FI L ED U.S. COURT OF APPEAL S EL EVENTH CI RCUI T J uly 13, 2009 THOMAS K. KAH

N CL ERK [DO NOT PUBLISH]

IN THE UN ITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS

FOR THE ELE VENTH CIRCUIT

__ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ No. 0 8- 13 80 9 Non -Arg um en t Ca le nd ar

__ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ D.C. Dock et No. 0 8- 60 12 4- CV-FAM

ALBERT MOUSTAKIS, JEANNETTE MOUSTAKIS,

Pl ai nt iff s- App el la nt s,

ve rs us
CITY OF FORT LAUDERDALE,

Defen da nt -Ap pe ll ee.

__ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ App eal fro m

th e Uni te d S ta te s Di st ric t Co ur t fo r th e So ut he rn Dis tri ct of F lo rid a

__ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ (J ul y 13 , 20 09 )

Befo re BLACK, BARKETT an d C OX, Circ ui t J ud ge s.

PER CURI AM:

Alb ert an d Je an ne tt e Mo us ta ki s own a ho us e in Fo rt Lau de rd al e, Fl or id a. In

19 93 , t he ir h om e vi ol at ed th e Fo rt Lau de rd al e Co de of Ord in an ces , a nd th e Ci ty o fFo rt Lau de rd al e o rd ered th e Mo us ta ki se s t o b rin g t he ir h ou se in to co m pl ia nc e wit h

th e Co de or pa y a fin e of $1 50 pe r da y un ti l th e ho us e was br ou gh t in to co m pl ia nc e.
(R.1 -1 , Ex. A. at 1.) In 20 02 , th e Mo us ta ki se s st il l had no t bro ug ht th ei r ho us e in to

co m pl ia nc e wit h th e Co de
, an d th e Ci ty of Fo rt Lau de rd al e fil ed a li en on th e ho us e.
( Id

. ) In 20 08 , th e Mo us ta ki s e s s u e d th e Ci ty of Fo rt Lau de rd al e in fed eral co ur t,

al le gi ng th at th e Ci ty h ad fil ed a li en of ov er $7 00 ,00 0 on th e ho us e, an d th at th e

ho us e was wor th on ly ab ou t $2 00 ,00 0. (R.1 -1 at 2.) The Mo us ta ki se s so ug ht to ha ve

th e li en an d un de rlyin g fin es a b o l i s h e d or red uc ed on th e gr ou nd th at th e li en an d

fin es were ex ces si ve un de r th e Fl or id a Co ns ti tu ti on an d th e Uni te d St at e s

Co ns ti tu ti on . (

Id

. )

The Ci ty m ov ed to di sm is s th e Co m pl ai nt pu rs ua nt to Fed

. R. Ci v. P. 12 (b )(6 )

fo r fai lu re to s ta te a cl ai m , arg ui ng th at th e fin e of $1 50 pe r da y was no t exce ss iv e.

The di st ric t co ur t ag reed th at th e fin e was no t ex ces si ve , an d di sm is se d th e cl ai m wit h

pr ejud ic e. (R.1 -1 6 a t 3 -4 .) The M ou st ak is es ap pe al

.
The di st ric t co ur t co rrec tl y no te d th at , “ [t]he re is a st ro ng pr es um pt io n th at th e

am ou nt of a fin e is no t un co ns ti tu ti on al ly ex ces si ve if it li es wit hi n th e ran ge of fin es

pr es cri be d by th e le gi sl at ur e.” (R.1 -1 6 at 2.) Se e Uni te d St at es v. Baj ak aj ia n , 52 4

U.S. 3 21 , 3 36 , 11 8 S . Ct. 2 02 8, 2 03 7 (1 99 8) (ho ld in g s ub st an ti al de fere nc e sh ou ld

be gi ve n to le gi sl at ur e in de te rm in in g whe th er fin e is ex ces si ve in vi ol at io n of Eig ht h

2Am en dm en t of Uni te d St at es Co ns ti tu ti on ) (ci ta ti on s om it te d) ; Rio pe ll e v. Dep ’t of

Fin

. Se rv s., Div. of W

or ker s’ Co mp. , 90 7 So

. 2d 12 20 , 12 23 (Fl a. 1s t DCA 20 05 )
(h ol di ng su bs ta nt ia l de fere nc e sh ou ld be gi ve n to le gi sl at ur e in de te rm in in g whe th er

fin e is ex ces si ve in vi ol at io n of Fl or id a Co ns ti tu ti on ). In th is cas e, th e fin e is wit hi n

th e ran ge of fin es pr es cri be d by th e Fl or id a Leg is la tu re. Sect io n 16 2.0 9 of th e Fl or id a

St at ue s pro vi de s t ha t a l oc al go ve rn m en t m ay im po se a fin e fo r each da y a pr op ert y

is in vi ol at io n o f a l oc al co de , pro vi de d t he fin e d oe s n ot ex ceed $2 50 pe r da y fo r a

fir st vi ol at io n, an d $5 00 pe r da y fo r a rep eat vi ol at io n. Fl a. St at

. 16 2.0 9( 1)
, (2 )(a)

.
The Mo us ta ki se s arg ue th at we ou gh t no t gi ve th e le gi sl at ur e an y de fere nc e in

th is cas e, be cau se th e le gi sl at ur e di d no t pl ace an y cap on th e am ou nt of th e fin e th at

co ul d accr ue da il y

. W e di sa gr ee. Sect io n 16 2.0 9( 2) (a) of th e Fl or id a St at ut es cl earl y

pr ov id es a cap on th e am ou nt of fin es th at can accr ue fro m da il y co de vi ol at io ns , bu t

li m it s th e ap pl ic at io n of th e cap to irr e p a rab le co de vi ol at io ns

. Und er th e st at ut or y

co ns tru ct io n pr in ci pl e of in cl us io un iu s es t excl us io n al te ri us (“ th e in cl us io n of on e

is th e ex cl u s i o n of an ot he r”), th e Fl or id a Leg is la tu re’s pr ov is io n fo r a cap on

irr ep arab le co de vi ol at io ns is a cl ear in di cat io n th at it in te nt io na ll y om it te d a cap fo r

rep arab le co de vi ol at io ns

. Se e Miu ll i v. Fla . Hig h S ch

. Ath le ti c Ass ’n

, In c. , 99 8 So.

2d 11 55 , 11 57 (Fl a. 2n d DCA 20 08 ) (ap pl y in g in cl us io un iu s es t excl us io al te ri us to

Fl or id a St at ut es ). The $1 50 pe r da y fin e th at ha s accr ue d fo r 14 y ears an d no w to ta ls

3$7 00 ,00 0 is wit hi n th e ran ge of fin es pr es cri b e d b y th e Fl or id a Leg is la tu re an d

acco rd in gl y

is du e o ur su bs ta nt ia l d efer en ce.

Add it io na l l y, th e Mo us ta ki se s arg ue th at th e fin e in th is cas e is at le as t as

ex ces si ve as th e fin e in Uni te d St at es v. Baj ak aj ia n , 52 4 U.S. 32 1, 11 8 S. Ct

. 20 28
(1 99 8)
, whi ch th e Su pr em e Co ur t he ld w a s u n c o n st it ut io na ll y ex ces si ve

. In

Baj ak aj ia n , th e Su pr em e Co ur t he ld th at a fin e was ex ces si ve u nd er th e Eig ht h

Am en dm en t if it was gr os sl y di sp ro po rti on at e to th e of fen se gi vi ng ris e to th e fin e.

I d. at 33 6- 37 , 11 8 S. Ct

. at 20 37 -3 8. At is su e in Baj ak aj ia n was a f

o r f e i t u r e o f

$3 57 ,14 4, whi ch oc c u r r e d w he n th e de fen da nt fai le d to rep or t th at he was carr y in g

m or e th an $1 0,0 00 of cu rren cy whe n he was le av in g th e co un try. Id

. at 32 4- 25 , 11 8

S

. C t. at 20 31 -3 2. The Su pr em e Co ur t no te d th at th e si ng le fai lu re to rep or t th e

cu rren cy was th e de fen da nt ’s on ly of fen se , an d th at th e m ax im um pe na lt y un de r th e

Sen te nc in g Gui de li ne s fo r th e of fen se was le ss th an a y ear in p r is on an d a $5 ,00 0

fin e. Id

. at 33 7- 39 , 11 8 S. Ct

. a t 20 38

. The Su pr em e Co ur t th eref or e he ld th at a

$3 57 ,14 4 fin e fo r a si ng le of fen se of fai li ng to rep or t m or e th an $1 0,0 00 of cu rren cy

was ex ces si ve

. Id

. at 3 39 -4 0, 1 18 S. Ct. at 20 39

.

W e di sa gr ee wit h th e Mo us ta ki se s th at th e fin e im po se d on th em is as ex ces si ve

as th e fin e (o r, m or e pr eci se ly, fo rfei tu re) at is su e in Baj ak aj ia n

. In th is cas e, th e fin e

is pro pe rly ch arac te riz ed as a $1 50 pe r da y fin e fo r each da y th ei r ho us e was no t i n

4co m

pl ia nc e wit h th e Fo rt Lau de rd al e Co de

. The Mo us ta ki se s do no t al le ge in th ei r 1

Co m pl ai nt th at a $1 50 pe r da y fin e fo r vi ol at in g th e Co de is ex ces si ve , on ly th at th e

cu m ul at iv e fin e of $7 00 ,00 0, whi ch is m or e th an th e va lu e of th e ho us e vi ol at in g th e

Co de
, is ex ces si ve

. Bu t th e $7 00 ,00 0 fin e was crea te d by th e Mo us ta ki se s’ fai lu re to

br in g th e ho us e in to co m pl ia nc e wit h th e Co de each da y fo r 1 4 ye a r s

. Rat he r th an

be in g gr os sl y di sp ro po rti on at e to th e of fen se , th e $7 00 ,00 0 fin e is
, li te ral ly, di rect ly

pr op or ti on at e to th e of

fen se

. The Mo us ta ki se s ha ve no t al le ge d an y f a ct s th at

de m on st rat e th at th e li en an d un de rlyin g fin es are ex ces si ve un de r ei th er th e Fl or id a

Co ns ti tu ti on or t he Uni te d S ta te s C on st it ut io n.

Fi na ll y , to th e ex te nt th at th e Mo us ta ki se s arg ue th ey sh ou ld be gr an te d le av e

to am en d th ei r Co m

pl ai nt , th ey di d no t se ek le av e to am en d be fo re th e di st ric t co ur t,

an d we wi ll no t co ns id er an y arg um en ts no t m ad e b efo re t ha t co ur t. Se e W ag ne r v.

Dae wo o Hea vy In du s. Am. C or p. , 31 4 F.3 d 54 1, 54 2 (1 1t h Ci r. 20 02 ) (en ba nc )
(d is tri ct co ur t no t req ui red to gr an t le av e to am en d co m pl a i nt whe n pl ai nt iff ne ve r

m ov ed to am en d o r req ue st ed lea ve to am en d)

.

The Moustakises arg ue that the court in Riopelle held that, when considering whether a fine 1 is excessive, the cumulative fine, and not the amount acc umulated per day
, must be considere d. We disag ree

. Whil e the court in Riopelle did consider the cumulative fine in its analy sis of whether the fine was excessive under the Florida Constit ution, it broke the cumulative fin e d o wn i n t o its constituent parts and analy zed whether the fine was g rossly disproportionate to all of the conduct that g ave r ise to it. 907 S o. 2d at 1222-23.

5The Mo us ta ki se s’ Co m pl ai nt al le ge s a fin e th at fal ls wit hi n a ran ge pr es cri be d
by th e Fl or id a Leg is la tu re. Add it io na ll y , th e Co m pl ai nt al le ge s a f

i n e d ire ct ly

pr op or ti on at e to th e of

fen se co m

m it te d. The si ze of th e fin e is a fu nc ti on of th e da il y

rep et it io n by th e Mo us ta ki se s of th e of fen se ov er a 14 -y ear pe rio d. Acco rd in gl y , th e

Mo us ta ki se s’ Co m

pl ai nt fai ls to al le ge a vi ol at io n of th e ex ces si ve fin es cl au se of th e

Fl or id a o r Uni te d S ta te s C on st it ut io n, an d t hu s fa il s t o s ta te a cl ai m . W e aff irm th e

di st ric t co ur t’s d is m is sa l wi th pre jud ic e. 2

AFFIR MED.

The Ci ty of Fort L auder dale also argu ed in their brief that we should aff irm the di smissal 2 with prejudice beca

use the Moustakises’ c laims are barr ed by res judicata and collater al estoppel. The City did not asser

t these defe nses befor e the district court, and the putatively rele vant state court proce eding s are not part of the rec ord. The City has moved this c ourt to take judicial notice of the state court proce eding s so that it can arg ue the defe nses of res judicata and collater al estoppel for the first time on appea l. This moti on is DENI ED.

6