Case Name: EMERALD ACRES INVESTMENTS, INC., Appellant, v. The BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS OF LEON COUNTY; Leon County, a Political Subdivision of the State of Florida; and Tallahassee-Leon County Planning Commission, a Governmental Commission Pursuant to Interlocal Agreement, Appellees
Court: Florida District Court of Appeal
Jurisdiction: Florida
Decision Date: 1992-05-18
Citations: 601 So. 2d 577
Docket Number: No. 91-2104
Parties: EMERALD ACRES INVESTMENTS, INC., Appellant, v. The BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS OF LEON COUNTY; Leon County, a Political Subdivision of the State of Florida; and Tallahassee-Leon County Planning Commission, a Governmental Commission Pursuant to Interlocal Agreement, Appellees.
Judges: BARFIELD and ALLEN, JJ., concur.
Reporter: Southern Reporter, Second Series
Volume: 601
Pages: 577–584

Head Matter:
EMERALD ACRES INVESTMENTS, INC., Appellant, v. The BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS OF LEON COUNTY; Leon County, a Political Subdivision of the State of Florida; and Tallahassee-Leon County Planning Commission, a Governmental Commission Pursuant to Interlocal Agreement, Appellees.
No. 91-2104.
District Court of Appeal of Florida, First District.
May 18, 1992.
On Motion for Rehearing July 9, 1992.
Frank P. Rainer, McFarlain, Sternstein, Wiley & Cassedy, Tallahassee, for appellant.
David La Croix, Pennington, Wilkinson, Dunlap, Bateman & Camp, Tallahassee, for appellees.

Opinion:
PER CURIAM.
Appellant seeks review of an order denying its petition for writ of certiorari and mandamus. The trial court found that appellant did not comply with the provisions of section 163.3215, Florida Statutes (1989). We agree and affirm.
Appellant filed an application for approval of a preliminary subdivision plat. The Tallahassee-Leon County Planning Commission announced its oral decision to deny the application at its June 15,1989 meeting, stating that the proposed subdivision was too dense when compared with other subdivisions in the area, thus violating provisions in the comprehensive plan relating to compatibility. The planning commission also determined that the proposed plat was inconsistent with comprehensive plan policies promoting compact urban growth and discouraging urban sprawl. On June 16, 1989, appellant's counsel appealed the decision of the planning commission to the Leon County Board of County Commissioners (Board). At its June 27, 1989 meeting, the Board upheld the planning commission action and denied the application.
On July 25, 1989, the planning commission wrote appellant "in order to comply with Leon County Ordinance Section 18-35(4)(c)." The letter advised appellant that appellant had thirty days to appeal the decision of the planning commission to the Board, but notes: "The letter was not written at the time of the Planning Commission's action [6/15/89] since your representative filed written notice of appeal of that decision on the morning of June 16, 1989. Your appeal was heard by the Board of County Commissioners on June 27, 1989."
Appellant filed a petition for writ of cer-tiorari and mandamus and complaint for declaratory judgment and injunctive relief with the circuit court on July 27, 1989. After hearing, the trial court determined that the denial of the application was a departure from the essential requirements of law. The trial court found that the subdivision was consistent with the comprehensive plan and that the denial of the proposed plat based upon inconsistency with the comprehensive plan was therefore erroneous. On appeal, this Court found that the issue presented by the complaint was whether the proposed development was consistent with the comprehensive plan and that the trial court should have granted the motion of the' Board and the planning commission to dismiss for failure of the appellant to comply with the provisions of section 163.3215, Florida Statutes (1989). The matter was remanded with directions to dismiss the complaint. The Court noted that the trial court could grant leave to amend and permit the appellant to file an amended complaint alleging compliance with the statutory condition precedent. Leon County v. Parker, 566 So.2d 1315 (Fla. 1st DCA 1990).
After dismissal of the complaint on remand, appellant filed an amended complaint again raising the issue of whether the proposed development was consistent with the comprehensive plan. Appellant also asserted that all conditions precedent to the institution and maintenance of the action, including the requirements of section 163.3215, had occurred, been satisfied or waived. Specifically, appellant alleged that a verified copy of the complaint had been filed with Leon County on August 24, 1989. The trial court denied the petition for writ of certiorari and mandamus. The trial court noted that the Board affirmed the planning commission's conclusion, that denial of the plat was consistent with the comprehensive plan, at its June 27, 1989 meeting. The trial court found that the verified complaint was filed 58 days after the decision of the Board, in violation of section 163.3215.
Section 163.3215 provides, in pertinent part:
(1) Any aggrieved or adversely affected party may maintain an action for injunc-tive or other relief against any local government to prevent such local government from taking any action on a development order, , as defined in s. 163.3164, which materially alters the use or density or intensity of use on a particular piece of property that is not consistent with the comprehensive plan adopted under this part.
(3) .
(b) Suit under this section shall be the sole action available to challenge the consistency of a development order with a comprehensive plan adopted under this part.
(4) As a condition precedent to the institution of an action pursuant to this section, the complaining party shall first file a' verified complaint with the local government whose actions are complained of[ ] setting forth the facts upon which the complaint is based and the relief sought by the complaining party. The verified complaint shall be filed no later than 30 days after the alleged inconsistent action has been taken. The local government receiving the complaint shall respond within 30 days after receipt of the complaint. Thereafter, the complaining party may institute the action authorized in this section. However, the action shall be instituted no later than 30 days after the expiration of the 30-day period which the local government has to take appropriate action. Failure to comply with this subsection shall not bar an action for a temporary restraining order to prevent immediate and irreparable harm from the actions complained of.
The trial court correctly determined that appellant failed to timely file a verified complaint with the local government. Appellant argues that the 30-day period for filing the verified complaint does not commence until the County's decision is reduced to writing and sent to the applicant. We reject this argument. Section 163.3215 contains no requirement that the "alleged inconsistent action" be reduced to writing. Appellant has cited no ordinance requiring the Board to reduce its action to writing. Appellant's reliance upon Leon County Ordinance section 18-35 is misplaced. This ordinance requires the planning commission to notify an applicant in writing of its action, apparently to facilitate an appeal of the decision to the Board. We also reject appellant's argument that rules of appellate procedure relating to certiorari and rendition of an order be engrafted by the court upon the statutory cause of action and its limitations upon commencement of proceedings in circuit court. The legislative requirement of filing a verified complaint with the local government within 30 days of the local government's alleged inconsistent action does not require the assistance of court rules designed to determine time periods for seeking review of court rulings.
We also reject appellant's argument that section 163.3215 unconstitutionally infringes on the rule-making authority of the Florida Supreme Court. As recognized in Parker, the legislature had legitimate, substantive reasons for enacting the requirement of filing a verified complaint as a condition precedent to instituting a judicial action:
A local government body, such as a county commission, often proceeds in an informal, free-form manner. The action of the Leon County Commission in these cases does not appear to be an exception. Rather than simply deny the respondent's requests in the cases below, the Leon County Commission suggested that the respondents meet further with the Planning Commission in an effort to work out differences. The requirement of Section 163.3215(4) that a verified complaint be filed with the local government prior to instituting suit has the salutary effect of putting such governmental body on notice that it should be prepared to defend its action and will need to create a record to support that action.
566 So.2d at 1317. Cf. Williams v. Campagnulo, 588 So.2d 982 (Fla.1991) (Section 768.57, Florida Statutes, requiring notice of intent to file a medical malpractice action, was intended to address a legitimate legislative policy decision relating to medical malpractice and established a process intended to promote the settlement of meritorious claims at an early stage without the necessity of a full adversarial proceeding; statute was primarily substantive and was not an unconstitutional invasion of the court's rule-making authority).
Appellant's argument that the remedy of common law certiorari is still available is without merit. This argument is controlled by the decision in Parker, where the trial court's initial construction of section 163.3215 was rejected:
The trial court stated, in the final judgment, "... The remedies available to an applicant to challenge the denial by use of certiorari review remain." Such construction is not in conformity with the plain language of the statute.
566 So.2d at 1317. The remedy of common law certiorari is not available because the legislature has designated the statutory remedy the sole action available to challenge the consistency of a development order with a comprehensive plan adopted under the Local Government Comprehensive Planning and Land Development Regulation Act. Section 163.3215(3)(b), Fla. Stat. (1989).
AFFIRMED.
BARFIELD and ALLEN, JJ., concur.
KAHN, J., concurs, with written opinion.
. The matter was consolidated on appeal with Leon County v. Parker, 566 So.2d 1315 (Fla. 1st DCA 1990), because the two cases involved similar applications by developers for approval of preliminary subdivision plats and similar issues on appeal.
. "Local government" means "any county or municipality." Section 163.3164(12), Florida Statutes (1989).
. "Development order" is defined to mean "any order granting, denying, or granting with conditions an application for a development permit." "Development permit" is defined to include any subdivision approval. Section 163.3164(6) and (7), Florida Statutes (1989).