Bell v. Bell,
Case No. 4D10-5122

This was a divorce case with several contested issues regarding the parties’ assets. Our client, the former wife, appealed the final judgment of dissolution of marriage. The former husband cross-appealed. Our client’s main issues were (1) the trial court’s failure to award her half of the husband’s accounts receivable from loans he made to his businesses; and (2) the trial court’s failure to make factual findings before denying her request for bridge-the-gap alimony.

The Fourth District Court of Appeal (“Fourth DCA”) agreed with our position that the trial court had erred in failing to award our client half of the husband’s accounts receivable. The Fourth DCA reversed and remanded. On remand to the trial court, the former husband took the position that the issue required an evidentiary hearing to determine the new equitable distribution of the asset. We opposed the need for an evidentiary hearing, arguing that the Fourth DCA had clearly stated in its written opinion that the value of the omitted account receivable was $660,611 based on undisputed testimony from the trial. The trial court agreed and entered an order denying the former husband’s demand for an evidentiary hearing.

The former husband next argued that the former wife should receive the omitted equitable distribution amount as an in-kind distribution (i.e. in assets of the business such as the notes themselves). We opposed the former husband’s position and argued that the former wife should receive the omitted amount as a cash distribution. The trial court received proposed Final Judgments from the parties reflecting the parties’ positions. On June 7, 2012 the trial court rendered an Amended Final Judgment that conformed to the appellate court’s mandate and also ordered that the omitted amount would be payable to former wife in cash in an amended equalization payment.

This outcome preserved the positive result we achieved in the appellate court for our client, saved her the additional attorney’s fees associated with a lengthy evidentiary hearing following remand, and obtained an order that the former husband must pay her the omitted equitable distribution amount in cash.

Bell v. Bell, 502007DR002692XXXXSB
Case No. 4D10-5122

This was a divorce case with several contested issues regarding the parties’ marital and non-marital assets. Our client, the former wife, appealed the final judgment of dissolution of marriage. The former husband cross-appealed. Our client’s main issues were (1) the trial court’s failure to award her half of the husband’s accounts receivable from loans he made to his businesses; and (2) the trial court’s failure to make factual findings before denying her request for bridge-the-gap alimony.

The Fourth District Court of Appeal (“Fourth DCA”) agreed with our position that the trial court had erred in failing to award our client half of the husband’s accounts receivable. The Fourth DCA reversed and remanded. On remand to the trial court, the former husband took the position that the issue required an evidentiary hearing to determine the new equitable distribution of the asset. We opposed the need for an evidentiary hearing, arguing that no evidentiary hearing was necessary because the Fourth DCA clearly stated in its written opinion that the value of the omitted account receivable was $660,611 based on undisputed testimony from the trial.

The trial court agreed and entered an order denying the former husband’s demand for an evidentiary hearing. The trial court received proposed Final Judgments from the parties. This preserved the positive result we achieved in the appellate court for our client and saved her the additional attorney’s fees associated with a lengthy evidentiary hearing in the trial court after remand.

Block v. Tosun
Case No. 4D11-1594

The Fourth District Court of Appeal (“DCA”) reviewed a trial court order granting a motion to vacate an eighteen year old default judgment without an evidentiary hearing. The plaintiff trustees had obtained a default judgment against Tosun in 1992. Eighteen years later, with no record activity having occurred, the trustees served Tosun with a subpoena duces tecum in aid of execution. Tosun moved to vacate the default judgment, claiming he never received service of process. Tosun alleged in his motion that the court file that would contain the return of service had since been destroyed. Tosun also attached an affidavit in which he claimed no recollection of having received the complaint and summons, or the default judgment. However, the clerk’s progress docket contained an entry indicating that Tosun had in fact been served with process. The trial court granted Tosun’s motion to vacate following a non-evidentiary hearing.

On appeal, the Fourth DCA agreed with the trustees that the trial court had erred in concluding that their failure to provide a return of service required the court to set aside the final judgment as a matter of law. The trustees had met their burden by providing the clerk’s progress docket as well as the default judgment. The court stated that “[t]ogether these documents constitute evidence which affords a reasonable basis for the conclusion that it is more likely than not service of process on Tosun was properly perfected in 1992.” The Fourth DCA reversed and remanded for the trial court to conduct an evidentiary hearing on the issue.