Title: OP CORPORATION v. Village of North Palm Beach

State: florida

Issuer: Florida Supreme Court

Document:

278 So. 2d 593 (1973)
O.P. CORPORATION and Wiggs & Maale Construction Co., Inc., Etc., Petitioners,
v.
The VILLAGE OF NORTH PALM BEACH et al., Respondents.
No. 43004.

Supreme Court of Florida.
May 10, 1973.
Rehearing Denied June 22, 1973.
Ronald Sales, of Sales, Metzger & Christiansen, Palm Beach, for petitioners.
Herbert L. Gildan, of Nason, Gildan & Yeager, West Palm Beach, and William E. Eaton, Jr., of Paty, Downey, Lewis & Eaton, Palm Beach, for respondents.
PER CURIAM.
This cause is before this Court on conflict certiorari to review a decision of the Fourth District Court of Appeal reported at 266 So. 2d 676, Fla.App. We have considered this matter and determined that we do have jurisdiction pursuant to Fla. Const. Art. V, § 3(b)(3), F.S.A.
The genesis of this case arose when the trial judge rendered judgment against the *594 petitioners in a declaratory relief action, which upon appeal was affirmed by the District Court of Appeal.
The salient facts before us are succinctly set forth in the decision of the District Court of Appeal, as follows:
Up to this point we agree on the facts with the District Court of Appeal *595 and confirm application of the estoppel doctrine against the respondent Village, however, our departure occurs upon that Court's conclusion that estoppel was not applicable to the intervenors, Collins and wife.
In addition to the facts substantially set forth above, the record clearly establishes that the intervenors (also respondents, sub judice) purchased their home some four years prior to their challenge of the validity of the ordinance, knowing at the time of their purchase that the adjacent property owned by the petitioners was zoned C-1A. Furthermore, this zoning had been in effect for over ten years prior to its challenge.
Under these circumstances, can and should the doctrine of estoppel by acquiescence be also applied against the intervenors? We conclude in the affirmative. Texas Co. v. Town of Miami Springs, Fla. 1950, 44 So. 2d 808; Sakolsky v. City of Coral Gables, Fla. 1963, 151 So. 2d 433; Baldwin Drainage District v. MacClenny Turpentine Co., 1944, 154 Fla. 525, 18 So. 2d 792; City of Coral Gables v. State, 1941, 148 Fla. 671, 5 So. 2d 241.
For these reasons, the Fourth District Court of Appeal erred in (1) not applying estoppel against the intervenors, and (2) affirming the trial court's judgment.
Accordingly, the building permit for the completion of the apartment house in question should have been issued.
To the extent as herein set forth, the decision of the Fourth District Court of Appeal is quashed in part and affirmed in part, and this cause is remanded for entry of a decision in keeping herewith including directions to the trial court to issue the building permit in question.
It is so ordered.
CARLTON, C.J., and ROBERTS, BOYD, McCAIN and DEKLE, JJ., concur.