State ex rel. Investment Corp. v. Board of Business Regulation

227 So. 2d 674, 1969 Fla. LEXIS 2152
CourtSupreme Court of Florida
DecidedOctober 31, 1969
DocketNo. 36090
StatusPublished
Cited by7 cases

This text of 227 So. 2d 674 (State ex rel. Investment Corp. v. Board of Business Regulation) 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
State ex rel. Investment Corp. v. Board of Business Regulation, 227 So. 2d 674, 1969 Fla. LEXIS 2152 (Fla. 1969).

Opinions

ADKINS, Justice.

The petitioner, in an original proceeding here, seeks to compel by mandamus the Department of Business Regulation forthwith to cancel and expunge its order revoking the petitioner’s racing dates theretofore established by the State Racing Commission, also known as the Division of PariMutuel Wagering of the Department of Business Regulation, and that the State [675]*675Racing Commission be required forthwith to issue to petitioner its license to race in accordance with the dates awarded in due season. Petitioner sought as alternative relief a rule nisi in prohibition, or a constitutional writ, both with the same objective. Alternative writ was issued and returns have been filed.

In its return the State Racing Commission alleges that the order of the Department revoking dates approved by the Racing Commission and substituting different racing dates was beyond and contrary to the scope of appellate review exercised by the Department. The Racing Commission does not attempt to show cause why a peremptory writ should not issue.

The Department’s return alleges it “will neither traverse or controvert the facts stated in the record,” but contends that neither the petition or alternative writ states facts upon which relief may be granted.

An amicus curiae brief was filed on behalf of Biscayne Kennel Club, Inc., and West Flagler Associates. This brief was considered by the Court.

By way of uncontroverted factual background, petitioner is the owner of the Hollywood Kennel Club and owns a valid permit to conduct dog-racing in Broward County, Florida, under Ch. 550, Fla.Stat., F.S.A. In the greater Miami area there are four dog tracks authorized to operate; namely, Flagler Kennel Club, Miami Beach Kennel Club, Inc., Biscayne Kennel Club, Inc. and Hollywood Kennel Club, all located within a radius of less than twenty-five miles of each other. In due season petitioner sought an allotment of its 1969-1970 racing days, commencing on November 3, 1969, and ending March 3, 1970, and requested that it be granted 52 non-competitive days and 52 competitive days of racing; applications for dates were made by the other three tracks.

On August 14, 1969, at a meeting by the State Racing Commission, a hearing was held to determine the allotment of dates. The Commission established and declared by formal ruling a policy that it would allocate dates to each of the tracks 52 non-competitive days and 52 competitive days. Biscayne Kennel Club was authorized to start on September 3, 1969 and end its competitive days on November 1, 1969. Other allocations of dates were postponed to September 12, 1969, at which time an allocation in accordance with its ruling of August 14th was assigned. Petitioner alleges that the Commission “then invited the tracks to attempt to adjust between themselves an agreement on selection of days. Hollywood Kennel Club chose to run from November 3, 1969 to March 3, 1970, having non-competitive days until January 1, 1970. Biscayne Kennel Club agreed to run its competitive days against Hollywood Kennel Club from January 1, 1970 until March 3, 1970. Miami Beach Kennel Club and Flagler Kennel Club likewise chose to run between themselves the competitive and noncompetitive days at their tracks.”

Biscayne Kennel Club, pursuant to the order of August 14th, accepted the benefit of the ruling and commenced its operation on September 3, 1969. On September 19, 1969, 36 days after the ruling of August 14, 1969, Biscayne Kennel Club took an appeal to the Department of Business Regulation. Biscayne did not make Hollywood Kennel Club a party to such appeal, although any disturbance of the rulings appealed from would have a vital effect on the property rights of Hollywood Kennel Club. Two days earlier, on September 17, 1969, Flag-ler Kennel Club took an appeal but did not make Hollywood Kennel Club a party thereto, although Hollywood had valuable property rights by virtue of the orders assailed on appeal.

The Department of Business Regulation heard arguments upon the appeals of Biscayne and Flagler but refused to allow participation by Hollywood Kennel Club because it was not a party. Thereafter, on October 23, 1969, just 12 calendar days before the proposed opening by Hollywood [676]*676Kennel Club, the Department of Business Regulation rendered an order or action on said appeals in which it purports to take from petitioner its non-competitive days and orders petitioner, Hollywood Kennel Club, to operate 104 days competitive with Miami Beach Kennel Club, starting January 1, 1970. This order grants Biscayne and Flagler, each, their 104 days without competition. The legal effect deferred the opening by Hollywood, now scheduled from November 3, 1969, to January 1, 1970. Thus, the Department awarded two favored tracks, each, 104 days of racing without competition, leaving the other two tracks in competition with each other for the remaining days.

Relying on the order of August 14th and the subsequent allocation of non-competitive dates to Hollywood, beginning November 3, 1969, Hollywood has expended and committed substantial sums of money and made other arrangements for opening on November 3, 1969. It has contracted for the dogs to run at its track; it has contracted for all of its opening expenses; it has contracted for its television and radio time, all of which must be procured well in advance of opening. Hollywood also alleges (and this is not controverted) that dog owners have brought their dogs to the track relying upon the stability of the Florida Administrative procedure in setting the dates for racing.

The Department argues that the public and racing industry will be best served if the racing dates were changed. In passing, we might say there is a lack of competent or admissible evidence in the record to sustain the argument or to show any loss of revenue to the state. This argument is based upon the hearsay speculation of an interested attorney representing one of the parties.

The State Racing Commission is organized, authorized and controlled by Ch. 5S0, Fla.Stat, F.S.A. In 1969 the Legislature adopted Ch. 69-106, Laws of Florida, restructuring the State Government, and in Section 16 thereof provided for a Department of Business Regulation, and then in subsection (S) said:

“The state racing commission, created under chapter 550, Florida Statutes, is transferred by a type one (1) transfer to the department of business regulation and shall be assigned to the division of parimutuel wagering.”

The.Type One (1) Transfer mentioned is defined by the Act as:

“A type one (1) transfer is the transferring intact of an existing agency or of an existing agency with certain identifiable programs, activities or functions transferred or abolished so that the agency becomes a unit of a department. Any agency transferred to a department by a type one (1) transfer shall henceforth exercise its powers, duties and functions as prescribed by law subject to review and approval by and under the direct supervision of the head of the department.”

Subsection (3) of Section 16 of the Act provides as follows:

“The board of business regulation is authorized to establish procedures for the administration of each division. In each of the divisions of the department, hearing examiners may be appointed to assist the division directors in exercising the discretionary powers, duties and functions of their divisions. Any interested person may appeal an adverse decision by a division to the board of business regulation.”

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

Related

Della Penna v. Zabawa
931 So. 2d 155 (District Court of Appeal of Florida, 2006)
Monroe Education v. Clerk, Dist. Court of Appeal
299 So. 2d 1 (Supreme Court of Florida, 1974)
State ex rel. Investment Corp. of South Florida v. Harrison
247 So. 2d 713 (Supreme Court of Florida, 1971)
West Flagler Assoc., Ltd. v. BOARD OF BUSINESS REG.
241 So. 2d 369 (Supreme Court of Florida, 1970)
Biscayne Kennel Club, Inc. v. Board of Business Regulation
239 So. 2d 53 (District Court of Appeal of Florida, 1970)
Shaughnessy v. Metropolitan Dade County
238 So. 2d 466 (District Court of Appeal of Florida, 1970)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
227 So. 2d 674, 1969 Fla. LEXIS 2152, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/state-ex-rel-investment-corp-v-board-of-business-regulation-fla-1969.