County Civil Court: LANDLORD/TENANT – Landlord’s notice of termination of commercial
lease for failure to pay rent and taxes was not deficient – Landlord’s
inclusion of delinquent insurance premiums in notice under Florida Statutes,
section 83.20(2), was not erroneous – inclusion of late fees does not render
notice of default invalid under 83.20(2) as long as demand is not prejudicial -
Dismissal reversed. Clant, Inc. v. Specialty Restaurant Group, LLC, Appeal No.
05-0049AP-88B (
IN THE CIRCUIT COURT FOR THE SIXTH JUDICIAL CIRCUIT
IN AND
APPELLATE DIVISION
Appellant, Appeal No. 05-0049AP-88B
UCN 522005AP000049XXXXCV
vs.
SPECIALTY RESTAURANT GROUP,
LLC, a
as Tenant and TIAS
Sub-Tenant,
Appellees.
______________________________________/
Opinion Filed ______________
Appeal from Final Order
Judge Walt Fullerton
Ladd H. Fassett, Esq.
William H. Beaver, II, Esq.
Attorneys for Appellant
Dana A. Clayton, Esq.
Attorneys for Appellee Tias
This matter is before the Court on the appeal of Clant, Inc., from an Order of the Pinellas County Court entered June 9, 2005, dismissing Clant’s Complaint for Eviction against Specialty Restaurant Group and Tias Florida (“Tias”). Having reviewed the briefs, the record, and pertinent legal authority, and being otherwise fully advised, this Court reverses the trial court’s order as set forth below.
Tias
leased commercial property for a restaurant in
Further, the lease provides, “Tenant shall pay as additional rent, before they become delinquent, all real estate taxes . . . .” (emphasis added). Additionally, under the section of the lease entitled “Rent,” “If any part of the rent is not paid within ten (10) days after it is due, Tenant shall pay Landlord a late charge of five percent (5%) of the amount due.”
On April 11, 2005, Clant sent Tias a “Formal and Statutory Default Notice” (Notice) stating that Tias had failed to make the following payments:
(1) a $375 late fee for March rent;
(2) the $8,025 rent due in April;
(3) a $375 late fee for April rent; and
(4) $27,443.84 in 2004 real estate taxes due March 31, 2005.
The Notice demanded payment of $8,775 plus direct payment of the real estate taxes or possession within ten days. Tias has not alleged that it failed to receive this Notice or that it was not properly served.
On April 28, 2005, Clant sent Tias a “Formal Notice of Termination of Lease,” stating that it was terminating the parties’ lease due to Tias’ failure to timely cure the defaults listed in the April 11 Notice. On May 16, 2005, Clant initiated the present action through a Complaint for Eviction.
Tias responded with a Motion to Dismiss, claiming among other points that the Default Notice was deficient under both the lease and section 83.20(2), Florida Statutes, because it contained late fees, which do not constitute “rent” under either the statute or the lease, and real estate taxes, which were not delinquent.
The trial court granted Tias’ motion, finding that the “notice of termination was deficient.” Unfortunately, however, the trial court’s order does not specify whether it found the Notice deficient under the lease or section 83.20(2). Also, neither party has filed a transcript of the hearing on the motion to dismiss, either. The Court notes that both the inclusion of findings of fact and the transcript would have expedited this appeal.
From the parties’ briefs, though, it appears that the trial court’s primary concern was the inclusion of the late fees in the Notice. As discussed more fully below, the Court finds that the inclusion of the real estate taxes did not render the Notice invalid under either the lease or the statute. Further, because the inclusion of the late fees did not invalidate the Notice under the statute, the Court need not consider whether the inclusion of the late fees was consistent with the lease terms.
Section 83.20(2) provides that, with regard to nonresidential leases, a tenant may be removed from the premises where it
holds over without permission . . . after any default in the payment of rent pursuant to the agreement under with the premises are held, and 3 days’ notice in writing requiring the payment of the rent or the possession of the premises has been served by the person entitled to the rent on the person owing the same.
Tias maintains that Clant did not comply with this provision because the Notice contained the real estate taxes, which were not delinquent and therefore incapable of being defaulted upon. Further, Tias argues that the notice was invalid because it contained late fees, which do not constitute “rent.”
Regarding the real estate taxes, Tias notes that the Ad Valorem Tax Notice issued by the Pinellas County Tax Collector provides an escalating payment figure through May of 2005, thus indicating that a payment in May would not be considered delinquent. However, under section 197.333, Florida Statutes, “[t]axes shall become delinquent on April 1 following the year on which they are assessed or immediately after 60 days have expired from the mailing of the original tax notice, whichever is later.” Simply because the Pinellas County Tax Collector chooses to provide taxpayers with the appropriate figure for May payments does not mean that those payments are not considered delinquent. In fact, the Court takes judicial notice that the Pinellas County Tax Collector’s website states, “Real estate taxes become delinquent on April 1 of the year following the year of assessment.”
Further,
the lease clearly defines real estate taxes as “additional rent.” In Boudreau v. M & H Food Corp.,
895 So. 2d 501 (
Turning
to the late fee, Tias correctly points out that it is not defined as rent under
the lease, and Tias further argues that it is not considered rent under the
statute. In accepting Tias’ argument, it
appears that the trial court analogized the lease at issue here—a commercial
one—to a residential lease, where the statutory definition of “rent” does not
include late fees unless the lease specifically designates them as such. § 83.43(6),
However,
the section of Florida Statutes governing nonresidential leases does not
contain a definition of “rent.” This omission
is consistent with recognition of the relative sophistication of the commercial
versus the residential tenant. See
Community Video Store v. Walker Miller Equip. Co., 10
Further,
at least two sister circuits have held that in the commercial lease context,
the inclusion of late fees does not render a notice of default invalid under
section 83.20(2) as long as the demand is not prejudicial and does not impose
any “greater obligation than already owed under the lease and the law.” Nato Emilo Corp. v. Tabache, 7
In
the present matter, the Notice clearly itemized all monies due under the lease,
and Clant did not demand any monies not already owed under the terms of the
lease or
Finally, Tias argues that even if the Notice
complies with section 83.20(2), it is nonetheless invalid because it fails to
comply with the terms of the lease. In
particular, Tias asserts that late fees would have to be sought under a
provision of the lease covering matters “other than the payment of rent” and
requiring a 30-day notice.
However,
even assuming that Clant failed to comply with the lease, “[a] lease may be
terminated either by statutory landlord and tenant proceedings or by compliance
with stipulations incorporated in the written lease by the parties themselves.” 6701 Realty, Inc. v.
Therefore, it is
ORDERED AND ADJUDGED that the Order Dismissing Case entered June 9, 2005, is REVERSED, and that this cause is remanded to the trial court for action consistent with this Order and Opinion.
It is further
ORDERED AND ADJUDGED that Appellee Tias’ Motion to Tax Attorney’s Fees and Costs is DENIED.
It is further
ORDERED AND ADJUDGED that Appellant Clant’s Motion for Attorney’s Fees and Costs pursuant to paragraph 37(i) of the parties’ agreement is GRANTED. The trial court shall determine the amount of such fees and costs.
It is further
ORDERED AND ADJUDGED that Appellant’s
Motion for Oral Argument is DENIED.
DONE AND ORDERED in
Chambers, at
________________________________
DAVID A. DEMERS
Circuit Judge, Appellate Division
___________________________ ______________________________
PETER
RAMSBERGER ANTHONY RONDOLINO
Circuit Judge, Appellate Division Circuit Judge, Appellate Division
Copies to:
Judge Walt Fullerton
Ladd H. Fassett, Esq.
William H. Beaver, Esq.
Fassett, Anthony & Taylor, P.A.
1325
Dana A. Clayton, Esq,
Akerman Senterfitt
28th Floor