Snow v. Byron

580 So. 2d 238, 1991 WL 75556
CourtDistrict Court of Appeal of Florida
DecidedMay 9, 1991
Docket89-1105, 89-1515
StatusPublished
Cited by7 cases

This text of 580 So. 2d 238 (Snow v. Byron) 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
Snow v. Byron, 580 So. 2d 238, 1991 WL 75556 (Fla. Ct. App. 1991).

Opinion

580 So.2d 238 (1991)

Wanda J. SNOW, F/K/a Wanda J. Byron, As Both Natural Guardian for Steven Kosturik, a Minor, and As Custodian for Steven Kosturik, a Minor, under the Florida Gift to Minors Act, Appellant,
v.
Cary G. BYRON, Shearson Lehman Hutton, Inc., F/K/a Shearson American Express, Inc., and Southeast Bank, N.A., a National Banking Institution, Appellees.

Nos. 89-1105, 89-1515.

District Court of Appeal of Florida, First District.

May 9, 1991.

*239 John Paul Howard, Jacksonville, for appellant.

Thomas M. Baumer of Baumer, Bradford & Walters, P.A., Jacksonville, for appellee, Shearson Lehman Hutton, Inc.

John McE. Miller of Slott & Barker, Jacksonville, for appellee, Southeast Bank, N.A.

SMITH, Judge.

Appellant seeks reversal of the dismissal of her amended complaint as to Shearson Lehman Hutton, Inc. (Shearson), a defendant below, for failure to state a cause of action, and a reversal of the summary judgment granted in favor of Southeast Bank, N.A. (Southeast), also a defendant below. We reverse and remand.

Appellant was previously married to Cary Byron. During the marriage, Byron established an account with Shearson for Steven Kosturik, appellant's son by a previous marriage. The account was established under the Florida Uniform Transfers to Minors Act (Chapter 710, Florida Statutes (1983)), with appellant, Wanda J. Snow, designated as the account custodian. Appellant and Byron separated, but before their divorce became final, Byron wrote two letters, instructing Shearson to close that account and another one in the name of Wanda Snow. This litigation involves only the custodial account.

According to the allegations in appellant's complaint, Byron forged appellant's signatures on the correspondence to Shearson and affixed a notary's seal; however, there was no notarial signature. According to appellant, Byron advised Shearson by these two letters to liquidate the custodial account and remit the proceeds to a Southeast Bank account. It is alleged that Byron later telephoned an account executive at Shearson and instructed him to send the proceeds to appellant in care of Byron's cousin in Connecticut. Byron apparently truthfully identified himself to Shearson over the telephone. Thereafter, Byron forged appellant's endorsement on the check, issued by Morgan Guaranty Trust Company of New York, representing the proceeds of the liquidated custodial account. Byron then allegedly deposited the forged check into a Southeast Bank account[1] and eventually applied all the proceeds, *240 more than $44,000.00, to his own personal use.

Appellant filed an amended complaint in June 1988 against Byron, Shearson and Southeast Bank. Shearson filed a motion to dismiss, arguing that the amended complaint failed to state a cause of action. More particularly, Shearson argued that appellant failed to allege sufficient ultimate facts to demonstrate a cognizable legal theory of recovery against Shearson, to demonstrate the breach of any duty owed appellant, or to demonstrate any conduct or failure to act on the part of Shearson that resulted in any damage to appellant. Shearson argued further that although breach of contract is alleged, appellant nevertheless failed to state a cause of action inasmuch as the terms or conditions of the contract between the parties, the conduct constituting the breach, satisfaction of (unspecified) conditions precedent, and consideration is not alleged. This motion was granted.

We are persuaded that the trial court erred in finding the amended complaint failed to state a cause of action against Shearson. Instead, we think appellant has adequately stated a cause of action for breach of contract.

When considering a motion to dismiss for failure to state a cause of action, a trial court must assume all of the allegations in the complaint are true, and must draw all reasonable inferences in favor of the pleader. Shahid v. Campbell, 552 So.2d 321 (Fla. 1st DCA 1989). In the amended complaint, appellant alleged that she had maintained a Shearson Daily Dividend account, as custodian for her minor son, with Shearson since 1981. We are of the view, and Shearson conceded during oral argument, that such an account contemplates a contract between the financial institution and the account owner. Therefore, the allegation that Shearson permitted funds to be drawn from the account by someone other than appellant, the account owner, states a prima facie cause of action for breach of contract.[2]

We find that the trial court also erred in granting Southeast's motion for summary judgment. A summary judgment should be granted "cautiously," Davis v. Lyall & Lyall Veterinarians, P.A., 506 So.2d 1072 (Fla. 5th DCA), rev. den., 513 So.2d 1062 (Fla. 1987), and reasonable inferences should be resolved against a movant for summary judgment, Moore v. Morris, 475 So.2d 666 (Fla. 1985), and Wills v. Sears, Roebuck and Co., 351 So.2d 29 (Fla. 1977). Summary judgment should not be granted "unless the facts are so crystallized that nothing remains but questions of law." Moore v. Morris, 475 So.2d at 668 (emphasis added), citing Shaffran v. Holness, 93 So.2d 94 (Fla. 1957).

Southeast Bank filed two motions for summary judgment. The first, based on a statute of limitations defense, was denied. The second motion was based solely on the grounds that the deposition and interrogatory testimony revealed that an "imposter" induced Shearson to issue the instrument at issue, and that under section 673.405, Florida Statutes, the endorsement of the instrument by the person named as payee was effective to negotiate the instrument *241 to Southeast.[3] The trial court granted summary judgment, stating that the facts, viewed in a light most favorable to appellant, show that Byron was acting as an "imposter" when he signed appellant's name on correspondence directed to Shearson and when he endorsed the check. Because the endorsement was legally sufficient and because there was no evidence that Southeast was on notice that the endorsement was forged, the trial court held, Southeast

enjoys the protection of Florida Statutes § 673.405, in view of the provisions of Florida Statutes § 673.117 which provides that an instrument payable to one in a fiduciary capacity may be treated as payable to the payee and may be negotiated, discharged or enforced by him, and further in view of Florida Statutes § 673.404 which provides that unauthorized signatures operate as the signature of the unauthorized signer in favor of any person who in good faith pays the instrument or takes it for value.

As noted, the trial court ruled that Southeast was insulated from liability by operation of section 673.405(1)(a), Florida Statutes (1987), which provides that an endorsement by any person in the name of a named payee is effective if an imposter by use of the mails or otherwise has induced the maker or drawer to issue the instrument to him or his confederate in the name of the payee (see footnote 3, supra). We find section 673.405(1)(a) inapplicable under the circumstances presented here. Appellant was not the drawer or maker of the instrument at issue, but was instead a payee suing the collecting bank for acceptance of a check bearing a forged endorsement of the payee. Here, as in Barnett Bank of Miami Beach v. Lipp, 364 So.2d 28 (Fla.

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580 So. 2d 238, 1991 WL 75556, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/snow-v-byron-fladistctapp-1991.