Case Name: Clara STROTHMAN, Appellant, v. HENDERSON MENTAL HEALTH CENTER, INC., a/k/a Henderson Mental Health Clinic, a Florida non-profit organization, Appellee
Court: Florida District Court of Appeal
Jurisdiction: Florida
Decision Date: 1983-01-26
Citations: 425 So. 2d 1185
Docket Number: No. 82-1092
Parties: Clara STROTHMAN, Appellant, v. HENDERSON MENTAL HEALTH CENTER, INC., a/k/a Henderson Mental Health Clinic, a Florida non-profit organization, Appellee.
Judges: DELL and WALDEN, JJ., concur.
Reporter: Southern Reporter, Second Series
Volume: 425
Pages: 1185–1186

Head Matter:
Clara STROTHMAN, Appellant, v. HENDERSON MENTAL HEALTH CENTER, INC., a/k/a Henderson Mental Health Clinic, a Florida non-profit organization, Appellee.
No. 82-1092.
District Court of Appeal of Florida, Fourth District.
Jan. 26, 1983.
Rehearing Denied Feb. 15, 1983.
Steven D. Rubin of Weisman & Douglas, P.A., Pompano Beach, for appellant.
Patrick L. Bailey of Sullivan, Ranaghan, Bailey & Gleason, P.A., Pompano Beach, for appellee.

Opinion:
ANSTEAD, Judge.
The award of attorney's fees to ap-pellee pursuant to the provisions of section 57.105, Florida Statutes (1982) is hereby reversed. Whitten v. Progressive Casualty Insurance Co., 410 So.2d 501 (Fla.1982). The mere failure of the appellant to state a cause of action in her original or amended pleadings was not sufficient, in and of itself, to support a finding that her claim was so lacking in merit as to justify the invocation of section 57.105.
We again caution trial courts in this district that before such an award may be made there must be a finding that the position advanced by the losing party is virtually frivolous, Whitten, at 505; and this finding must be predicated upon substantial competent evidence presented to the court at the hearing on attorney's fees or otherwise before the court and in the trial court record.
DELL and WALDEN, JJ., concur.