Case Name: Joseph A. ST. ANA, Appellant, v. WHEELER MATTISON DRUGS, INC., a Florida corporation, Amos Mattison and Ann Mattison, his wife, Appellees
Court: Florida District Court of Appeal
Jurisdiction: Florida
Decision Date: 1961-05-01
Citations: 129 So. 2d 184
Docket Number: No. 60-649
Parties: Joseph A. ST. ANA, Appellant, v. WHEELER MATTISON DRUGS, INC., a Florida corporation, Amos Mattison and Ann Mattison, his wife, Appellees.
Judges: HORTON, C. J., and PEARSON and; CARROLL, CHAS., JJ., concur.
Reporter: Southern Reporter, Second Series
Volume: 129
Pages: 184–184

Head Matter:
Joseph A. ST. ANA, Appellant, v. WHEELER MATTISON DRUGS, INC., a Florida corporation, Amos Mattison and Ann Mattison, his wife, Appellees.
No. 60-649.
District Court of Appeal of Florida. Third District.
May 1, 1961.
Rehearing Denied May 19, 1961.
Carvajal & Davis, Miami, for appellant:..
Franks & Gordon, Miami, for appellees..

Opinion:
PER CURIAM.
The plaintiff, an attorney, appeals a judgment dismissing his complaint for the enforcement of a lien claimed under § 85.09,. Fla.Stat., F.S.A. The only question is-whether § 85.09, supra, provides a lien for-the services of attorneys. In Florida, as in. most states, a lawyer has a retaining lien upon papers in his hands and according to-the circumstances, a charging or equitable lien on recoveries obtained for a client in> the suit for the services in which the charge is made. Chancey v. Bauer, 5 Cir., 1938, 97 F.2d 293, 294; Billingham v. Thiele, Fla., App.1958, 107 So.2d 238, 243.
It was expressly held in Nichols v. Kroelinger, Fla.1950, 46 So.2d 722, 724, "under-the common law his [attorney's] lien attached to the judgment and since we have-no statute in this State modifying or repealing the common law or protecting the lien, the common law is still in effect, Section 85.09, supra, became a law in Florida many years prior to the-decision in the last-cited case. It has therefore been determined that this statute does-not apply to or create an additional attorney's lien.
Affirmed.
HORTON, C. J., and PEARSON and; CARROLL, CHAS., JJ., concur.