Case Name: Juan F. ROJAS, Appellant, v. Ivette GOMEZ, etc., et al., Appellees
Court: Florida District Court of Appeal
Jurisdiction: Florida
Decision Date: 1997-12-17
Citations: 704 So. 2d 174
Docket Number: No. 97-1263
Parties: Juan F. ROJAS, Appellant, v. Ivette GOMEZ, etc., et al., Appellees.
Judges: Before GODERICH, FLETCHER and SHEVIN, JJ.
Reporter: Southern Reporter, Second Series
Volume: 704
Pages: 174–175

Head Matter:
Juan F. ROJAS, Appellant, v. Ivette GOMEZ, etc., et al., Appellees.
No. 97-1263.
District Court of Appeal of Florida, Third District.
Dec. 17, 1997.
Stanley Jay Bartel, Miami, for appellant.
Robert A. Romagna and Steven H. Roth-stein, Miami, for appellees.
Before GODERICH, FLETCHER and SHEVIN, JJ.

Opinion:
PER CURIAM.
Because the record reflects that the plaintiffs failed to sustain the burden of diligent search and inquiry sufficient to sustain substituted service, Permenter v. Feurtado, 541 So.2d 1331, 1332 (Fla. 3d DCA 1989); Leviten v. Gaunt, 360 So.2d 112 (Fla. 3d DCA 1978) and because discretion should be liberally exercised in vacating default judgments so as to permit a trial on the merits, Kiaer v. Friendship, Inc., 376 So.2d 919, 921-22 (Fla. 3d DCA 1979)(citing North Shore Hosp., Inc. v. Barber, 143 So.2d 849, 852-53 (Fla.1962)), we find that the defendant's motion to vacate default judgment should have been granted.
Reversed and remanded for further proceedings consistent with this opinion.