Source: https://browardlandlord.wordpress.com/category/landlord-tenant/3-day-notice-non-payment-of-rent/
Timestamp: 2019-04-19 09:18:27+00:00

Document:
Until July 1, 2013 if the landlord filed an eviction with a defective 3 day notice, the case was subject to dismissal with prejudice. The Florida legislature changed the statute in 2013. Now the law requires that “[t]he landlord must be given an opportunity to cure a deficiency in a notice or in the pleadings before dismissal of the action.” Fla. Stat. 83.60(1)(a).
This means that a defective complaint will be dismissed without prejudice and with leave to amend.
DIANA MARVEZ, Appellant, v. STEVEN CANDELARIA , Appellees. Circuit Court, 11th Judicial Circuit (Appellate) in and for Miami-Dade County . November 19, 2014. An Appeal from an order of dismissal in the County Court in and for Miami-Dade County. 22 Fla. L. Weekly Supp. 515b.
Habitual acceptance of late payments waived right to evict absent advanced notice that late payments would no longer be accepted.
Tenant defended an eviction for non-payment of rent on the basis that landlord’s habitual acceptance of late payments estopped landlord from evicting the tenant without giving an additional notice that late payment would not be accepted.
Testimony revealed that the Defendant consistently made late payments for years throughout the course of her tenancy. Tenant testified that she had received Three Day Notices in the past for failing to pay rent on time but has never been evicted and that late payments were accepted by management on numerous occasions, including accepting payments after the service of three day notices. The landlord did not provide Defendant with additional notice that late payments would no longer be accepted.
The court ruled that the landlord’s actions would cause a reasonable lessee to believe that the lessor did not intend to enforce the default and that therefore landlord should be “equitably estopped” from evicting the tenant for late payment of rent. Vines v. Emerald Equipment Company, 342 So.2d 137 (Fla. 1st DCA 1977).
Where a three day notice is mailed to the tenant, or requires payment to a PO Box, or payment is to be sent out of the county in which the leased premises is located, five additional days must be added to the due date on the 3 day notice. The five additional days for mailing may count weekends and holidays as part of the five days, unless the fifth day falls on a weekend or holiday, in which case the due date shall be the next business day. NGUYEN vs. BROWN, County Court, 3rd Judicial Circuit in and for Columbia County, Civil Division. Case No. 08-442-CC. April 15, 2008. 15 Fla. L. Weekly Supp. 710a.
The QUEST INTERNATIONAL INVESTMENT, INC., vs. STANLEY, (16 Fla. L. Weekly Supp. 586b) debate as to whether the court is required to enter a default if the tenant fails to post the rent within five days appears to continue….
In Cox v. Sanders the landlord filed an eviction. Defendants filed a motion to dismiss based on lack of jurisdiction without depositing the rent claimed into the rent registry. Defendants did, however, file a motion to determine rent and a motion to waive posting of the rent into the rent registry pending the Court’s ruling on Defendants’ motion to dismiss.
The court noted that where a tenant timely files a motion to determine rent a court may not enter a default but rather must set a hearing on the motion citing Lonergan v. Brannon, 17 Fla. L. Weekly Supp. 171c (Fla. 9th App. Ct. 2010).
The battle between the jurisdictions as to whether the tenant automatically looses the eviction for failing to post the rent within five days of being served (the chicken), or whether the landlord looses if the 3 day notice is defective (egg) continues to rage on.
The tenant was served with a complaint for eviction April 18, 2012, but did not deposit the rent into the court registry within five days.
The landlord filed for a default which the court set for hearing on April 27, 2012. At the hearing the tenant filed a motion to dismiss based on a defective 3 day notice.
That the tenant did not waive the right to present the arguments alleged in her Motion to Dismiss by failing to file the motion within five business days, after service of process. Brooks v. Narine, 17 Fla. L. Weekly Supp. 72a (Fla. 9th Cir. Ct. 2009) (acknowledging a defective three-day notice can be attacked for the first time on appeal).
The Fifth District Court of Appeal acknowledged alleging the complaint fails to state a cause of action can be raised by motion even after default. Appel v. Lexington Insurance Co., 29 So.3d 377 (Fla. 5th DCA 2010) [35 Fla. L. Weekly D481a].
Under the Florida Rules of Civil Procedure, a challenge to the court’s jurisdiction can be raised at any time. Fla. R. Civ. P. Rule 1.140. (emphasis added).
Furthermore, even if Defendant did not file any pleadings or motions in this action, the Court finds no Clerk’s Default was entered in this case prior to the hearing on Plaintiff’s Motion for Default and that would have been grounds to deny the motion at that time pending Plaintiff obtaining a Default from the Clerk’s office.

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