City of Miami v. Wellman

976 So. 2d 22, 2008 WL 183248
CourtDistrict Court of Appeal of Florida
DecidedJanuary 23, 2008
Docket3D01-3050
StatusPublished
Cited by3 cases

This text of 976 So. 2d 22 (City of Miami v. Wellman) 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
City of Miami v. Wellman, 976 So. 2d 22, 2008 WL 183248 (Fla. Ct. App. 2008).

Opinion

976 So.2d 22 (2008)

The CITY OF MIAMI, Appellant,
v.
Sidney S. WELLMAN, et al., and Nadine Theodore, et al., Appellees.

No. 3D01-3050.

District Court of Appeal of Florida, Third District.

January 23, 2008.
Rehearing Denied March 27, 2008.

*23 Jorge L. Fernandez, Sarasota, and Warren Bittner; Robert S. Glazier, Miami, for appellant.

Ronald S. Guralnick, Miami, for appellees.

Before GERSTEN, C.J., and RAMIREZ, and WELLS, JJ.

ON REMAND

RAMIREZ, J.

The City of Miami appeals the order granting plaintiffs' Motion for Injunctive Relief. Appellees Sidney S. Wellman, et al., and Nadine Theodore, et al., cross-appeal the same order. We affirm because the City's vehicle impoundment ordinance is unconstitutional for three reasons: (1) it fails to provide adequate notice; (2) it applies an incorrect standard of proof; and (3) it fails to satisfy due process requirements by not providing an innocent owner defense.

*24 I. Factual Background

The City enacted a series of ordinances empowering the police to seize and impound any motor vehicle that the police had probable cause to believe had been used to facilitate crimes that were a threat to the health, safety, and welfare of the City. See MIAMI-DADE COUNTY, FLA., CODE §§ 42-120-124 (1997). Impoundment is permitted where the vehicle contained a controlled substance, had been used for the sale or purchase of a controlled substance, had been used to facilitate the commission of an act of prostitution, assignation, or lewdness, or had been used for the illegal dumping of litter or hazardous waste. § 42-121(a)(1)-(5). However, there are three circumstances in which impoundment is not permitted where the vehicle: (1) had been reported stolen by the time it was subject to seizure or impoundment; (2) was being operated as a seizure or impoundment; and (3) was the subject of forfeiture proceedings by the state. § 42-121(d)(1)-(4).

Under the ordinances, the police officer is required to provide notice of the procedure and impoundment to certain people. § 42-121(b). The officer is required to notify, in writing, the owner of the vehicle and any person found to be in control of the vehicle at the time of the seizure and impoundment. § 42-121(b)(2). The officer is also required to advise those so notified of the right to request a hearing or recover their vehicle on payment of a civil penalty and towing and storage charges. § 42-121(b)(2). Notice is provided by hand-delivery to the person in control of the vehicle at the time of the seizure and impoundment. § 42-121(c). If neither the record owner nor the person in control of the vehicle at the time of its seizure is available to receive the notice, then the notice is provided to the record owner by certified mail, return receipt requested, within forty-eight hours of the time of the impoundment, excluding Saturdays, Sundays and legal holidays. Id.

Under the ordinances, the motor vehicle owner (or the person's agent or authorized representative) is entitled to request a preliminary hearing within five days of receiving notice to determine whether there is probable cause to impound the vehicle. § 42-122(a). If there is no probable cause to believe that the vehicle is subject to impoundment, then the vehicle must be released to the owner, agent or authorized representative. § 42-122(a)(2). If it is determined that there is probable cause to believe that the vehicle is subject to impoundment, then the vehicle remains impounded unless the owner, agent or authorized representative pays a $1,000 administrative civil penalty and towing and storage costs. Id.

At the preliminary hearing, the owner, agent or authorized representative may request a final hearing to be held no later than within thirty days of the day on which the vehicle was seized and impounded. § 42-122(b). At the final hearing, the City has the burden of showing by a preponderance of the evidence that the vehicle was being used for the proscribed illegal purposes. Id. If none of the exceptions to impoundment apply, then an order must be entered finding that the owner of record is civilly liable for a $1,000 administrative civil penalty plus towing and storage costs. Id. If the City does not meet its burden or if one of the exceptions to impoundment applies, then the vehicle must be returned to its owner. Id.

Danielle Wellman was the registered owner of a vehicle that her husband, Sidney Wellman, was operating when he was arrested and charged with soliciting prostitution. The City impounded the vehicle that was seized pursuant to the arrest. The Wellmans brought a class action complaint *25 against the City for declaratory judgment challenging the validity of the ordinances, for injunctive relief, and for unjust enrichment.

The City impounded Nadine Theodore's vehicle her husband was arrested in while using it to commit prostitution. She claimed that she was not present at the time her husband was arrested and the vehicle was seized. Moreover, she claimed that she did not know that her husband might have been using the vehicle for an illegal purpose.

The City impounded Gustav Dorcilome's vehicle when one of his passengers attempted to purchase marijuana from an undercover police officer. The City impounded Michel Chiche's vehicle when he allegedly offered to commit prostitution.

These litigants brought a declaratory action against the City, claiming that the impoundment and administrative civil penalty procedures contained in the ordinances were void on their face because the ordinances violated the common law prohibition against a party judging its own case and because the ordinances violated the Florida Constitution. They also sought to certify a class of similarly-situated persons.

The underlying actions were consolidated, and the class was certified. The class members are all owners of motor vehicles impounded by the City pursuant to the vehicle impoundment ordinances, from June 1, 1997 to the present.

The parties filed cross-motions for summary judgment to determine whether the ordinances were valid. The trial court rejected most of the plaintiffs' arguments against the ordinances but found that the ordinances were unconstitutional as applied. It issued three orders.

First, the trial court found that the ordinances were unconstitutional as applied to the extent that they did not provide an exception based on complete lack of fault (i.e. an innocent owner exception). This exception would be available to a number of different categories of people such as owners who are not present at the time of the driver's arrest, spouses, lessors or renters, joint owners, and those with liens. The trial court found that the Florida Forfeiture Act required this exception.

Second, as to notice, the trial court found that the ordinances' notice requirement was inconsistent with the Florida Forfeiture Act and that these provisions were unconstitutional as applied to certain entities. The trial court noted that certain categories of people are not automatically given notice of impoundment, such as joint owners (unless they were present at the time of the seizure), lessors, renters, and those with liens.

Third, the trial court enjoined the City from enforcing its ordinances in any manner inconsistent with the trial court's orders. The City appealed, and the plaintiffs cross-appealed.

On appeal, this Court held that the ordinances were unconstitutional because they conflicted with state law on forfeitures in City of Miami v. Wellman, 875 So.2d 635 (Fla.

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Bluebook (online)
976 So. 2d 22, 2008 WL 183248, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/city-of-miami-v-wellman-fladistctapp-2008.