Title: Mary Ellen Mcenderfer v. John C. Keefe
Citation: N/A
Docket Number: SC05-905
State: Florida
Issuer: Florida Supreme Court
Date: September 24, 1999

Supreme Court of Florida 
 
 
____________ 
 
No. SC05-905 
____________ 
 
MARY ELLEN MCENDERFER, 
Petitioner, 
 
vs. 
 
JOHN C. KEEFE, 
Respondent. 
 
[January 19, 2006] 
 
QUINCE, J. 
 
We have for review McEnderfer v. Keefe, 903 So. 2d 234 (Fla. 2d DCA 
2005), which certified conflict with Warburton v. McKean, 877 So. 2d 50 (Fla. 4th 
DCA 2004), quashed, 30 Fla. L. Weekly S613 (Fla. Sept. 8, 2005), and certified 
the following question, which was also certified in Warburton, as one of great 
public importance: 
WHERE A DECEDENT IS NOT SURVIVED BY A SPOUSE OR ANY 
MINOR CHILD, DOES DECEDENT’S HOMESTEAD PROPERTY, 
WHEN NOT SPECIFICALLY DEVISED, PASS TO GENERAL 
DEVISEES BEFORE RESIDUARY DEVISEES IN ACCORDANCE 
WITH SECTION 733.805, FLORIDA STATUTES? 
 
We have jurisdiction.  See art. V, § 3(b)(4), Fla. Const. 
 
 
- 2 -
   
This Court recently quashed Warburton and answered the certified question 
in the negative.  We therefore answer the certified question in this case in the 
negative and hold that where a decedent is not survived by a spouse or minor 
children, the decedent’s homestead property passes to the residuary devisees, not 
the general devisees, unless there is a specific testamentary disposition ordering the 
property to be sold and the proceeds made a part of the general estate.  See 
McKean v. Warburton, 30 Fla. L. Weekly S613 (Fla. Sept. 8, 2005). 
Accordingly, the decision in McEnderfer1 is approved in light of this Court’s 
decision in Warburton.  
It is so ordered. 
PARIENTE, C.J., and WELLS, ANSTEAD, LEWIS, CANTERO, and BELL, JJ., 
concur. 
 
NOT FINAL UNTIL TIME EXPIRES TO FILE REHEARING MOTION, AND 
IF FILED, DETERMINED. 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
                                          
 
 
1.  Petitioner raised several issues that were either not directly addressed by 
the district court in this case or were merely implied or cursory, at best.  We 
decline to address them in light of the controlling precedent of Warburton.  
 
 
- 3 -
Application for Review of the Decision of the District Court of Appeal - Certified 
Great Public Importance  
 
 
Second District - Case No. 2D03-5358 
 
 
(Pinellas County) 
 
Cord Christopher Mellor of Mellor and Grissinger, North Port, Florida 
 
 
for Petitioner 
 
Thomas G. Tripp, Pinellas Park, Florida 
 
 
for Respondent