Summary
reversing the lower court's holding
Summary of this case from Force v. ITT Hartford Life & Annuity InsuranceOpinion
No. 87057.
October 17, 1996.
Appeal from the Circuit Court, Hillsborough County, Guy W. Spicola, J.
Jeffrey N. Kramer, Mansfield, OH, for Petitioner.
Robert L. Rocke and Jodi L. Corrigan of Annis, Mitchell, Cockey, Edwards Roehn, P.A., Tampa, for Respondents.
Louis F. Hubener and Charlie McCoy, Assistant Attorneys General, Tallahassee, for Robert A. Butterworth, Attorney General, Amicus Curiae.
Lisa Berlow-Lehner of Szymoniak Ridge, P.A., Boca Raton, for the Alliance of American Insurers and Liberty Mutual Insurance Company, Amici Curiae.
Barbara Burch, Lauderdale by the Sea, for American Association of Retired Persons and Consumer Federation of America, Amici Curiae.
Roy D. Wasson, and Sheila Wolfson Moylan, Miami, for Academy of Florida Trial Lawyers, Amicus Curiae.
Robert M. Rhodes of Steel, Hector Davis, Tallahassee, and Terry S. Bienstock and Jaime A. Bianchi of Bienstock Clark, Miami, for Florida Home Builders Association, Amicus Curiae.
Randy J. Schwartz and Linda Rohrbaugh, Orlando, for the Florida Association of Realtors, Amicus Curiae.
Wendy F. Lumish and Gary M. Pappas of Popham, Haik, Schnobrich Kaufman, Ltd., Miami, for Product Liability Advisory Council, Inc., Amicus Curiae.
G. William Bissett of Hardy Bissett, P.A., Miami, for Masonite Corporation, Amicus Curiae.
Mark A. Cohen and Fred O. Goldberg of Mark A. Cohen Associates, P.A., Miami, for Airlines Reporting Corporation, Amicus Curiae.
We have for review a decision on the following question certified to be of great public importance:
IS THE BUYER OF RESIDENTIAL PROPERTY PREVENTED BY THE "ECONOMIC LOSS RULE" FROM RECOVERING DAMAGES FOR FRAUD IN THE INDUCEMENT AGAINST THE REAL ESTATE AGENT AND ITS INDIVIDUAL AGENT REPRESENTING THE SELLERS?
Woodson v. Martin, 663 So.2d 1327 (Fla. 2d DCA 199b). We have jurisdiction. Art. V, § 3 (b)(4), Fla. Const.
Our decision in HTP, Ltd. v. Lineas Aereas Costarricenses, S.A., 685 So.2d 1238 (Fla. 1996), controls. We answer the certified question in the negative, quash Woodson, and remand for proceedings consistent with HTP.
It is so ordered.
KOGAN, C.J., and OVERTON, GRIMES, HARDING, WELLS and ANSTEAD, JJ., concur.