Case Name: Marie Lydia VARVERIS, Appellant, v. Alberto M. CARBONELL, P.A., Appellee
Court: Florida District Court of Appeal
Jurisdiction: Florida
Decision Date: 2001-04-11
Citations: 785 So. 2d 576
Docket Number: No. 3D00-129
Parties: Marie Lydia VARVERIS, Appellant, v. Alberto M. CARBONELL, P.A., Appellee.
Judges: Before COPE, GODERICH and SHEVIN, JJ.
Reporter: Southern Reporter, Second Series
Volume: 785
Pages: 576–578

Head Matter:
Marie Lydia VARVERIS, Appellant, v. Alberto M. CARBONELL, P.A., Appellee.
No. 3D00-129.
District Court of Appeal of Florida, Third District.
April 11, 2001.
Rehearing Denied June 6, 2001.
Segredo & Weisz and Michel O. Weisz, Coral Gables, for appellant.
Alberto M. Carbonell, appellee, pro se.
Before COPE, GODERICH and SHEVIN, JJ.

Opinion:
On Motion For Review
PER CURIAM.
Alberto Carbonell filed a motion to review a judgment awarding Marie Lydia Varveris appellate costs following remand in Varveris v. Carbonell, 773 So.2d 1275 (Fla. 3d DCA 2000). We grant the motion and reverse the judgment.
Pursuant to Florida Rule of Appellate Procedure 9.400(a), the prevailing party on appeal is entitled to entry of a costs judgment. To award costs, the "trial court must determine which party prevailed on the significant issues on appeal. ." Florida Poiuer & Light v. Polackwich, 705 So.2d 23, 25 (Fla. 2d DCA 1997); Lucas v. Barnett Bank of Lee County, 732 So.2d 405 (Fla. 2d DCA 1999); Stringer v. Katzell, 695 So.2d 369 (Fla. 4th DCA 1997); James v. James, 675 So.2d 683 (Fla. 3d DCA 1996). "[C]osts do not automatically 'follow the judgment.' " Polackwich, 705 So.2d at 25 (citing General Capital Corp. v. Tel Serv. Co., 239 So.2d 134 (Fla. 2d DCA 1970)).
In our view, the Varveris did not prevail on the significant issues litigated on appeal and was not entitled to a costs judgment. Varveris did not prevail in dissolving the injunction against her; in Varveris we only remanded the cause so that the appellant could be served with process. Hence, the costs judgment was an abuse of discretion.
Motion granted; judgment reversed.
GODERICH and SHEVIN, JJ., concur.
COPE, J., dissents.