Case Name: Pedro JAIMOT and Angel Sanchez, Petitioners, v. MEDIA LEASING CORP., d/b/a Holiday Rent-A-Car, et al., Respondents
Court: Florida District Court of Appeal
Jurisdiction: Florida
Decision Date: 1984-09-20
Citations: 457 So. 2d 529
Docket Number: No. 84-231
Parties: Pedro JAIMOT and Angel Sanchez, Petitioners, v. MEDIA LEASING CORP., d/b/a Holiday Rent-A-Car, et al., Respondents.
Judges: FRANK D. UPCHURCH, Jr., J., concurs.
Reporter: Southern Reporter, Second Series
Volume: 457
Pages: 529–530

Head Matter:
Pedro JAIMOT and Angel Sanchez, Petitioners, v. MEDIA LEASING CORP., d/b/a Holiday Rent-A-Car, et al., Respondents.
No. 84-231.
District Court of Appeal of Florida, Fifth District.
Sept. 20, 1984.
Rehearing Denied Oct. 17, 1984.
Eli H. Subin and John M. Brennan of Subin, Shams, Rosebluth & Moran, P.A., Orlando, for petitioners.
Lawrence D. Johnson of Peacock & Johnson, P.A., Orlando, for respondents.

Opinion:
COBB, Chief Judge.
The third party defendants herein, Jaimot and Sanchez, have petitioned for certiorari review of the trial court's denial of their motion to strike a punitive damage claim against them for an alleged breach of contract. Fulminating language in a complaint characterizing a contract breach as "willful, wanton, outrageous, malicious," ad nauseum does not establish an independent tort that will support a punitive damage action. Grossman Holdings Ltd. v. Hourihan, 414 So.2d 1037 (Fla.1982), Nicholas v. Miami Burglar Alarm Co., Inc., 339 So.2d 175 (Fla.1976), Haendel v. Paterno, 388 So.2d 235 (Fla. 5th DCA 1980).
Since a punitive damage claim can serve as the basis for an inquiry into a defendant's net worth, an otherwise private matter, the trial court's failure to strike the invalid punitive damage claim is a departure from essential requirements of law giving rise to an irreparable injury. Accordingly, we grant certiorari review and quash the order of the trial court in that regard.
FRANK D. UPCHURCH, Jr., J., concurs.
SHARP, J., dissents with opinion.