Case Name: Sheila V. McCUTCHEON, Appellant, v. Thomas J. TRACY, III, Appellee
Court: Florida District Court of Appeal
Jurisdiction: Florida
Decision Date: 2006-02-01
Citations: 928 So. 2d 364
Docket Number: No. 3D05-2637
Parties: Sheila V. McCUTCHEON, Appellant, v. Thomas J. TRACY, III, Appellee.
Judges: Before SUAREZ and CORTINAS, JJ., and SCHWARTZ, Senior Judge.
Reporter: Southern Reporter, Second Series
Volume: 928
Pages: 364–367

Head Matter:
Sheila V. McCUTCHEON, Appellant, v. Thomas J. TRACY, III, Appellee.
No. 3D05-2637.
District Court of Appeal of Florida, Third District.
Feb. 1, 2006.
Rehearing and Rehearing En Banc Denied May 22, 2006.
Lisa A. Baird, Miami, for appellant.
Bette E. Quiat; Jay M. Levy, Miami, for appellee.
Before SUAREZ and CORTINAS, JJ., and SCHWARTZ, Senior Judge.

Opinion:
SCHWARTZ, Senior Judge.
Because the trial court's determination that the appellant was in material breach of the parties' freely-entered-into marital settlement agreement is supported by the record, the judgment below is affirmed on the authority of the principle that the "[provisions of a property settlement agreement are interpreted by courts like any other contract," Bacardi v. Bacardi, 386 So.2d 1201, 1203 (Fla. 3d DCA 1980); Ospina-Baraya v. Heiligers, 909 So.2d 465 (Fla. 4th DCA 2005); Braswell v. Braswell, 881 So.2d 1193 (Fla. 3d DCA 2004); Coe v. Abdo, 790 So.2d 1276 (Fla. 4th DCA 2001), review denied, 817 So.2d 844 (Fla.2002), and that a court may not deviate from the terms of a voluntary contract either to achieve what it might think is a more appropriate result or "to relieve one of the parties from the apparent hardship of an improvident bargain," Beach Resort Hotel Corp. v. Wieder, 79 So.2d 659, 663 (Fla.1955); Windham v. Windham, 152 Fla. 362, 11 So.2d 797 (1943), or ill-advised breach. See Clear Channel Metroplex, Inc. v. Sunbeam Television Corp., 922 So.2d 229 (Fla. 3d DCA 2005); Griffith v. Griffith 860 So.2d 1069 (Fla. 1st DCA 2003); Wood/Fay Realty Group, Inc. v. New Aquarius Corp., 842 So.2d 914 (Fla. 3d DCA 2003); Feldman v. Kritch, 824 So.2d 274 (Fla. 4th DCA 2002); Pol v. Pol, 705 So.2d 51 (Fla. 3d DCA 1997), review denied, 717 So.2d 536 (Fla.1998); Nat'l Health Labs., Inc. v. Bailmar, Inc., 444 So.2d 1078 (Fla. 3d DCA 1984), review denied, 453 So.2d 43 (Fla.1984). The facts and reasoning of the recently decided case of Polezoes v. Bartlett, 921 So.2d 35 (Fla. 4th DCA 2006), seem particularly apt. See also Colucci v. Kar Rare Auto. Group, Inc., 918 So.2d 431 (Fla. 4th DCA 2006).
Affirmed.