Case Name: Christine CANIDA and The Dade County School Board, Appellants, v. Lyle CANIDA, Appellee
Court: Florida District Court of Appeal
Jurisdiction: Florida
Decision Date: 1999-12-22
Citations: 751 So. 2d 647
Docket Number: Nos. 99-300, 99-188
Parties: Christine CANIDA and The Dade County School Board, Appellants, v. Lyle CANIDA, Appellee.
Judges: Before SCHWARTZ, C.J., and GREEN and FLETCHER, JJ.
Reporter: Southern Reporter, Second Series
Volume: 751
Pages: 647–653

Head Matter:
Christine CANIDA and The Dade County School Board, Appellants, v. Lyle CANIDA, Appellee.
Nos. 99-300, 99-188.
District Court of Appeal of Florida, Third District.
Dec. 22, 1999.
Rehearing Denied Feb. 16, 2000.
Mitrani, Rynor, Adamsky, Macaulay & Zorrilla and Pamela A. Chamberlin, Miami; Peters Robertson Demahy Parsons Mowers Passaro & Drake and Michael T. Flury, Miami, for appellants.
Hardeman & Suarez and Richard A. Warren, Miami, for appellee.
Before SCHWARTZ, C.J., and GREEN and FLETCHER, JJ.

Opinion:
FLETCHER, Judge.
Christine Canida appeals from a final summary judgment in favor of Lyle Cani-da. We affirm.
Christine and Lyle Canida are the divorced parents of the minor, Bradley Cani-da. The mother has primary residential custody under the divorce decree, subject to visitation by the father every other weekend. In August 1997, while living with his mother, the then twelve-year-old Bradley vandalized property of Gulfstream Elementary School. The Dade County School Board sued both parents for damages under section 741.24, Florida Statutes (1997) which provides that the school district is entitled to recover damages "from the parents of any minor under the age of 18 years, living with the parents, who maliciously or willfully destroys or steals property ." belonging to the school district. The father moved for summary judgment regarding his liability, arguing that the statute intended to' limit liability to the parent(s) who have actual custody of and control over the minor child. The lower court granted the father's motion for summary judgment, leaving the entire liability with the mother. The mother appealed.
The issue, one of first impression in Florida, is whether section 741.24 applies to both parents equally regardless of marital status or custody/parental responsibility circumstances, or whether it applies only to the parent with whom the child is living at the time of the offense. Under the facts presented in this case, the child was living with the mother at the time he vandalized school property, and it is the mother who had primary custody and control over the child. We agree with the lower court that the statute contemplates finding the mother liable for the child's offenses.
Section 741.24, Florida Statutes, was enacted in 1956 and since then the wording has remained virtually unchanged. The statute was intended to "aid in reducing juvenile delinquency by imposing liability upon the parents who control minors ." Stang v. Waller, 415 So.2d 123, 124 (Fla. 4th DCA 1982). The parties properly agree that the statute is in derogation of the common law and thus must be strictly construed in favor of the common law. See Ady v. American Honda Finance Corp., 675 So.2d 577 (Fla.1996); Slawson v. Fast Food Enterprises, 671 So.2d 255 (Fla. 4th DCA 1996). At common law, the parents were not held liable for the damages caused by their minor child except in certain limited situa tions. See Gissen v. Goodwill, 80 So.2d 701 (Fla.1955). As the Stang Court observed, it is the crucial element of parental control over the minor child that indicates who will bear liability for that child's acts. 415 So.2d at 124; see also id. at 703 (citations omitted). Where the parents are divorced and one parent necessarily has primary residential custody over the minor, that custodial parent has the immediate and day-to-day opportunity to exert his or her parental control and discipline over the resident child. In this case, the child lives with the mother, and it is the mother who has routine and daily custody and control over the minor child. Since the common law would not impose parental liability absent the parent's opportunity and ability to control the child, strict construction of the phrase "living with" necessitates the conclusion that the non-custodial father's overnight visitation privilege with his son every other weekend does not rise to "living with" the father for purposes of imposing liability pursuant to section 741.24.
Appellant argues that the plain meaning of section 741.24 as applied to these facts must necessarily hold both parents liable, because the word "parents" is plural. This is incorrect. Section 1.01(1), Florida Statutes (1993) provides that "[i]n construing these statutes and each and every word, phrase, or part hereof, where the context will permit . [tjhe singular includes the plural and vice versa." [emphasis supplied] This means that the word "parents" necessarily 'includes the singular "parent" as well.
Bradley Canida was living with his parent (singular), i.e., his mother, when he committed the vandalism. He was not living with his father, but only occasionally visited with him. Where, as here, the language of a statute is clear, the statute must be given its plain and ordinary meaning. E.g., Streeter v. Sullivan, 509 So.2d 268 (Fla.1987); A.R. Douglass, Inc. v. McRainey, 102 Fla. 1141, 137 So. 157 (1931). Construed narrowly and according to its plain meaning, the "living with the parents" [read, "parents" or "parent"] language excludes from liability the non-custodial parent who has only occasional visitation rights with the child.
The Final Judgment is affirmed.
SCHWARTZ, C.J., concurs.
. We note that many other states have enacted similar parental liability tort statutes, many of which use the same "living with" or "residing with" requirement. See, e.g., § 6-5-380, Ala.Code (1993)(amended in 1994 to "care or control"); § 9-25-102, Ark. Stat. (1998); § 13-21-107, Colo. Stat.; Title 10, Pt. III, Ch. 39, § 3922, Del.Code (1975); § 6-210, Idaho Code (1998); 740 Ill. Stat. § 115/3 (1998); Ind. St. 34-31-4-1 (1999); § 38-120, Kan. Stat. (1993); § 600.2913, Mich. Laws (1998); § 540.18, Minn.Stat. (1998); § 40-6-237, Mont.Code (1998); § 43-801, Neb. Stat. (1998); § 32-03-39, N.D. Cent.Code (1997); 23 Okla. Stat. § 10 (1998); § 25-5-15, S.D. Codified Laws (1998); § 37-10-101, Tenn. Code (1998); § 8.01-43-44, Va.Code (1998); § 4.24.190, Wash. Rev.Code (1998). Other states use "custody and control" or similar language. See § 537.045, Mo. Stat. (1998); § 41.470, Nev.Rev.Stat. (1998); § 32-1-46, N.M. Stat. (1998); § 78-a, N.Y. Gen. Mun. Law (1998); Title 11, § 2001-2005, Pa. Stat. (1998); Title 2, § 41.001, Tex. Fam.Code (1998); § 895.035, Wis. Stat. (1998). Other states specifically address the divorce context by imposing liability only on the parent who has legal custody under the divorce decree. See § 613.16, Iowa Code (1998); § 93-13-2, Miss.Code (1998); § 2A:53A-15, N.J. Stat. (1998); § 1-538.1, N.C. Gen.Stat. (1998); § 3109.9 Ohio Rev.Code (1998); § 30.765, Or.Rev.Stat. (1998); § 78-11-20, Utah Code (1998); Title 15, § 901, Vt. Stat. (1998); § 14-2-203, Wyo. Stat. (1998). A small number of states have no control, custody, or residence restrictions at all. See § 52-572, Conn. Gen.Stat. (1982); § 3-829, Md. Cts. & Jud. Proc.Code (1991).
. When the statute was enacted it contained a monetaiy limitation of liability. This amount was increased over the years, and in 1988 the statute was amended to eliminate the monetary limitation entirely.
. While the record indicates that in June, 1993, Christine and Lyle Canida entered into a stipulation that primary residential custody of the minor children should be changed to Lyle Canida until the mother found suitable housing, this is of no moment as it is undisputed that at the time of the incident in August 1997 that Bradley Canida was in the custody of, and primarily resided with, his mother.
.The courts of other states with similar parental liability statutes have concluded that, in the context of divorced parents, the statutes are intended to apply only to parents who have the actual ability to control the child, i.e., the parent with whom the child resides at the time the child commits the offense. See, e.g., Gearity v. Salvo, 40 Conn.Supp. 185, 485 A.2d 940 (1984); In re William George T., 89 Md.App. 762, 599 A.2d 886 (1992); Leonard v. O'Neil, 159 Misc.2d 1029, 608 N.Y.S.2d 618 (Just.Ct. 1994); Labadie v. Semler, 66 Ohio App.3d 540, 585 N.E.2d 862 (1990); Potomac Ins. Co. v. Torres, 75 N.M. 129, 401 P.2d 308 (1965).
We note, too, that this conclusion does no harm to chapter 61, Florida Statutes, that part of the dissolution of marriage statute dealing with custody and support of children. "Shared parental responsibility" in this context means that the parent, if at all possible and in the best interest of the child, should "retain full parental rights and responsibilities, ." and to "confer with each other so that major decisions affecting the welfare of the child will be determined jointly." § 61.046(11), Fla. Stat. (1998). We agree with the lower court that such language providing for shared parental responsibility in a dissolution of marriage order and providing rules for the continuing care of minor children cannot, without violation of due process, impose a burden on an absent parent of strict vicarious liability for damages caused by the minor child.
. We here express concern that, regarding this particular statute, the legislature has not kept up with the changed reality of dissolution and child custody circumstances since 1956. For instance, the language "living with the parents" does not take into consideration those circumstances where the minor child may not be under the custody or control of either parent, but may be living with a grandparent or guardian. In those circumstances, there is no one from whom a school district or other party could seek to recoup property damages inflicted by a minor. Since the intent of the statute is to hold liable that person or persons having custody and control of the minor, the language of the statute should be amended to so state.