Western World, Inc. v. Dansby

603 So. 2d 597, 1992 WL 170984
CourtDistrict Court of Appeal of Florida
DecidedJuly 23, 1992
Docket91-3218
StatusPublished
Cited by6 cases

This text of 603 So. 2d 597 (Western World, Inc. v. Dansby) 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
Western World, Inc. v. Dansby, 603 So. 2d 597, 1992 WL 170984 (Fla. Ct. App. 1992).

Opinion

603 So.2d 597 (1992)

WESTERN WORLD, INC., Joe Anderson and Dan Fletcher, Appellants,
v.
Grace H. DANSBY, Appellee.

No. 91-3218.

District Court of Appeal of Florida, First District.

July 23, 1992.

F. Alan Cummings, Mary M. Piccard, and Mike Piscitelli, Cummings, Lawrence & Vezina, P.A., Tallahassee, for appellants.

Carl R. Pennington, Jr. and Cathi C. Wilkinson, Pennington, Wilkinson, Dunlap, Bateman and Camp, P.A., Tallahassee, for appellee.

WOLF, Judge.

Appellants challenge a second amended final judgment upholding a termination of a lease by their landlord, Grace Dansby, *598 appellee. Appellants raise four points on appeal:

I. WHETHER APPELLEE'S TERMINATION OF LEASE AGREEMENT WAS EFFECTIVE;
II. WHETHER THE TRIAL COURT ERRED IN FINDING APPELLANTS LIABLE FOR PAYMENT OF A HOLDOVER RENT PENALTY;
III. WHETHER APPELLEE IS ENTITLED TO INTEREST ON THE AMOUNTS TENDERED AT THE TIME OF TERMINATION; AND
IV. WHETHER APPELLANTS ARE ENTITLED TO A SETOFF FOR THE AMOUNT OF RENT PAID WHICH IS ATTRIBUTABLE TO PURCHASE PRICE.

We find no merit in appellants' arguments as to issues II-IV and affirm as to those issues without further discussion.[1] We find that the trial court erred in determining that the common law rules of waiver did not apply under the terms of the lease, and in failing to consider the appellants' defense of appellee's waiver of the right to terminate the lease. We, therefore, remand for the trial court to make further determinations as to the applicability of the waiver defense.

The appellants, Western World, Inc., Joe Anderson, and Dan Fletcher (lessees) leased, by written lease agreement, commercially zoned property located at 2309 Apalachee Parkway, Tallahassee, Florida, for a term of 10 years, commencing July 20, 1983. The lease contained an option to purchase, with 75 percent of the monthly rent being applied toward the purchase price. The lease also contained the following provisions which are quoted here in pertinent part:

Article 2
The Base rent for the first two (2) years of this lease shall be $75,000 per annum payable monthly plus any rent use or sales tax or equivalent which may now or in the future be levied. Each year after the second, the base rental shall increase four (4) percent per annum, with the base rental the tenth (10) year being $102,642.00 per annum. Alternatively, should 7% of the gross sales of the business to be conducted on the premises exceed the base rental as calculated on an annual rental term, i.e., July 20 of one year to July 19 of the following year, then the Landlord shall receive the overage in full in cash on or before September 5 of that year and failure to do so shall be a default under the terms of this lease. Lessee shall provide Landlord with an annual report showing gross sales and Landlord may have an audit performed upon the books and records of the Lessee at her expense, if desired.
The base rent shall be due on the 20th of each month and if received after the 1st of the following month a late charge of $100.00 shall be due. Failure to pay said charge shall constitute a default under this lease.
Article 10
Lessee shall be responsible for paying all ad valorem taxes levied on the premises and Landlord shall furnish Lessee with a copy of said tax bill as soon as practical after receipt. Lessee shall have until March 31 of the year following to pay said taxes and failure to pay same shall be a default under this lease. The first year of this lease said ad valorem taxes shall be prorated between Landlord and Lessee to the effective date of this lease, July 20, 1983.
Article 11
Lessee, at its own cost, shall obtain and maintain during the continuance of this lease, "Owners, Landlords and Lessees Liability Insurance," written by an insurance company or companies approved by Landlord, for the benefit of the Landlord and which will fully protect Landlord against any and all liabilities for property *599 damages and personal injuries suffered by reason of such aforedescribed acts and use of the Demised Premises, in the limits of $500,000.00 to apply in the case of one person being injured or killed, and $1,000,000.00 to apply in the case of any one accident, and $100,000.00 to apply in case of property damage. The Lessee shall furnish to Landlord properly certified copies of such insurance policies and of the renewals thereof, and Lessee shall hold Landlord harmless from any and all liability, damages and expenses for any injuries suffered or damage occasioned upon the Demised Premises.
Article 14
It is agreed between the parties hereto that if Lessee shall fail to perform any of the covenants or conditions of this lease on Lessee's part to be performed ... then and in such events this lease and the term of this lease, at Landlord's option, shall expire and in five (5) days after Landlord has given Lessee written notice (in the manner hereinabove provided) of such act, condition, or default, and Lessee hereby agrees immediately then to quit and surrender said premises to Landlord, but this shall not impair or affect Landlord's right to maintain summary proceedings for the recovery of the possession of the premises in all cases provided for by law. If the term of this lease shall be so terminated, Landlord may immediately or at any time thereafter re-enter or repossess the premises and remove all persons and property therefrom without being liable for trespass or damages.
Article 18
No waiver of any condition or covenant of this lease by Landlord shall be deemed to imply or constitute a further waiver by Landlord of any other condition or covenant of this lease. The rights and remedies created by this lease are cumulative and the use of one remedy shall not be taken to exclude or waive the right to use of another.
Article 27
All rents shall be due without the necessity of any notice from the Landlord to the Lessee.
Article 28
This lease contains the entire agreement between the parties hereto and it may be modified only by an agreement in writing executed by Landlord and Lessee with the same formalities as this lease.
Article 29
It is understood and agreed between the parties hereto that time is of the essence in the performance of all the terms and provisions of this lease.

Western World paid rent to Dansby under the lease agreement every month. Over a four-and-one-half year period, there were three times when Western World paid the wrong amount of rent — each time when the annual increase became due. When this occurred the first two times, Dansby reminded appellants that the rent had increased. Upon notification, the correct amounts were paid and appellee accepted the payment. When the rent increased in July 1987, however, appellee did not remind appellants as she had in the past, and appellants continued paying rent at the former rate through December 1987. During that period of time, appellee accepted the amount tendered each month. Appellee never notified appellants of any deficiencies or that she considered the lease breached until she sent the notice of termination on January 13, 1988, which stated that appellants were in default under the written terms of the lease agreement.

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Bluebook (online)
603 So. 2d 597, 1992 WL 170984, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/western-world-inc-v-dansby-fladistctapp-1992.