Blogs & Resources

This blog post is the first in a series of posts focusing on Florida’s Revised Limited Liability Company Act, which was passed into law in June 2013 and is codified in Chapter 605, Florida Statutes. The Revised Act takes effect January 1, 2014 for all LLCs formed after that date. For LLCs formed prior to 2014, the Revised Act becomes mandatory on January 1, 2015. Although much of Florida law governing LLCs remains the same under the Revised Act, there are a few significant changes that managers and members of LLCs should be aware of and that may require revisions to existing operating agreements. This post discusses the Revised Act’s elimination of the “managing member” concept for LLC management structures.

Previously we have explored: a) successful defenses to enforcement of personal guaranties, b) unsuccessful defenses to enforcement of personal guaranties, c) language requirements for personal guaranties, and lastly we will explore the obligation of an alleged guarantor when a personal guaranty is forged.

Most of the cases alleging an insufficiently drafted  personal guaranty concern corporate officers guarantying corporate debt, and the officer’s  subsequent defense that he was signing in a strictly representative capacity.  In deciding these cases, courts have also outlined the language requirements for a valid guaranty. This post is the third […]

This post is the second part of a two part series examining defenses to enforcement of personal guaranties in Florida. Part one identified successful defense to enforcement of a guaranty and can be found here. Part two seeks to analyze defenses that have been unsuccessfully asserted in defense of personal guaranty enforcement.

A personal guaranty is a contract signed by an individual wherein the guarantor affirms his or her personal obligation on a loan or some other debt obligation, such that if the original debtor becomes unable to pay the debt, the guarantor is personally liable for that debt and is legally responsible for its repayment. In a typical case, a President, CEO, or other officer signs a personal guaranty for the debts of his or her business and becomes personally liable for the debt if the business doesn’t pay it off. Florida case law demonstrates that a simple, but well-drafted personal guaranty that specifically enumerates the personal nature of the debt assurance is adequate to form a legal, binding personal guaranty. This Blog post seeks to identify successful defenses utilized in Florida case law to consider when drafting or seeking to enforce personal guarantees.

It is common practice amongst practitioners in a contract dispute case to confirm the opposing party executed the essential documents to the transaction. Execution equals assent to the contract. But is the standard signature we think of, a cursive representation of our legal name, even necessary to create a contractual obligation? In reality, it is not. And lucky for us too because future generations may not even understand today’s concept of a signature.

Parties often cry “fraud” when defending against a construction lien recorded on their real property. However, the fraudulent lien card is sometimes overplayed and oftentimes lacks merit, considering the requisite proof to establish a fraudulent lien. The consequences of a fraudulent lien are significant – it is a complete defense to lien enforcement and can result in recovery of punitive damages and compensatory damages against the lienor. Sharrard v. Ligon, 892 So. 2d 1092 (Fla. 2nd DCA 2004). It can also result in the recovery of attorneys’ fees and costs against the lienor. Delta Painting, Inc. v. Baumann, 710 So. 2d 663 (Fla. 3rd DCA 1998). § 713.31, Fla. Stat. The filing of a fraudulent lien is also a third-degree felony. § 713.31(3), Fla. Stat.

Alternative dispute resolution, or “ADR,” comes in many forms. Two of the most commonly used methods of ADR are arbitration and mediation.  Both of these ADR vehicles allow for resolution of disputes outside the public forum of the court system. Many people, including sophisticated businesspeople and even attorneys, do not […]

We are often asked, what, if any, existing legal right in collection does an aggrieved victim have against a defendant who was ordered to pay restitution in a preceding criminal action? In short, an aggrieved party that is either the State or named as a victim in a resulting criminal Restitution Order has an enforceable right to restitution identical to a judgment holder. Being the named victim in the Restitution Order directs the offender to pay restitution for this person’s benefit and the victim is allowed to enforce that right through the civil collection process. To perfect that right, a victim may do many things, including filing a Civil Restitution Lien to attach to property acquired by the offender after the Restitution Order is issued. This Lien lasts for twenty (20) years.

On September 25, 2013, Florida’s Second District Court of Appeal issued an opinion regarding a very familiar topic in Florida – a plaintiff’s standing to file and maintain a foreclosure action. In Focht vs. Wells Fargo Bank, the Second DCA upheld the long-established precedent that a plaintiff in a foreclosure action must prove that it had standing at the time it filed the foreclosure complaint in order to maintain the action. 2013 WL 5338048 (Fla. 2d DCA 2013). If plaintiff lacks standing at inception, the defendant can have the case dismissed via summary judgment proceedings. Id.