Calder Race Course, Inc. v. Metropolitan Dade County

42 Fla. Supp. 129
CourtCircuit Court of the 11th Judicial Circuit of Florida, Miami-Dade County
DecidedMarch 18, 1975
DocketNo. 73-1070
StatusPublished
Cited by1 cases

This text of 42 Fla. Supp. 129 (Calder Race Course, Inc. v. Metropolitan Dade County) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Circuit Court of the 11th Judicial Circuit of Florida, Miami-Dade County primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Calder Race Course, Inc. v. Metropolitan Dade County, 42 Fla. Supp. 129 (Fla. Super. Ct. 1975).

Opinion

BOYCE F. EZELL, Jr., Circuit Judge.

This matter came to be heard upon the motions for summary judgment of both parties. Prior hereto, the court, by order dated January 31, 1974, denied the motions of both parties for summary judgment on the complaint and answer as originally filed in that there appeared to be genuine issues of material fact. Since that date, the defendant, Metropolitan Dade County, has deposited into the registry of the court, and plaintiff, pursuant to court order, has removed the sum of $69,987.19 which had previously been in issue at the time of the last hearing on the motions for summary judgment. Further, additional pleadings and affidavits have been submitted and this court, under the authority of Unger v. Bergness, 3rd Fla. App. 1965, 172 So.2d 627 and Cahill v. Cooney, 3rd Fla. App. 1966, 182 So.2d 32, is not precluded from granting a motion for summary judgment because of having denied a previous motion when additional facts are placed in the record.

The court has carefully considered the pleadings, depositions, answers to interrogatories on file, together with the affidavits filed in support of the motions for summary judgment and must conclude that there is no genuine issue as to any material fact and that the defendant, Metropolitan Dade County, is entitled to judgment as a matter of law as to each count of the third amended complaint. In so ruling, the court has determined that the movant, Metropolitan Dade County, has carried its burden of proof by demonstrating conclusively that no real fact issue exists and there is no evidence upon which plaintiff can rely, and that it is entitled to summary judgment as a matter of law. Holl v. Talcott, Fla. 1966, 191 So.2d 40; Harvey Building, Inc. v. Haley, Fla. 1965, 175 So.2d 780; Producers Fertilizer Co. v. Holder, 2d Fla. App. 1968, 208 So.2d 492. In so ruling, the court has not only considered the evidence, such as the pleadings, interrogatories, dépbsition's, affidavits, etc., but has concluded from this evidence that no reasonable inference [131]*131would give rise to a disputed material fact issue even though all inferences from the evidence are liberally construed in favor of the plaintiff. See Bermudez v. Jenkins, 3rd Fla. App. 1962, 144 So.2d 859; Graff Enterprises v. Canal Insurance Co., 1st Fla. App. 1968, 213 So.2d 738.

In accordance with the suggestion of the Fourth District Court of Appeal in Reid v. Associated Engineering of Osceola, Inc., 4th Fla. App. 1974, 295 So.2d 125, 127, the court will set forth the basis upon which it is determined that the defendant is entitled to summary judgment as a matter of law. The court does not adjudicate genuine factual issues, but merely identifies those facts upon which the defendant, in the opinion of the court, has sustained its burden of conclusively demonstrating the non-existence of genuine issues of material fact and upon which it is entitled to summary judgment as a matter of law.

1. On July 2, 1969, the defendant, Metropolitan Dade County, filed an application with the Metropolitan Dade County Water and Sewer Board to obtain a certificate of public convenience and necessity for the purpose of furnishing domestic water service and sewer service to certain property owned by the plaintiff, Calder Race Course, Inc. The subject property owned by Calder included the land area for the new summer race course and an adjacent parcel to the east of the race course to be developed as Leisuretown. The application was made with the full support of Calder in that it was believed that the needs of the race track could be most expeditiously served by Dade County. The primary interest of Calder, at the time, was to provide water and sewer service to the race course since the Leisuretown area was dormant without active plans for development. .

Attached to the application was an engineering feasibility study entitled “Engineering and Cost Information for Water Supply and Sanitary Sewage to Serve Summer Race Track and Leisuretown Development”. The informational report was dated June, 1969, and was prepared by the Dade County Public Works Department, Water and Sewer Division as a feasibility study pertaining to water and sewer service for both the race track and Leisuretown. Paragraph 5 of the report, entitled “Financing”, specifically sets forth that the allocation of cost was based on “previous discussions” between representatives of the property owners and Dade County. The paragraph states that Dade County “will be responsible for engineering and construction of off-site water mains”. According to paragraph 4 (Table 2) of the report, the anticipated cost for off-site water (exclusive of contingent costs) was $41,400. The report also envisioned that the county would purchase water from the city of North Miami Beach under a contract to be negotiated. At the time of the applicátion there was correspondence and gen[132]*132eral agreement between Dade County and the city of North Miami Beach that the agreement would be consummated.

2. On July 28, 1969, the Dade County Water and Sewer Board issued Order No. 69-38, which unconditionally approved Dade County’s application and awarded a certificate of public convenience and necessity for the extension of water and sewer service to Leisuretown and the race track.

3. At the time of the application, and up through and until July 31, 1970, the effective date of Ordinance No. 70-60, Rules 18-21 of the Water Main Extension Policy of the Dade County Water and Sewer Board were applicable to the parties.

4. On June 10, 1970, representatives of Calder and the county met to discuss the terms upon which domestic water service would be furnished to the property. Among those present were Joseph A. Benner, Jr., special representative of Stephen Calder, Stefan H. Zachar, architect for Calder Race Course, George Seiler, consultant engineer for Calder, Garland Budd, attorney for Calder, and Dennis Carter, special assistant to the county manager. At the meeting, Calder’s engineer, George Seiler, presented a document disclosing two alternative methods for extending water service to Calder Race Course. Under Alternative I, an eight inch water line consisting of 4,600 linear feet would be installed from N. W. 196th Terrace, along 22nd Avenue, to a terminal point at the edge of the race course property. The installation of the eight inch water line would satisfy Calder’s domestic water requirements but would not provide adequate fire flows at required pressures. Consequently, fire fighting equipment including fire pumps and a ground storage tank would have to be installed on the race track property. Northwest 196th Terrace was chosen as the initial connection point under Alternative I because the city of North Miami Beach had an existing eight inch water line and capacity at that point.- Pursuant to George Seiler’s cost calculations, which were based on his knowledge of competitve bid prices at the time, it was estimated that under Alternative I the installation of the domestic water pipe would cost $58,320 and the additional fire fighting equipment would cost $110,160, for a total cost of $168,480.

Under Alternative II, the race course would be served with a sixteen inch, as compared to an eight inch, water main which would extend from Miami Gardens Drive, the existing city of North Miami Beach fire main, to a terminal point at the outer edge of the Calder property. By this alternative, the total cost would be $189,312 as compared to $168,480 under Alternative I.

The Seiler document was prepared for the meeting to give the Calder representatives a choice of fire fighting alternatives at comparative costs.

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Bluebook (online)
42 Fla. Supp. 129, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/calder-race-course-inc-v-metropolitan-dade-county-flacirct11mia-1975.