Title: In Re: Amendments to Florida Rules of Civil Procedure 1.530 and 1.535

State: florida

Issuer: Florida Supreme Court

Document:

Supreme Court of Florida 
 
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No. SC22-115 
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IN RE:  AMENDMENTS TO FLORIDA RULES OF CIVIL 
PROCEDURE 1.530 AND 1.535. 
 
August 25, 2022 
 
PER CURIAM. 
The Florida Bar’s Civil Procedure Rules Committee 
(Committee) has filed a report proposing amendments to Florida 
Rules of Civil Procedure 1.530 (Motions for New Trial and 
Rehearing; Amendments of Judgments) and 1.535 (Remittitur and 
Additur).1  The Committee and the Board of Governors of The 
Florida Bar unanimously approved the proposed amendments.  The 
proposal was previously published for comment by both the 
Committee and this Court, and no comments were received 
following either publication. 
 
 
1.  We have jurisdiction.  See art. V, § 2(a), Fla. Const; Fla. R. 
Gen. Prac. & Jud. Admin. 2.140(b)(1). 
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Having considered the proposed amendments, the Court 
hereby amends rules 1.530 and 1.535 as proposed by the 
Committee.  To clarify when the deadline to file a motion for new 
trial or motion for rehearing begins to run, the phrase “15 days 
after entry of the judgment,” in subdivisions (d) and (g), is replaced 
with “15 days after the date of filing of the judgment.”  As for rule 
1.535, because the provisions of that rule deal entirely with motions 
filed in connection with the procedures set forth in rule 1.530, the 
text of rule 1.535 is moved to rule 1.530 as new subdivision (h), and 
rule 1.535 is deleted.  Finally, “Remittitur or Additur” is added to 
the title of rule 1.530 to reflect that rule 1.530 will now address 
motions for remittitur and additur. 
Florida Rules of Civil Procedure 1.530 and 1.535 are hereby 
amended as set forth in the appendix to this opinion.  New language 
is indicated by underscoring; deletions are indicated by struck-
through type.  The amendments shall become effective October 1, 
2022, at 12:01 a.m. 
It is so ordered. 
MUÑIZ, C.J., and CANADY, POLSTON, LABARGA, LAWSON, 
COURIEL, and GROSSHANS, JJ., concur. 
 
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THE FILING OF A MOTION FOR REHEARING SHALL NOT ALTER 
THE EFFECTIVE DATE OF THESE AMENDMENTS. 
 
Original Proceeding – Florida Rules of Civil Procedure 
 
Lance V. Curry III, Chair, Civil Procedure Rules Committee, Tampa, 
Florida, Jason P. Stearns, Past Chair, Civil Procedure Rules 
Committee, Tampa, Florida, Joshua E. Doyle, Executive Director, 
The Florida Bar, and Mikalla Andies Davis, Bar Liaison, The Florida 
Bar, Tallahassee, Florida, 
 
 
for Petitioner 
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APPENDIX 
RULE 1.530. 
MOTIONS FOR NEW TRIAL AND REHEARING; 
AMENDMENTS OF JUDGMENTS; REMITTITUR 
OR ADDITUR 
(a) 
[No change] 
(b) 
Time for Motion. A motion for new trial or for rehearing 
shallmust be served not later than 15 days after the return of the 
verdict in a jury action or the date of filing of the judgment in a 
non-jury action. A timely motion may be amended to state new 
grounds in the discretion of the court at any time before the motion 
is determined. 
(c) 
Time for Serving Affidavits. When a motion for a new 
trial is based on affidavits, the affidavits shallmust be served with 
the motion. The opposing party has 10 days after such service 
within which to serve opposing affidavits, which period may be 
extended for an additional period not exceeding 20 days either by 
the court for good cause shown or by the parties by written 
stipulation. The court may permit reply affidavits. 
(d) 
On Initiative of Court. Not later than 15 days after 
entry ofthe date of filing of the judgment or within the time of ruling 
on a timely motion for a rehearing or a new trial made by a party, 
the court of its own initiative may order a rehearing or a new trial 
for any reason for which it might have granted a rehearing or a new 
trial on motion of a party. 
(e) 
When Motion Is Unnecessary; Non-Jury CaseAction. 
When an action has been tried by the court without a juryIn a non-
jury action, the sufficiency of the evidence to support the judgment 
may be raised on appeal whether or not the party raising the 
question has made any objection thereto in the trial court or made 
a motion for rehearing, for new trial, or to alter or amend the 
judgment. 
(f) 
Order Granting to Specify Grounds. All orders granting 
a new trial shall specifymust state the specific grounds therefor. If 
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such an order is appealed and does not state the specific grounds, 
the appellate court shall relinquish its jurisdiction to the trial court 
for entry of an order specifying the grounds for granting the new 
trial. 
(g) 
Motion to Alter or Amend a Judgment. A motion to 
alter or amend the judgment shall be served not later than 15 days 
after entry ofthe date of filing of the judgment, except that this rule 
does not affect the remedies in rule 1.540(b). 
(h) 
Motion for Remittitur or Additur. 
(1)  Not later than 15 days after the return of the verdict 
in a jury action or the date of filing of the judgment in a non-jury 
action, any party may serve a motion for remittitur or additur. The 
motion must state the applicable Florida law under which it is being 
made, the amount the movant contends the verdict should be, and 
the specific evidence that supports the amount stated or a 
statement of the improper elements of damages included in the 
damages award. 
(2)  If a remittitur or additur is granted, the court must 
state the specific statutory criteria relied on. 
(3)  Any party adversely affected by the order granting 
remittitur or additur may reject the award and elect a new trial on 
the issue of damages only by filing a written election within 15 days 
after the order granting remittitur or additur is filed. 
 
Committee Notes 
[No change] 
Court Commentary 
[No change] 
 
 
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RULE 1.535 
REMITTITUR AND ADDITUR 
(a) 
Within the time provided in rule 1.530 (b), any party may 
serve a motion for remittitur or additur. The motion shall state the 
applicable Florida law under which it is being made, the amount 
the movant contends the verdict should be, and the specific 
evidence that supports the amount stated or a statement of the 
improper elements of damages included in the damages award. 
(b) 
If a remittitur or additur is granted, the court must state 
the specific statutory criteria relied on.  
(c) 
Any party adversely affected by the order granting 
remittitur or additur may reject the award and elect a new trial on 
the issue of damages only by filing a written election within 15 days 
after the order granting remittitur or additur is filed. 
Committee Notes 
2019 Adoption. Subdivision (a) defines a “proper motion” as 
referenced in section 768.74, Florida Statutes. A motion that does 
not provide for an amount that the movant believes was proven by 
the evidence at trial is not a proper motion. Hendry v. Zelaya, 841 
So. 2d 572 (Fla. 3d DCA 2003). 
Subdivision (b) is to assist the appellate court in its review of 
the order granting remittitur or additur. Moore v. Perry, 944 So. 2d 
1115 (Fla. 5th DCA 2006) (finding the order deficient for lack of 
specific reasons for granting the order, but finding sufficient 
support in comments by the court at the hearing). See also Kovacs 
v. Venetian Sedan Service, Inc., 108 So. 2d 611 (Fla. 3d DCA 1959) 
(indicating that an order granting remittitur must state the specific 
reasons for remittitur because it will convert to an order granting 
new trial if not accepted); Adams v. Saavedra, 65 So. 3d 1185 (Fla. 
4th DCA 2011). 
Subdivision (c) provides for a time limit to exercise the right to 
elect a new trial established in Waste Management, Inc. v. Mora, 940 
So. 2d 1105 (Fla. 2006).