Richard Masone v. City of Aventura

147 So. 3d 492, 2014 WL 2609201
CourtSupreme Court of Florida
DecidedJune 12, 2014
DocketSC12-1471, SC12-644
StatusPublished
Cited by27 cases

This text of 147 So. 3d 492 (Richard Masone v. City of Aventura) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Supreme Court of Florida primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Richard Masone v. City of Aventura, 147 So. 3d 492, 2014 WL 2609201 (Fla. 2014).

Opinions

[494]*494CANADY, J.

In these consolidated cases, we consider whether municipal ordinances imposing penalties for red light violations detected by devices using cameras were invalid because they were preempted by state law. At issue in these cases is the operation of ordinances prior to July 1, 2010, the effective date of the Mark Wandall Traffic Safety Act, ch.2010-80, Laws of Fla., which authorized — subject to statutory requirements — the use of red light traffic infraction detectors by local governments and the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles.

In City of Aventura v. Masone, 89 So.3d 233, 234 (Fla. 3d DCA 2011), the Third District Court of Appeal held that Aventu-ra’s ordinance was a valid exercise of municipal power under section 316.008(l)(w), Florida Statutes (2008), which specifically grants “local authorities, with respect to streets and highways under their jurisdiction and within the reasonable exercise of the police power,” authority for “[rjegulat-ing, restricting, or monitoring traffic by security devices or personnel on public streets and highways.” The Fifth District Court of Appeal reached a contrary conclusion in City of Orlando v. Udowychenko, 98 So.3d 589, 591 (Fla. 5th DCA 2012), holding that Orlando’s ordinance was invalid because it was in conflict with state law and was both expressly and impliedly preempted by state law. The Fifth District ruled that the imposition of penalties other than those specifically provided for by state statute “for running a red light in a particular municipality does not fall within the specific authority of section 316.008(l)(w)[,]” Florida Statutes (2008), which the court concluded “appears to contemplate only unique situations for which a statewide law is lacking or is inadequate.” Id. at 599. The Fifth District certified conflict with the decision in City of Aven-tura. Id.

The losing party in each of these cases sought review, and we determined to exercise our jurisdiction. See art. V, § 3(b)(3)-(4), Fla. Const. For the reasons we explain, we agree with the Fifth District and conclude that the ordinances are not valid.

I.

In arguing that the respective ordinances are valid, both Aventura and Orlando rely on the specific power provided to local authorities by section 316.008(l)(w) for “[rjegulating, restricting, or monitoring traffic by security devices.” Udowychenko and Masone, who challenged the validity of the ordinances in order to set aside fines imposed under the ordinances, contend that section 316.008(l)(w) does not authorize the municipal enforcement regime adopted by the ordinances, an enforcement regime that they contend is at odds in multiple ways with the enforcement regime adopted by state law.

As is clear from the arguments presented by the parties, the crux of these consolidated cases is whether section 316.008(l)(w) provides authority for the ordinances. In explaining our conclusion that the ordinances are not justified by this statutory provision, we will first briefly discuss the general relationship between state law and municipal ordinances. We will then review the statutory framework — found in chapters 316 and 318, Florida Statutes — relating to traffic control and the disposition of traffic infractions, as well as the basic regime established by the ordinances.

II.

A.

“In Florida, a municipality is given broad authority to enact ordinances [495]*495under its municipal home rulé powers.” City of Hollywood v. Mulligan, 934 So.2d 1238, 1243 (Fla.2006). But municipal ordinances must yield to state statutes. Article VIII, section 2(b), Florida Constitution, specifically recognizes the power of municipalities “to conduct municipal government, perform municipal functions and render municipal services,” and it specifically recognizes that municipalities “may exercise any power for municipal purposes except as otherwise provided by law.” (Emphasis added.) See also § 166.021, Fla. Stat. (2008) (relating to the exercise of municipal powers). “The critical phrase of article VIII, section 2(b) — ‘except as otherwise provided by law1 — establishes the constitutional superiority of the Legislature’s power over municipal power.” City of Palm Bay v. Wells Fargo Bank, N.A., 114 So.3d 924, 928 (Fla.2013).

Preemption of local ordinances by state law may, of course, be accomplished by express preemption — that is, by a statutory provision stating that a particular subject is preempted by state law or that local ordinances on a particular subject are precluded. Preemption by state law, however, “need not be explicit so long as it is clear that the legislature has clearly preempted local regulation of the subject.” Barragan v. City of Miami, 545 So.2d 252, 254 (Fla.1989). “Implied preemption is found where the state legislative scheme of regulation is pervasive and the local legislation would present the danger of conflict with that pervasive regulatory scheme.” Sarasota Alliance for Fair Elections, Inc. v. Browning, 28 So.3d 880, 886 (Fla.2010). Even “where concurrent state and municipal regulation is permitted because the state has not preemptively occupied a regulatory field, ‘a municipality’s concurrent legislation must not conflict with state law.’ ” City of Palm Bay, 114 So.3d at 928 (quoting Thomas v. State, 614 So.2d 468, 470 (Fla.1993)). “Such ‘conflict preemption’ comes into play “where the local enactment irreconcilably conflicts with or stands as an obstacle to the execution of the full purposes of the statute.’ ” Id. (quoting 5 McQuillin Mun. Corp. § 15:16 (3d ed. 2012)).

B.

Chapter 316, Florida Statutes (2008), the Florida Uniform Traffic Control Law, contains a detailed code regulating traffic throughout the state. Chapter 316 contains two broad preemption provisions. The first provision, which both states a legislative purpose of uniformity and recognizes the need for municipalities to “control certain traffic movement or parking in their respective jurisdictions,” is found in section 316.002:

It is the legislative intent in the adoption of this chapter to make uniform traffic laws to apply throughout the state and its several counties and uniform traffic ordinances to apply in all municipalities. The Legislature recognizes that there are conditions which require municipalities to pass certain other traffic ordinances in regulation of municipal traffic that are not required to regulate the movement of traffic outside of such municipalities. Section 316.008 enumerates the area within which municipalities may control certain traffic movement or parking in their respective jurisdictions. This section shall be supplemental to the other laws or ordinances of this chapter and not in conflict therewith. It is unlawful for any local authority to pass or to attempt to enforce any ordinance in conflict with the provisions of this chapter.

(Emphasis added.)

The second preemption provision is found in section 316.007, which provides in pertinent part: “The provisions of this [496]*496chapter shall be applicable and uniform throughout this state and in all political subdivisions and municipalities therein, and no local authority shall enact or enforce any ordinance on a matter covered by this chapter unless expressly authorized.” (Emphasis added.)

Free access — add to your briefcase to read the full text and ask questions with AI

Related

City of Tampa, Florida v. Liberty Hospitality Management, LLC
District Court of Appeal of Florida, 2026
City of Titusville v. Speak Up Titusville, Inc.
District Court of Appeal of Florida, 2024
108OAG81
Maryland Attorney General Reports, 2023
Maryland Attorney General Opinion 108OAG81
Maryland Attorney General Reports, 2023
Club Madonna Inc. v. City of Miami Beach
42 F.4th 1231 (Eleventh Circuit, 2022)
MIAMI-DADE COUNTY v. MIAMI GARDENS SQUARE ONE, INC.
District Court of Appeal of Florida, 2020
Ultra Aviation Services v. Cruz Clemente
272 So. 3d 426 (District Court of Appeal of Florida, 2019)
Easter v. City of Orlando
249 So. 3d 723 (District Court of Appeal of Florida, 2018)
Luis Torres Jimenez v. State of Florida, etc.
246 So. 3d 219 (Supreme Court of Florida, 2018)
City of Miami Beach v. Florida Retail Federation
District Court of Appeal of Florida, 2017
D'Agastino v. City of Miami
220 So. 3d 410 (Supreme Court of Alabama, 2017)
City of Oldsmar v. Trinh
210 So. 3d 191 (District Court of Appeal of Florida, 2016)
Classy Cycles, Inc. v. Bay County
201 So. 3d 779 (District Court of Appeal of Florida, 2016)
State Ex Rel. City of Aventura v. Jimenez
211 So. 3d 158 (District Court of Appeal of Florida, 2016)
Burstyn v. City of Aventura
District Court of Appeal of Florida, 2015
Nalepa v. City of North Bay Village
District Court of Appeal of Florida, 2014

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
147 So. 3d 492, 2014 WL 2609201, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/richard-masone-v-city-of-aventura-fla-2014.