Singer v. UNIBILT DEVELOPMENT CO.

37 So. 3d 315, 2010 Fla. App. LEXIS 5343, 2010 WL 1626416
CourtDistrict Court of Appeal of Florida
DecidedApril 23, 2010
Docket5D08-4502
StatusPublished

This text of 37 So. 3d 315 (Singer v. UNIBILT DEVELOPMENT CO.) 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
Singer v. UNIBILT DEVELOPMENT CO., 37 So. 3d 315, 2010 Fla. App. LEXIS 5343, 2010 WL 1626416 (Fla. Ct. App. 2010).

Opinion

37 So.3d 315 (2010)

Gioria Y. SINGER, a/k/a Gary Singer, Appellant,
v.
UNIBILT DEVELOPMENT COMPANY, et al., Appellees.

No. 5D08-4502.

District Court of Appeal of Florida, Fifth District.

April 23, 2010.

*317 David H. Simmons of de Beaubien, Knight, Simmons, Mantzaris & Neal, LLP, Orlando, and Bart R. Valdes of de Beaubien, Knight, Simmons, Mantzaris & Neal, LLP, Tampa, for Appellant.

Katherine E. Giddings and Mark D. Schellhase of Akerman Senterfitt, Tallahassee, and Michael P. McMahon and Samual A. Miller of Akerman Senterfitt, Orlando, for Appellees.

LAMBERT, B.D., Associate Judge.

Gioria Y. Singer (Singer) has timely appealed the trial courts final order dismissing his two-count Amended Complaint for lack of personal jurisdiction and directing that Singer may pursue his claims against the appellees in the state of Michigan or such other forum state having in personam jurisdiction where venue is proper. As Count I was dismissed pursuant to a contractual venue provision, this presents a question of law for which the standard of review is de novo. Fuller v. Dura-Stress Underground, Inc., 939 So.2d 143, 144 (Fla. 5th DCA 2006). Count II was dismissed based upon the trial court's finding that the appellees did not have sufficient minimum contacts to justify general in personam jurisdiction pursuant to the statute.[1] Our standard of review on a motion to dismiss for lack of personal jurisdiction over a foreign corporation is also de novo. Clement v. Lipson, 999 So.2d 1072, 1074 (Fla. 5th DCA 2008).

*318 BACKGROUND

The appellees, Unibilt Development Company (Unibilt), Williamsburg Developers Limited Partnership (Williamsburg Developers), Williamsburg-Biltmore, Inc. (Biltmore), and Williamsburg-Zlotoff, Inc. (Zlotoff) are either Michigan corporations or, as to Williamsburg Developers, a Michigan limited partnership. Biltmore and Zlotoff are general partners of Williamsburg Developers. Unibilt was the company that developed and managed the Williamsburg Developers properties. Singer was the president of Unibilt from the 1980s until 2000. Singer was also a limited partner of Williamsburg Developers, holding a 12.1875% share.

In 2000, Unibilt terminated Singer from employment. Singer sued the four appellees and their various partners in the Orange County Circuit Court. The parties settled this case, memorializing the terms of their settlement in a written Settlement Agreement and Mutual Release (Settlement Agreement). A voluntary dismissal with prejudice was thereafter entered.

THE PRESENT CASE

The genesis of the present case was Singers belief that he did not receive his appropriate share of profits or distribution from the appellees after the sale of certain real property owned by Williamsburg Commercial Limited Partnership[2] located in Orange County, Florida. To resolve his concerns, Singer filed a First Amended Complaint against Unibilt, Williamsburg Developers, Biltmore, and Zlotoff. In Count I, Singer alleged that Unibilt breached the aforementioned Settlement Agreement. In Count II, Singer alleged that the other three appellees breached their Partnership Agreement with Singer.

The appellees each made a special appearance in this case contesting jurisdiction by way of motions to dismiss. Affidavits were filed in support of and in opposition to the motion. After a hearing, the trial court issued an order granting in part the appellees' motion to dismiss Singer's First Amended Complaint. The court concluded that the allegations in Count I arose out of Singers status as a shareholder of Unibilt, and therefore, the venue selection provision of the Settlement Agreement mandated that such litigation occur in Michigan. As to Count II, the court determined that there was insufficient evidence that the three remaining appellees were conducting business in the state of Florida when suit was filed, as they had stopped doing business in the state in March 2006, fifteen months before suit was filed, when the real property described in the First Amended Complaint was sold. As such, the trial court found that the appellees did not have sufficient contacts with the state of Florida to justify general in personam jurisdiction pursuant to the statute.[3] We agree with the trial court's ruling as to both counts and affirm.

Count I—Breach of Settlement Agreement

In the Settlement Agreement resolving the earlier litigation, Singer and the appellees contracted for various benefits to Singer, including a 25% share in Unibilt *319 stock. The pertinent, unambiguous terms of that agreement read as follows:

2. As consideration for this agreement, no later than 5:00 p.m., on August 6, 2004, Unibilt shall deliver to Singer such number of shares of Unibilt stock as shall constitute twenty-five percent (25%) of Unibilts then outstanding shares (the stock). The stock shall be delivered to Singer free and clear of any and all liens, claims and encumbrances and shall not thereafter be subject to any dilution. On July 29, 2004, counsel for Unibilt provided Singer with a copy of its most recent financial statement. Upon Singers receipt of the stock, he shall have all rights as a Unibilts shareholder including, but not limited to, the right and ability to inspect Unibilts corporate books and records upon providing Unibilt with reasonable notice of his intent to conduct an inspection....
3. Singer agrees that his receipt of the stock is subject to the following terms and restrictions, (a) Singers status as a shareholder shall not entitle him to assert any shareholder claims or actions on behalf of himself or Unibilt for any events occurring prior to July 28, 2004; (b) Singer acknowledges that Unibilt is no longer a going concern, is in the process of winding up its affairs and will not be operating as an active business or enterprise; (c) any shareholder claims or actions Singer may have in his capacity as shareholder shall be brought only in the courts of the State of Michigan; and (d) Michigan law shall govern any shareholder claims or actions he may bring in his capacity as shareholder ....

(Emphasis added). The Settlement Agreement also contained the following forum selection clause:

12. The Court of the Ninth Judicial Circuit, Orange County, Florida, shall retain jurisdiction to enforce and interpret the terms of this agreement. This agreement shall be governed by and construed under the laws of the State of Florida, and the parties agree that in any action for enforcement of this agreement, venue shall be proper in Orange County, Florida, except that the parties agree that all cases and controversies concerning Singers rights as a shareholder of Unibilt shall be governed exclusively by the laws of the State of Michigan and that jurisdiction and venue over any action concerning Unibilt shares (other than the right of Singer to receive the shares as provided in Paragraph 2 of this agreement) shall be exclusively in Michigan.

(Emphasis added).

There is no dispute that Singer received the shares of Unibilt as provided in Paragraph 2 of the Settlement Agreement. What he did not receive, according to him, was his proper share of proceeds from Unibilt's subsequent sale of certain real estate. In short, it was a letter, dated March 23, 2006, from Unibilts Vice-President, Roger Zlotoff, informing Singer of his share of the profits from the sale of a certain parcel of real property that caused Singer's concern. In pertinent part, the letter read:

1.

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

Related

Stubbs v. Wyndham Nassau Resort & Crystal Palace Casino
447 F.3d 1357 (Eleventh Circuit, 2006)
Helicopteros Nacionales De Colombia, S. A. v. Hall
466 U.S. 408 (Supreme Court, 1984)
Clement v. Lipson
999 So. 2d 1072 (District Court of Appeal of Florida, 2008)
Trustees of Columbia University v. Ocean World, S.A.
12 So. 3d 788 (District Court of Appeal of Florida, 2009)
Travel Express Investment Inc. v. AT & T Corp.
14 So. 3d 1224 (District Court of Appeal of Florida, 2009)
Seabra v. International Specialty Imports, Inc.
869 So. 2d 732 (District Court of Appeal of Florida, 2004)
Fuller v. Dura-Stress Underground, Inc.
939 So. 2d 143 (District Court of Appeal of Florida, 2006)
CHRISTUS ST. JOSEPH'S v. Witt Biomedical Corp.
805 So. 2d 1050 (District Court of Appeal of Florida, 2002)
CARIB-USA SHIP LINES BAHAMAS v. Dorsett
935 So. 2d 1272 (District Court of Appeal of Florida, 2006)
Bank of Wessington v. Winters Gov't SEC. Corp.
361 So. 2d 757 (District Court of Appeal of Florida, 1978)
Woods v. Nova Companies Belize Ltd.
739 So. 2d 617 (District Court of Appeal of Florida, 1999)
Arch Aluminum & Glass Co., Inc. v. Haney
964 So. 2d 228 (District Court of Appeal of Florida, 2007)
Gadea v. Star Cruises, Ltd.
949 So. 2d 1143 (District Court of Appeal of Florida, 2007)
Buckingham, Doolittle & Burroughs, LLP v. Kar Kare Automotive Group, Inc.
987 So. 2d 818 (District Court of Appeal of Florida, 2008)
Snyder v. McLeod
971 So. 2d 166 (District Court of Appeal of Florida, 2007)
Cohn v. Woolin
971 So. 2d 868 (District Court of Appeal of Florida, 2007)
Aspsoft, Inc. v. WebClay
983 So. 2d 761 (District Court of Appeal of Florida, 2008)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
37 So. 3d 315, 2010 Fla. App. LEXIS 5343, 2010 WL 1626416, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/singer-v-unibilt-development-co-fladistctapp-2010.