Bland v. Health Care and Retirement Corp.

927 So. 2d 252, 2006 WL 1235910
CourtDistrict Court of Appeal of Florida
DecidedMay 10, 2006
Docket2D05-3107
StatusPublished
Cited by36 cases

This text of 927 So. 2d 252 (Bland v. Health Care and Retirement Corp.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court of Appeal of Florida primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Bland v. Health Care and Retirement Corp., 927 So. 2d 252, 2006 WL 1235910 (Fla. Ct. App. 2006).

Opinion

927 So.2d 252 (2006)

Frances L. BLAND, by and through her Daughter and Next Friend, Sharon COKER, Appellant,
v.
HEALTH CARE AND RETIREMENT CORPORATION OF AMERICA, d/b/a Heartland of Zephyrhills, Appellee.

No. 2D05-3107.

District Court of Appeal of Florida, Second District.

May 10, 2006.

*254 Valeria Hendricks and Thomas S. Harmon of Davis & Harmon, P.A., Tampa, for Appellant.

John R. Blue, Sylvia H. Walbolt, Matthew J. Conigliaro, and Henry G. Gyden of Carlton Fields, P.A., Tampa, for Appellee.

LaROSE, Judge.

Frances Bland seeks review of a nonfinal order granting Health Care and Retirement Corporation of America's (HCR's) motion to dismiss and to compel arbitration. We have jurisdiction. Fla. R.App. P. 9.130(a)(3)(C)(iv). We affirm the trial court's order.

Mrs. Bland was admitted to Heartland of Zephyrhills, an HCR nursing home, in October 2002. As is increasingly unfortunate in an area with an aging population, Sharon Coker, Mrs. Bland's daughter, admitted her to Heartland because she could no longer care for her mother in her home. Four days after Mrs. Bland's admission, Ms. Coker signed a number of documents, including an arbitration and limitation of liability agreement (the Agreement) on her mother's behalf.[1] The Agreement was worded clearly, conspicuous and separate from other documents Ms. Coker signed. Subsequently, Ms. Coker sued HCR in circuit court, seeking damages and other relief on her mother's behalf for HCR's alleged violation of the Nursing Home Residents' Rights Act. §§ 400.022, .023, Fla. Stat. (2001). HCR moved to dismiss the lawsuit and to compel arbitration.

The Agreement provides, in part, as follows:

A. ARBITRATION PROVISIONS
1.1 Any and all claims or controversies between the Facility and the Resident arising out of or in any way relating to the Resident's stay at the Facility, including disputes regarding interpretation of this Agreement, whether arising out of State or Federal law, and whether based upon statutory duties, breach of contract, tort theories or other legal theories (including, without limitation, any claim based on Florida Statutes §§ 400.022, 400.023, 400.428, 400.429. . .), shall be submitted to final and binding arbitration. Except as expressly set forth herein, the provisions of the Florida Arbitration Code, Florida Statu[t]es §§ 682.01, et. seq., shall govern the arbitration. Each party hereby waives its right to file a court action for any matter covered by this Agreement.
* * *
B. LIMITATION OF LIABILITY PROVISION: Read Carefully Before Signing.
1.1 The parties to this Agreement understand that the purpose of this *255 "Limitation of Liability Provision" is to limit, in advance, each party's liability in relation to this Agreement.
1.2 Liability for any claim brought by a party to this Agreement against the other party, . . . including, without limitation, claims for medical negligence or violation(s) of Florida Statutes §§ 400.022, et. seq., arising from simple or gross negligence, shall be limited as follows:
1. Net economic damages shall be awardable, including, but not limited to, past and future medical expenses, off-set by any collateral source payments; any outstanding liens shall be satisfied from the damages awarded.
2. Non-economic damages shall be limited to a maximum of $250,000.
3. Interest on unpaid nursing home charges shall not be awarded.
4. Punitive damages shall not be awarded.

Other provisions of the Agreement limit discovery. HCR is obligated to pay all of the arbitrator's fees and costs. Under the Agreement, the parties also waived any right to recover attorneys' fees or costs. Any arbitration between the parties would occur in Pasco County before a single arbitrator who must be a retired judge or a ten-year member of The Florida Bar. The Agreement obligates the arbitrator to apply the Florida evidence and civil procedure rules. Moreover, the Agreement specifically provides that any arbitration award must be consistent with Florida law. The Agreement states that the arbitrator's award will be final and binding without any appeal except as provided by Florida law. See § 682.13(1)(a)-(e), Fla. Stat. (2001); Schnurmacher Holding, Inc. v. Noriega, 542 So.2d 1327, 1328-29 (Fla. 1989). Mrs. Bland had a three-day revocation period in which to cancel the Agreement. Neither she nor Ms. Coker exercised that right.

The remedies available to Mrs. Bland, should she prevail in any arbitration against HCR, are fewer than those to which she would be entitled in a circuit court lawsuit under the Nursing Home Residents' Rights Act. For example, punitive damages are available as a possible remedy under the statute. §§ 400.0237(2),.0238. Attorneys' fees are available in limited circumstances. §§ 400.023(1), .0238(2). The statute does not cap noneconomic damages. § 400.023-.0238.

In the trial court, Mrs. Bland argued that the Agreement was procedurally and substantively unconscionable. On appeal, she contends that the remedial limitations violate public policy. We hold that the trial court properly determined that the Agreement was not unconscionable. As for Mrs. Bland's public policy argument, we conclude that the arbitrator may address the validity and enforceability of the Agreement's remedial limitations.

In assessing the enforceability of an arbitration agreement, we consider (1) whether there is a valid written agreement to arbitrate, (2) whether an arbitrable issue exists, and (3) whether the right to arbitration was waived. Seifert v. U.S. Home Corp., 750 So.2d 633, 636 (Fla.1999). The validity of the arbitration agreement is the sole issue before us.

The trial court properly rejected Mrs. Bland's argument that the Agreement was procedurally and substantively unconscionable. On this point, we review the trial court's factual findings under a competent, substantial evidence standard and its application of the law to the facts de novo. Gainesville Health Care Ctr., Inc. v. Weston, 857 So.2d 278, 284 (Fla. 1st DCA 2003).

*256 To succeed on an unconscionability claim, Mrs. Bland must demonstrate both procedural and substantive unconscionability. Orkin Exterminating Co. v. Petsch, 872 So.2d 259, 264-65 (Fla. 2d DCA 2004); Belcher v. Kier, 558 So.2d 1039, 1040 (Fla. 2d DCA 1990); see also Weston, 857 So.2d at 284. Procedural unconscionability relates to the manner in which a contract is made and involves consideration of issues such as the bargaining power of the parties and their ability to know and understand the disputed contract terms. Petsch, 872 So.2d at 265; Weston, 857 So.2d at 284. Substantive unconscionability, on the other hand, requires an assessment of whether the contract terms are "so `outrageously unfair' as to `shock the judicial conscience.'" Weston, 857 So.2d at 285. A substantively unconscionable contract is one that "no man in his senses and not under delusion would make on the one hand, and as no honest and fair man would accept on the other." Kier, 558 So.2d at 1044 (quoting Hume v. United States, 132 U.S. 406, 10 S.Ct. 134, 33 L.Ed. 393 (1889)).

In her trial court affidavit, Ms.

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Bluebook (online)
927 So. 2d 252, 2006 WL 1235910, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/bland-v-health-care-and-retirement-corp-fladistctapp-2006.