Case Name: CAPE ROYAL REALTY, INC., Appellant, v. Kathleen J. KROLL, Appellee
Court: Florida District Court of Appeal
Jurisdiction: Florida
Decision Date: 2002-01-18
Citations: 804 So. 2d 605
Docket Number: No. 5D01-732
Parties: CAPE ROYAL REALTY, INC., Appellant, v. Kathleen J. KROLL, Appellee.
Judges: SHARP, W., J., concurs.
Reporter: Southern Reporter, Second Series
Volume: 804
Pages: 605–609

Head Matter:
CAPE ROYAL REALTY, INC., Appellant, v. Kathleen J. KROLL, Appellee.
No. 5D01-732.
District Court of Appeal of Florida, Fifth District.
Jan. 18, 2002.
Marybeth McDonald of McDonald & Rodgers, P.A., Orlando and Elizabeth C. Wheeler of Wheeler & Wilkinson, LLP, Orlando, for Appellant.
Charles R. Stack and Michael W. Dwyer of Hugh, Stack, Palahach & Cruanes, Melbourne, for Appellee.

Opinion:
LAMBERT, BRIAN D., Associate Judge.
The issue on appeal is whether this court has jurisdiction to review a non-final order granting Kathleen J. Kroll's motion to set aside the final order of dismissal entered for lack of prosecution.
More than a year after the last record activity in this case, Cape Royal Realty, Inc., as the defendant below in this negligence action, filed a motion to dismiss for lack of prosecution. Fla. R. Civ. P. 1.420(e). On January 18, 2001, the trial court held a hearing on the matter and subsequently entered its final order dismissing Kroll's case for failure to prosecute.
Kroll then retained counsel who, seven days later, on January 25, 2001, filed a notice of appearance as well as a motion to set aside the order of dismissal for lack of prosecution. The trial court entered a new order setting aside its final order of dismissal after a hearing was held on the matter. This subsequent order is the subject of this appeal.
A denial of a motion to dismiss for lack of prosecution is a non-appealable non-final order. See Bowl America Blonda, Inc. v. Schmidt, 386 So.2d 1203 (Fla. 5th DCA 1980); Southwinds Riding Academy v. Schneider, 507 So.2d 782 (Fla. 3d DCA 1987). Similarly, an order setting aside an order of dismissal for failure to prosecute is also a non-appealable, non-final order under Florida Rule of Appellate Procedure 9.130(a)(4). See Universal Casualty Insurance Co. v. Rodriguez, 548 So.2d 674 (Fla. 3d DCA 1989); Marsh & McLennan, Inc. v. Aerolineas Nacionales Del Ecuador, 530 So.2d 971 (Fla. 3d DCA 1988). Defendant asserts that this court has jurisdiction pursuant to Rule 9.130(a)(5), Florida Rules of Appellate Procedure because the trial court's reinstatement of the action was done pursuant to Florida Rules of Civil Procedure 1.540. See Allstate Insurance Co. v. Bucelo, 650 So.2d 1128 (Fla. 3d DCA 1995). In response, Kroll asserts that her motion was, in essence, a Rule 1.530 motion for rehearing, and that this court lacks jurisdiction to review the order on appeal.
We find that Kroll's motion to set aside the order of dismissal for lack of prosecution, though not designated by her as either a Rule 1.530 motion for rehearing or a Rule 1.540 motion for relief from judgment, due to mistake, inadvertence, surprise or excusable neglect, having been filed within seven days of the final order of dismissal, was intended to operate as a Rule 1.530 motion for rehearing. Upon the timely filing of a petition for rehearing (as was done in the instant case), the rendition of the final order is suspended and the trial court has the power and authority to completely alter or change its final judgment or order. E.g., Pruitt v. Brock, 437 So.2d 768 (Fla. 1st DCA 1983); Fugazy Travel Bureau, Inc. v. State By Dickinson, 188 So.2d 842, 844 (Fla. 4th DCA 1966); see also St. Cloud Utilities v. Moore, 410 So.2d 973, 974 n. 3 (Fla. 5th DCA 1982). A Rule 1.540 motion is a request by a party to provide relief after the trial court has lost jurisdiction over a case. In this case, Kroll's motion was filed while the trial court still had jurisdiction to completely change its final order of dismissal. Cf. Allstate Insurance Co. v. Bucelo, supra, (motion to reinstate lawsuit filed 117 days after dismissal for lack of prosecution treated as a Rule 1.540 motion).
Kroll's motion to set aside the order of dismissal for lack of prosecution was, pro-eedurally, a timely filed motion for rehearing. Therefore, the order on appeal, which effectively reinstated the action, is analogous to the trial court having initially denied the motion to dismiss for lack of prosecution. We agree with our sister court that it would be anomalous if we were to allow this appeal simply because the decision to deny the motion to dismiss was made after rehearing when an appeal following an initial denial of the motion to dismiss for lack of prosecution would not be allowed. Marsh & McLennan, Inc. v. Aerolineas Nacionales Del Ecuador, 530 So.2d at 973. Therefore, we dismiss this appeal for lack of jurisdiction.
APPEAL DISMISSED.
SHARP, W., J., concurs.
HARRIS, J., dissents with opinion.