Case Name: Joel RAHN, Appellant, v. Ronald R. COHEN, individually, and Coconut Holdings, Ltd., a corporation, Jomara Marine, Ltd., a corporation, AJD Trust, a corporation, and Eric Rahn, individually, Appellees
Court: Florida District Court of Appeal
Jurisdiction: Florida
Decision Date: 2000-08-02
Citations: 762 So. 2d 1063
Docket Number: No. 4D99-2026
Parties: Joel RAHN, Appellant, v. Ronald R. COHEN, individually, and Coconut Holdings, Ltd., a corporation, Jomara Marine, Ltd., a corporation, AJD Trust, a corporation, and Eric Rahn, individually, Appellees.
Judges: WARNER, C.J., HAZOURI, J., and BARKDULL, THOMAS H., Ill, Associate Judge, concur.
Reporter: Southern Reporter, Second Series
Volume: 762
Pages: 1063–1064

Head Matter:
Joel RAHN, Appellant, v. Ronald R. COHEN, individually, and Coconut Holdings, Ltd., a corporation, Jomara Marine, Ltd., a corporation, AJD Trust, a corporation, and Eric Rahn, individually, Appellees.
No. 4D99-2026.
District Court of Appeal of Florida, Fourth District.
Aug. 2, 2000.
James W. Stroup of James W. Stroup, P.A., Fort Lauderdale, for appellant.
Michael T. Moore of Holland & Knight LLP, Miami, for Appellees-Ronald R. Cohen, individually, and Coconut Holdings, Ltd., a corporation.

Opinion:
PER CURIAM.
Appellant, H. Joel Rahn, appeals from a jury verdict finding him liable to appellees, Ronald Cohen and Coconut Holdings, Inc., for breach of contract and fraud in the inducement. Appellant raises five points on appeal and we affirm on all five. Ap pellant contends there can be no breach of contract because there was no privity. We find it unnecessary to reach appellant's privity issue because there was sufficient evidence to support a finding of liability for fraud in the inducement and the verdict for damages awarded to appellees did not differentiate between the claim for breach of contract and the claim for fraud in the inducement.
We also find that the economic loss rule does not. preclude recovery for the tort of fraud in the inducement because it is independent of the contractual breach. See HTP, Ltd. v. Lineas Aereas Costarricenses, S.A., 685 So.2d 1238 (Fla.1996).
AFFIRMED.
WARNER, C.J., HAZOURI, J., and BARKDULL, THOMAS H., Ill, Associate Judge, concur.