Mink Associates I, LLC v. Moffat Communications, Inc. (In re 21st Century Satellite Communications, Inc.)

278 B.R. 569, 15 Fla. L. Weekly Fed. B 185, 2002 Bankr. LEXIS 567
CourtUnited States Bankruptcy Court, M.D. Florida
DecidedFebruary 27, 2002
DocketBankruptcy No. 01-08592-8P1; Adversary No. 01-426
StatusPublished

This text of 278 B.R. 569 (Mink Associates I, LLC v. Moffat Communications, Inc. (In re 21st Century Satellite Communications, Inc.)) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering United States Bankruptcy Court, M.D. Florida primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Mink Associates I, LLC v. Moffat Communications, Inc. (In re 21st Century Satellite Communications, Inc.), 278 B.R. 569, 15 Fla. L. Weekly Fed. B 185, 2002 Bankr. LEXIS 567 (Fla. 2002).

Opinion

ORDER DENYING CROSS MOTIONS FOR SUMMARY JUDGMENT

(Doc. Nos. 14 & 18)

ALEXANDER L. PASKAY, Bankruptcy Judge.

This is a chapter 11 case and the matters under consideration are two Motions for Summary Judgment, one filed by 21st Century Satellite Communications, Inc. (21st Century) and the other by Moffat Communications, Inc. (Defendant). The Motions were originally filed in a civil suit pending in the Sixth Judicial Circuit, in and for Pasco County, Florida, civil division, but removed to this Court pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 1446 and F.R.B.P. 9027 by 21st Century, one of the Plaintiffs.

The Complaint filed in the state circuit court consists of three claims set forth in three separate counts. In Count I, both Plaintiffs, Mink Associates I, LLC (Mink) and 21st Century, seek money damages based on the claim of tortious interference with business relationship. In Count II, both Plaintiffs seek declaratory relief in the form of a determination of the rights of the Plaintiffs under a document entitled “agreement” entered into by 21st Century and Arbor Oaks Mobile Home Park (Park), on March 6, 1998. Count III is asserted by Mink and is based on trespass and seeks money damages. Both Plaintiffs demanded trial by jury.

In due course, the Defendant filed its Answer setting forth certain admissions and several denials. The Answer of the Defendant is coupled with two affirmative defenses, one based on the doctrine of estoppel and the other based on “consent.” Both Plaintiffs filed a joint response to the affirmative defenses and denied both.

The Defendant also filed a CounterClaim against both Plaintiffs. The claims in the Counterclaim are summarized as follows: Count I, for breach of contract against Mink; Count II for intentional interference with contractual relationship against Mink; Count III for conversion against 21st Century; Count IV for declaratory relief against Mink and 21st Century; and Count V for negligence against 21st Century. The Plaintiffs filed an Answer and asserted numerous affirmative defenses.

On August 8, 2001, at the conclusion of a duly scheduled pre-trial conference, this Court entered an Order and based on lack of jurisdiction remanded to the state circuit court all claims between Mink and the Defendant (Counts I and II of the Counter-Claim) but retained jurisdiction of all claims between 21st Century and the Defendant (Counts III, IV, and V of the Counter-Claim) (Doc # 3).

As noted earlier, the precise matter presently before this Court are the two Motions for Summary Judgment filed by 21st Century and the Defendant. In their Motions, both contend that based on the stipulation of the parties, entitled Stipulated Statement of Undisputed Facts (Stipulation), filed on January 14, 2002 and the pertinent part of the record, there are no genuine issues of material facts and each is entitled to a judgment in their respective favor as a matter of law.

The following facts are indeed without dispute and are as follows. 21st Century is a Florida corporation and in the business of providing satellite communication systems including cable television services to [571]*571private residential communities in Florida. On February 23, 1987, the Defendant’s official name was Florida Satellite Network. On May 26, 1998, the Defendant changed its name to FSN Cable, Inc. and on March 13, 2000, it changed its name to its current name, Moffat Communications, Inc. The Defendant provides cable television services and is a franchised cable operator in Pasco County, Florida.

The Park was owned by Century Group, Inc. (Century Group) between August 29, 1986 and November 19, 1990, when Century Group sold the Park to BDC, Inc. on October 15, 1997. BDC, Inc. then sold the Park to Arbor Oaks I, LLC and Arbor Oaks II LLC (together, Arbor Oaks). On March 21, 2000, Arbor Oaks sold the Park to the Defendant, Mink.

On February 23, 1987, Century Group, as owner of the Park, entered into an agreement with the Defendant entitled “Cable Television Agreement” (1987 Agreement) (Exh. 1 of Counter-Claim) pursuant to which the Defendant agreed to furnish cable television service to the Park. The relevant provisions of the 1987 Agreement are as follows:

Owner hereby grants to FSN CABLE TV an easement in gross, covering routing necessary for installation, marketing, maintenance or removal of cable television service.
The term of this Agreement is for the duration of FSN CABLE TV grant of authority, function, license or permit and any extension(s) whichever is longer, commencing on the date hereof. If Owner sells, transfers or encumbers the Premises ... such sale or encumbrance will be made subject to the continuation of this Agreement and in connection therewith, this Agreement may be recorded in the real property records of Pasco County, Florida. Upon any termination hereof, FSN CABLE TV, at its option, may remove the Equipment from the Premises, and Owner shall grant FSN CABLE TV reasonable access for such removal.

It is without dispute that the 1987 Agreement was not recorded in the public records of Pasco County, Florida.

On December 23, 1986, Century Group granted an “easement for right-of-way” to Withlacoochee River Electric Cooperative (Withlacoochee Coop) for the installation and maintenance of electric power lines on the property, including the Park. This easement was recorded in the public records of Pasco County, Florida on May 4, 1989 at Official Records Book 1806, page 0614-0615 (Exh. 1 of Stipulation).

On February 25, 1987, Century Group granted an “easement right-of-way” to Withlacoochee Coop for the installation and maintenance of electric power lines on the property including the Park. This easement was also recorded in the public records of Pasco County, Florida at Official Records Book 1584, page 1365-1367 (Exh. 2 of Stipulation). The Defendant installed the equipment and facilities necessary to provide cable television on the private easement of right-of-way granted by Century Group to the Withlacoochee Coop.

As noted earlier, the ownership of the Park changed between 1986 until the present, three times. It is also stipulated that the Defendant never contacted and informed any of the subsequent owners about the continuation of the 1987 Agreement in connection with any of the sales of the Park.

On March 6, 1998, 21st Century entered into an agreement (21st Century Agreement) with Arbor Oaks, the then owners of the Park, for providing cable television programming to the residents of the Park (Exh. B of the Complaint). Paragraph 5 of the 21st Century Agreement provided [572]*572that 21st Century would be provided with adequate space for the installation of 21st Century’s equipment including no less than a 20 foot by 20 foot exterior portion of the common area for placement of 21st Century’s antenna and satellite dish. The 21st Century Agreement also provided for an initial term of four (4) years commencing on the activation of the service, and automatically renewable for an additional term of three (3) years on each anniversary date, subject to a cancellation by either party no later than sixty (60) days prior to the anniversary date. (21st Century Agreement, ¶ 9).

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278 B.R. 569, 15 Fla. L. Weekly Fed. B 185, 2002 Bankr. LEXIS 567, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/mink-associates-i-llc-v-moffat-communications-inc-in-re-21st-century-flmb-2002.