Solnes v. Wallis & Wallis, P.A.

15 F. Supp. 3d 1258, 2014 WL 1512249, 2014 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 52707
CourtDistrict Court, S.D. Florida
DecidedApril 16, 2014
DocketCase No. 13-61225-CIV
StatusPublished
Cited by2 cases

This text of 15 F. Supp. 3d 1258 (Solnes v. Wallis & Wallis, P.A.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, S.D. Florida primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Solnes v. Wallis & Wallis, P.A., 15 F. Supp. 3d 1258, 2014 WL 1512249, 2014 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 52707 (S.D. Fla. 2014).

Opinion

ORDER

ROBIN S. ROSENBAUM, District Judge.

This matter is before the Court on Defendants Wallis & Wallis, P.A., and Peter Wallis’s Motion for Summary Judgment [ECF Nos. 21, 36] and Plaintiff Stig Solnes’s Motion to Strike Supplemental Affidavit of Defendant Peter Wallis and Request for Hearing on Summary Judgment [ECF No. 43]. The Court has carefully considered the motions, all supporting and opposing filings, and the record. For the reasons set forth below, the Motion to Strike is denied, and the Motion for Summary Judgment is granted in part and denied in part.

I. Background

This matter arises from a failed yacht sale. Essentially, Plaintiff Stig Solnes (“Solnes”) asserts that although he paid for a vessel, the seller did not deliver it. Defendant Wallis & Wallis, P.A. (“WWPA”), acted as the escrow agent for the sale. Solnes contends that WWPA accepted money on the seller’s behalf and forwarded it to the seller, even though WWPA and Defendant Peter Wallis (“Wallis”) knew that the boat in question had been sold to someone else and would never be delivered to Solnes. Solnes initially sued each Defendant for breach of contract and breach of implied contract regarding their escrow responsibilities. See ECF No. 1.

Upon motion by Defendants, the Court dismissed Plaintiffs breach-of-contract claims, leaving only his claim for breach of implied contract as it pertained to the deposit paid by Solnes. See ECF No. 10. As explained in the prior Order, Solnes had entered into a contract with Unique Boats, Inc., and Thibaut International, Inc. (“Seller”), to purchase a yacht for the sum of $300,000. The purchase price was to be paid in two installments: a deposit of $35,000 to be paid by May 6, 2011, and the balance of $265,000, to be paid at closing.

Defendants were not parties to this contract, but the contract provided that WWPA would have certain responsibilities regarding the monies paid by Solnes. Be[1261]*1261cause the contract between Solnes and the Seller set forth within it the understanding that the parties to the contract had regarding WWPA’s responsibilities and further, because WWPA acted in accordance with the contract provisions describing WWPA’s duties, the Court concluded in its prior Order that the contract reflected Solnes, Defendants, and the Seller’s intent regarding WWPA’s duties and created a valid contract implied in fact between Solnes and Defendants.

Under the terms of the implied-in-fact contract, Defendants’ liability as the escrow agent was limited. In this regard, Defendants were to serve as escrow agent for the $35,000 deposit for the purchase of the vessel, in accordance with the terms set forth in paragraphs 10.1 and 10.2 of the purchase agreement. See ECF No. 10. But no implied-in-fact contract existed between the parties with respect to the remaining $265,000 because the purchase agreement specifically limited Defendants’ liability with regard to these funds. See id. at 10-11; ECF No. 19-1 (stating that WWPA “shall not act as an Escrow Agent with regard to the receipt of the full Purchase Price”).

Solnes filed an Amended Complaint, alleging claims for breach of implied contract against WWPA and Wallis (Counts I and II), as it allegedly pertained to both the deposit and the balance paid on the yacht and adding a claim for money had and received against WWPA (Count III). ECF No. 19. Defendants again moved to dismiss Solnes’s Amended Complaint. See ECF No. 21. The Court entered an Order Converting Defendants’ Second Motion to Dismiss to a Motion for Summary Judgment because Solnes’s response to the Second Motion to Dismiss relied on various documents, deposition transcripts, and other discovery. See ECF No. 34. In converting the Second Motion to Dismiss into a motion for summary judgment, the Court directed Defendants to file a statement of material facts and a new brief in support of the motion for summary judgment. The Court also instructed Solnes to file a response to the motion for summary judgment and Defendants to file a reply. The Motion for Summary Judgment is now ripe for disposition.

II. Material Facts 1

A. The Vessel Purchase and Sale Agreement

Solnes entered into a Vessel Purchase and Sale Agreement (the “Agreement”) with Seller for the purchase of a 200162-foot Fairline Squadron known as the M/Y Symphony. ECF No. 19-1. Jack Thibaut and the Thibaut Companies (Thibaut International, Inc., and Unique Boats, Inc.) hired WWPA to draft the Agreement and act as escrow agent. See ECF No. 36 at ¶ 3. Under the terms of the Agreement, the purchase price of $300,000.00 was to be paid to the Seller by wire transfer to the account of WWPA or by cashier’s check made payable to WWPA — IOTA account. ECF No. 19-1 at 2. The Agreement called for Solnes to pay the purchase price in two transactions — a $35,000.00 deposit and the remainder of the fee. See id.

The terms of the Agreement provided as follows with respect to WWPA:

10.1 Wallis & Wallis, P.A. shall act as an Escrow Agent with regard to the Deposit only and shall be sub[1262]*1262ject to responsibilities as an Escrow Agent as follows:
Any Escrow Agent receiving funds or equivalent is authorized and agrees by acceptance of them to deposit them promptly, hold same in escrow and, subject to clearance, disburse them in accordance with terms and conditions of this Agreement. Escrow Agent may, at Escrow Agent’s option, continue to hold the subject matter of the escrow until the parties mutually agree to its disbursement; or until a judgment of a court of competent jurisdiction shall determine the rights of the parties; or Escrow Agent may deposit same with the Clerk of the Circuit Court having jurisdiction of the dispute. Upon notifying all parties concerned of such action, all liability on the part of Escrow Agent shall fully terminate, except to extent of accounting for any items previously delivered out of escrow. Any suit between Buyer and Seller wherein Escrow Agent is made a party because of acting as Escrow Agent hereunder, or in any suit wherein Escrow Agent interpleads the subject matter of the escrow, Escrow Agent shall recover reasonable attorney’s fees and costs incurred with any fees and costs to be paid from and out of the escrowed funds or equivalent and charged and awarded as court costs in favor of the prevailing party. The parties agree that Escrow Agent shall not be liable to any party or person for misdeliv-ery to Buyer or Seller of items subject to this escrow, unless such misdeliv-ery is due to willful breach of this Agreement or gross negligence of Escrow Agent.
10.2 Wallis & Wallis, P.A. shall not act as an Escrow Agent with regard to the receipt of the full Purchase Price — which at time of Closing and Delivery shall then include the Deposit, and Closing Cost from Buyer on behalf of Seller upon Closing and Delivery and Wallis & Wallis, P.A. shall from that time only be acting as an agent of Seller. Upon receipt of the Purchase Price and Closing Cost at time of Closing and Delivery, Buyer shall cease to have any claim to such Purchase Price or Closing Cost as might exist in the event Wallis & Walks, P.A. was at that time acting as Escrow Agent.

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
15 F. Supp. 3d 1258, 2014 WL 1512249, 2014 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 52707, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/solnes-v-wallis-wallis-pa-flsd-2014.