cassel to attempt to resolve the matter. The attempt was unsuccessful.

On August 22, 1986, CF-PEMBROKE was tendered a deed.

On August 27, 1986, CF-PEMBROKE wrote to PEMBROKE LAKES canceling the agreement and demanding the return of its deposit.

On January 12, 1987, CF-PEMBROKE again wrote a letter to PEMBROKE LAKES canceling the agreement and demanding return of its deposit.

[1075]*1075PEMBROKE LAKES was obligated to perform all of the special conditions set out in Paragraph Fifth and Twelfth of the Agreement of June 13,1985. Those special conditions obligated PEMBROKE LAKES to obtain conceptual site plan approval as a condition precedent to closing, but not to obtain site plan approval so as to permit the filing of an application for building permits.

The Plan (#HHHH), as defined in the Agreement (#U), has been approved by all governmental authorities having jurisdiction and PEMBROKE LAKES has satisfied all special conditions as set forth in Paragraph Fifth and Twelfth of the Agreement of June 13, 1985.

The original joint venture concept between the parties did not carry over to the subsequent Agreement of Sale and Purchase.

CF-PEMBROKE is in default under the Agreement for refusing to purchase the premises on the purported closing date.

CONCLUSIONS OF LAW

There are three issues, as detailed above, which were litigated before this Court. This Court finds that there is no material issue as to any fact, and that a directed verdict should be rendered in favor of PEMBROKE LAKES as a matter of law.

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
711 F. Supp. 1072, 1989 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 4185, 1989 WL 40113, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/american-savings-loan-of-florida-v-pembroke-lakes-regional-center-flsd-1989.