Getelman v. Levey

481 So. 2d 1236, 11 Fla. L. Weekly 119
CourtDistrict Court of Appeal of Florida
DecidedDecember 31, 1985
Docket85-390
StatusPublished
Cited by13 cases

This text of 481 So. 2d 1236 (Getelman v. Levey) 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
Getelman v. Levey, 481 So. 2d 1236, 11 Fla. L. Weekly 119 (Fla. Ct. App. 1985).

Opinion

481 So.2d 1236 (1985)

Michael J. GETELMAN, Appellant,
v.
Burton R. LEVEY, Appellee.

No. 85-390.

District Court of Appeal of Florida, Third District.

December 31, 1985.
Rehearing Denied February 18, 1986.

*1237 Lapidus & Stettin and Herbert Stettin, Miami, for appellant.

Stewart, Tilghman, Fox & Bianchi, Ellen C. Freidin, Miami, for appellee.

Before HENDRY, HUBBART and FERGUSON, JJ.

PER CURIAM.

Michael J. Getelman, defendant below, appeals and Burton R. Levey, plaintiff below, cross-appeals a final judgment entered upon a jury verdict holding Mr. Getelman liable for fraud and breach of fiduciary duty. Numerous issues are raised on appeal and cross-appeal.

The facts are as follows. Mr. Getelman and Mr. Levey were equal beneficiaries of a land trust which owned a building in Miami. Mr. Getelman had offices in and managed the building. In the summer of 1978, they learned the City of Miami was interested in purchasing the property. However, they later learned the city did not have the funds to acquire it.

Late in 1978, Mr. Getelman asked Mr. Levey if he would sell his one-half interest to him. Mr. Levey indicated that he would think about it. In the months that followed, the two discussed the sale of Mr. Levey's interest. Mr. Levey asked Mr. Getelman in March, 1979 if he had heard from the city regarding the property. Mr. Getelman told him he had not heard from the city.[1] On March 30, 1979, Mr. Levey sold his one-half interest to Mr. Getelman for $100,000. Within several weeks of that sale, the city offered Mr. Getelman $379,812.50 for the property. He refused that offer. The city then began condemnation proceedings against the property. Mr. Getelman settled with the city for $750,000 in January, 1980.

Prior to this settlement, Mr. Levey sued Mr. Getelman for fraud and breach of fiduciary duty, and sought also the imposition of a constructive trust, rescission and injunctive relief. It was Mr. Levey's contention that Mr. Getelman had lied when he told Mr. Levey he had not heard from the city. The trial court granted summary judgment for Mr. Getelman. This court reversed on appeal. Levey v. Getelman, 408 So.2d 663 (Fla. 3d DCA 1981). Following *1238 remand, the trial court entered a directed verdict for Mr. Getelman. Again, this court reversed on appeal. Levey v. Getelman, 444 So.2d 1027 (Fla. 3d DCA), pet. for rev. denied, 453 So.2d 43 (Fla. 1984).

On remand, Mr. Levey sued for fraud and for breach of fiduciary duty.[2] Mr. Getelman moved to dismiss the breach of fiduciary duty claim on the ground that it was an element of the fraud claim. The trial court denied the motion. On the day the case was set for trial, a motion by Mr. Levey for leave to amend his complaint was heard. Mr. Levey sought to include a claim for treble damages under section 812.035(7), Florida Statutes (Supp. 1984). The trial court ruled that it would grant such amendment only if the trial were postponed. Mr. Levey chose to have the case proceed immediately to trial.

At trial, the deposition of Donal Stewart, an employee of the City of Miami, was read in evidence. Mr. Stewart stated that he had prepared letters on January 2, 1979, from his supervisor to Mr. Getelman and a neighboring property owner. The letters stated that the city was interested in acquiring each of their properties. Both letters were addressed to the wrong zip code. Mr. Stewart said he did not see the envelopes prepared, stamped or placed in the mail. It was undisputed that the neighboring property owner had received his letter. Mr. Stewart stated that he spoke on the telephone with Mr. Getelman in January, 1979 regarding the city's interest in the property. Mr. Getelman denied receiving any contact from the city in January, 1979. He testified that the city contacted him only after he had purchased Mr. Levey's interest.

At the charge conference, the trial court refused Mr. Getelman's request to instruct the jury on the defense of comparative negligence and also refused Mr. Levey's request to instruct the jury on prejudgment interest. Both Mr. Getelman and Mr. Levey requested different instructions on the presumption of receipt of mail. The trial court gave both of their requested instructions. Mr. Getelman requested the jury be instructed in part on damages, "that the measure of damages for fraud in the sale of property is the difference between the value of the property as represented and the actual value of the property at the time of sale." Mr. Getelman's instruction was based on the "benefit of bargain" rule. Strickland v. Muir, 198 So.2d 49 (Fla. 4th DCA 1967).

Mr. Levey requested the jury be told that if it found in his favor, it "shall award Burton Levey an amount of money equal to the real value of the property he sold to Michael Getelman for his interest, less any amounts received by Burton Levey from Michael Getelman for his interest in the property." Mr. Levey's instruction was based on the "out of pocket" rule. Strickland v. Muir, 198 So.2d at 51. The trial court gave the jury the "benefit of bargain" rule as requested by Mr. Getelman and the "out of pocket" rule as requested by Mr. Levey to apply in its determination of damages. The court also charged the jury to determine damages as of the date Mr. Levey sold his interest in the property to Mr. Getelman.

The jury returned a verdict for Mr. Levey on the fraud and breach of fiduciary duty claims. It awarded him $250,000 in compensatory damages and $25,000 in punitive damages.

On appeal, Mr. Getelman first contends the trial court erred in permitting Mr. Levey to plead a claim for breach of fiduciary duty because breach of fiduciary duty was an element of the fraud claim. We find it unnecessary to respond to this issue because the damage award was not divided between the breach of fiduciary duty count and the fraud count. We cannot therefore determine upon which count the jury assessed damages. See Long v. Bogaert, 471 So.2d 680 (Fla. 2d DCA 1985); City of Miami v. Harris, Nos. 84-1679, *1239 84-2525, 85-1352 (Fla. 3d DCA Dec. 17, 1985). We note that Mr. Getelman did not request separate damage findings for each count pled. Where a verdict can be sustained on any one of the theories submitted to the jury, the verdict will not be reversed where the complaining party did not request a separate finding. Colonial Stores, Inc. v. Scarbrough, 355 So.2d 1181 (Fla. 1978); Dean Witter Reynolds, Inc. v. Leslie, 410 So.2d 961 (Fla. 3d DCA 1982); Pfister v. Parkway General Hospital, Inc., 405 So.2d 1011 (Fla. 3d DCA 1981), pet. for rev. denied, 413 So.2d 876 (Fla. 1982).

Second, Mr. Getelman argues that it was error for the trial court to refuse to grant a mistrial on the ground of improper comments of counsel for Mr. Levey. In fact, only one of the comments Mr. Getelman complains of was heard by the jury. We agree that the statement made was improper. However, based on our review of the record, we conclude that it does not establish a basis for reversal of the judgment. The law is well-settled that unless a statement is highly prejudicial or inflammatory, a new trial is not required. Albertson's, Inc. v. Brady, 475 So.2d 986 (Fla. 2d DCA 1985); Del Monte Banana Co. v. Chacon, 466 So.2d 1167 (Fla. 3d DCA 1985); State Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance Co. v. Guthrie, 321 So.2d 116 (Fla. 3d DCA 1975); Metropolitan Dade County v. Dillon, 305 So.2d 36 (Fla. 3d DCA 1974), cert. denied, 317 So.2d 442 (Fla. 1975).

Mr.

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481 So. 2d 1236, 11 Fla. L. Weekly 119, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/getelman-v-levey-fladistctapp-1985.