Crusaw v. Crusaw

179 So. 3d 507, 2015 Fla. App. LEXIS 17714, 2015 WL 7444186
CourtDistrict Court of Appeal of Florida
DecidedNovember 24, 2015
DocketNo. 1D14-5912
StatusPublished

This text of 179 So. 3d 507 (Crusaw v. Crusaw) 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
Crusaw v. Crusaw, 179 So. 3d 507, 2015 Fla. App. LEXIS 17714, 2015 WL 7444186 (Fla. Ct. App. 2015).

Opinion

PER CURIAM.

Appellants appeal a final judgment ordering the sale of real property, asserting that the lower court erred by not ordering the property’s partition, as the parties requested. Because the statutory prerequisites for the lower court’s action were not satisfied, we reverse. -

Background Facts

In 2007, Appellants John Crusaw and Bertha Loper, two of the twelve children and heirs of Annie E. Crusaw, sued Appel-lees Henry Crusaw and O.C. Crusaw and other heirs, requesting that 160 acres of land the deceased held via a life estate be partitioned and an accounting of rent and profits since the death of Annie 1. Crusaw be made. ■ In February 2009, the court entered a stipulated final judgment adjudging that the siblings (or their estates, as, necessary) were co-tenants under a deed from their mother with their respective interests being equal. The court also adjudged that the property was divisible. The court appointed commissioners- to “make partition-of the property,” and instructed, them to make a “report with a proposed division of the property” and set a timeline for subsequent, actions to be taken by the parties. Additionally, the court ordered Appellees Henry and O.C. Crusaw to “account to [Appellants] for all profits, reasonable rents, and any other benefits received by them since October 14,2001 ...1

In July 2010, the parties entered a stipulation providing, inter - alia, that “this case should be resolved by the partition of ... 240 acres [not' just the 160 acres which is the subject of the stipulated Final Judgment previously rendered] and the profits and rents and allocation of expenses, attorney fees and taxes equally — ” Appellants subsequently amended their complaint in October 2011 to include the additional 80 acres of contiguous land which was not included in the original action.

In July 2013, the court entered an order, finding that “[t]he additional 80 acres, which is part of the amended partition complaint by previous court order is parti-tionable and contiguous to 160 aeres which was determined to be partitionable by Stipulated Final Judgment on February 10, 2009.” The court also accepted the parties’ respective attorneys’ suggestion that each side present a proposal as to how the land should be divided. The court set the matter for a final hearing to address the issue of the physical location of each heir’s share, of the land, and .informed the parties that it would reserve jurisdiction [509]*509for a hearing to determine any offsets in acreage for claims related to each heir’s share of litigation expenses as well as profits, ad valorem taxes, and improvements.

Appellants submitted a proposed survey sketch prepared by surveyor Larry Cobb. Appellees did not submit a proposed plan for dividing the property. Appellants’ sketch indicated twelve lots of Í6.8 acres each. It also showed that a county road runs west to east adjacent to some of 'the lots, and a road running south to north adjacent to others, and an ingress-egress easement which runs adjacent to others; The court accepted the sketch into evidence.

In the final judgment under review, the court found:.

According to the property appraiser’s records introduced into evidence, there remains an undivided 198.75 acres as being taxed at assessed value of $2000 per acre .... These acres of property are divisible based upon this court’s order dated July 24, 2013, which held that respondents had admitted same by not responding to petitioners’ request for admissions, . .

The court also “adopted” the “proposed survey of Larry Cobb” prepared pursuant to the court’s prior order “to submit proposed survey sketch dividing the remaining 198.75 acres amongst the 12 children of John Grusaw, Sr. and Annie E. Grusaw showing the entire 240 acres but leaving the deeded acres in- place.” The court then decreed* however, that it was

the court’s decision that this property should be. sold because it is not logis-tieally capable of being fairly partitioned based upon the ■ age of the ease, the value of parcels after attorney fees, costs and taxes are assessed. The court finds that some of the heirs will not receive a reasonable number of acres after adjustments for attorney fees, costs, taxes and profits.

Accordingly, the court ordered the parties to submit to

an agreed upon- private, sale price acceptable to all. Failing such agreed .upon sale price,,the parties shall submit an agreed upon listing price with a real .estate firm.. Failing such agreed upon listing price, then each side shall submit its proposed auction price. Failing the submission by the parties of their proposed listing prices, the parties shall submit a price for which the land should be sold at private “auction.

Appellants moved for a rehearing, arguing that none of, the .parties ,or any of the pro se heirs had moved .for - a sale of the property, and that section 64.061(4),.Flori-da Statutes, requires that a.party must do so before a court can order the property to be sold. .Appellants argued also that the fees and costs still unpaid was between $130,000 and $150,000, and that

[i]f adjustments to each heir’s share of the land is made to compensate those heirs who have paid costs and fees, the result: would be that those heirs who have not paid their- fair share, of costs and fees would probably receive approximately 9 to 10 acres instead of approximately 16.56 acres from the 198.75 acres subject to the sale. Also, Henry Grusaw would have his share further reduced to compensate the other heirs for profits he received from the Tobacco Transition Program and other faming, activities.

Appellants asserted that the property had been in the family since the early 1900s “and because there, is no heir that has requested or wants' the property to be sold, Petitioners request the court reconsider its ruling when it ordered the property to be sold.” After a year expired with no ruling by the trial court, Appellants [510]*510initiated this appeal on Appellant’s motion for rehearing.2

Analysis

Actions for partition are governed by chapter 64, Florida Statutes (2001), and they are based on equitable principles. Thompson v. Mitchell, 429 So.2d 388, 390 (Fla. 1st DCA 1983). Once a judgment for partition is entered, section 64.061 controls the applicable procedure.

Schroeder v. Lawhon, 922 So.2d 285, 292 (Fla. 2d DCA 2006).

Section 64.061, Florida Statutes, explains the procedure for appointing commissioners responsible for partitioning property that is the subject of a judgment of partition, 'as well as the commissioners’ powers and responsibilities, which includes Submitting to the court a report on its conclusions “without delay.” The statute further provides:

(3) ... Any party may file objections to the report of the commissioners .... If no objections are filed or if the court is satisfied' on hearing any such objections that they are not well-founded, the report shall be confirmed, and a final judgment entered vesting in the parties the title to the parcels of the lands allotted to them -respectively, and giving each of them the possession of and quieting title to their respective shares as against the other parties to the action or those claiming through or under them.”
(4) ...

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Related

Schroeder v. Lawhon
922 So. 2d 285 (District Court of Appeal of Florida, 2006)
Thompson v. Mitchell
429 So. 2d 388 (District Court of Appeal of Florida, 1983)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
179 So. 3d 507, 2015 Fla. App. LEXIS 17714, 2015 WL 7444186, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/crusaw-v-crusaw-fladistctapp-2015.