Meigs Properties, Ltd. v. Board of County Commissioners

107 So. 3d 1171, 2013 WL 500381, 2013 Fla. App. LEXIS 2110
CourtDistrict Court of Appeal of Florida
DecidedFebruary 12, 2013
DocketNo. 1D12-1632
StatusPublished

This text of 107 So. 3d 1171 (Meigs Properties, Ltd. v. Board of County Commissioners) 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
Meigs Properties, Ltd. v. Board of County Commissioners, 107 So. 3d 1171, 2013 WL 500381, 2013 Fla. App. LEXIS 2110 (Fla. Ct. App. 2013).

Opinion

WOLF, J.

Appellants challenge a final judgment of the trial court finding appellee, the Board of County Commissioners of Okaloosa County (County), did not abandon the use of a certain piece of property as a “County Courthouse Annex facility.” Finding no abandonment of use, the court concluded that a reverter clause contained within the 1973 deed had not been triggered. We find the trial court’s determination to be supported by competent substantial evidence and affirm.

On April 25, 1973, Shalimar Village, Inc. and Barnett Bank of Pensacola, predecessors in interest to appellants, conveyed property located in southern Okaloosa County to appellee. The deed provides for reversion in the event the property is not used as a County Courthouse Annex facility. Specifically, the deed provides:

This conveyance of all of the above parcels of land by both Shalimar Village, Inc. and Barnett Bank of Pensacola is subject to and is made, executed and delivered upon the express conditions hereinbelow set forth. If these said conditions, or any one of them be violated, or if the grantee shall fail to comply with any and all of these conditions, then and in that event title to each of the parcels of real property described above shall revert to and automatically vest in the respective grantor of said parcels herein, or in its successors and assigns.... Such conditions which are expressly made a part of this conveyance are as follows:
(1) The grantee shall accept and use the property described hereinabove solely for a permanent County Courthouse Annex facility, except that the grantee may, at its discretion, lease any unneeded portion of the said property as a site for the construction of a fire station.
(2) Construction of a permanent Courthouse Annex facility upon the property described hereinabove shall commence within 36 months from the date of this deed.

(Emphasis added).

The term “permanent County Courthouse Annex facility” is not defined within the deed. Therefore, without objection, the trial court correctly considered parol evidence concerning its meaning. See Barnett v. Destiny Owners Ass’n, Inc., 856 So.2d 1090, 1092 (Fla. 1st DCA 2003).

Judge Roger Vinson, who drafted the 1973 deed on behalf of the grantors, provided the trial court, in the words of the final judgment, “the most compelling testimony” regarding the grantors’ intended meaning of the term a “permanent County Courthouse Annex facility.” The trial court summarized Judge Vinson’s testimony as follows:

In drafting the particular language of the subject deed, Judge Vinson testified that the reverter clause was included because it was felt by his client that it was critical to the future of the entire development concept that the courthouse be a permanent part of the donated land. Judge Vinson testified that he used the word annex within the term permanent county courthouse annex facility, because the Grantors intended the courthouse to serve as an annex to the courthouse in Crestview and not to replace it. Judge Vinson also testified [1174]*1174that it was not the intention of the Grantors to limit or restrict the other type of governmental functions that could by [sic] housed within the annex. To the contrary, the Grantors intended a full service courthouse which included one or more judges and courtrooms, as well as offices of the Clerk of the Court, Tax Collector, Property Appraiser, and other county offices normally housed within a courthouse. Judge Vinson testified that it was never the intent of the Grantor to specify numbers of judges or size of courtrooms. Nor was it the intention of the Grantors to prevent the County from constructing additional courthouse annexes in the future. Judge Vinson agreed that the intention of the Grantors at the time of making the subject deed was to create a recession proof industry geared to what the Grantors characterized as the “prestigious profession of law and its accompa.nying services.”

According to the uncontested facts of the final judgment, the County built the Annex in Shalimar, Florida, which was used for over 35 years. Initially, it included offices for the Board of County Commissioners, Tax Collector, Clerk of the Court, Property Appraiser, Supervisor of Elections, Sheriff, and two small courtrooms. As the population in the county grew, the number of county and circuit judges grew requiring multiple reconfigurations and the displacement of the Board, the Tax Collector, the Property Appraiser and the Supervisor of Elections. Much of the growth came at the expense of public safety and accessibility. In order for the facility to be maintained as a judicial facility, complete renovation would be required.

The County determined a new facility would meet the court needs, and the new Courthouse Annex Extension in Fort Walton Beach was opened in October 2011. All of the judges moved their offices and chambers to the Annex Extension, as well as most of the Clerk of Court. A small courtroom with judicial offices was left behind, as well as the Clerk of Courts archive, the Sheriff, civil process, and Guardian Ad Litem offices. Any use of the small courtroom was minimal, with appellants alleging the use was mere pretense.

Also in October 2011, the County issued a Request for Qualifications (RFQ) seeking proposals for two different options to renovate the Annex, one with 15,000 square feet of judicial presence and one without. Other governmental functions would include the Tax Collector, Property Appraiser, County Administration (including the Board offices), Supervisor of Elections and the Sheriff.

Prior to the move and RFQ, the County filed its original complaint for declaratory relief in April 2010, seeking guidance as to whether moving all of its judicial functions out of the Annex would violate the reverter clause. If the Court determined that some judicial use must remain to avoid triggering the reverter, the County contemplated maintaining some court functions at the Annex. The successor grantors filed an answer and counterclaim for declaration of reversion.

After a non-jury trial, consideration of exhibits, and written closing arguments, the trial court issued its judgment. In construing the deed provision, the trial court concluded that the parties intended that a permanent courthouse, with a full-time judiciary facility, be situated on the property and that the courthouse could also include other county offices. The facility “would, on a permanent basis, conduct the business of the court to include full-time judges, full-time staff, full-time courtroom space for circuit court and county court bench and jury trials.” Any decision as to the precise size and operation of [1175]*1175the court would be a decision of the Chief Judge in consultation with the County. The court declared that

the Annex must provide a continuum of judicial services as described above so that the initial purpose of the Grantors to use the Annex to encourage the development and continuation of commerce within the surrounding area is accomplished.

The trial court went on to conclude that, if the County followed through with the RFQ for the 15,000 square feet of court facilities and the space was utilized on a full time basis, this would “satisfy the deed requirement for a permanent county courthouse annex facility.”

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
107 So. 3d 1171, 2013 WL 500381, 2013 Fla. App. LEXIS 2110, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/meigs-properties-ltd-v-board-of-county-commissioners-fladistctapp-2013.