Opinion ID: 6933764
Heading Depth: 4
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Application of Florida Law to the Facts

Text: The district court correctly submitted the evidence to the jury to decide whether the District acted as agent for Metro Dade. The record is replete with evidence that, viewed in the light most favorable to the plaintiffs, supports a jury finding that agency existed. For instance, workers for both the District and Metro Dade testified that when the District could not afford a power screen essential to its operation, Metro Dade lent it. the money and set repayment as a $2.00 per ton increase in the' sludge price. (R. 22-2610; 18-1918). Further, Cort Greenfield, the First District Conservationist for the District testified as follows: Bob Fergen 2 of the Metro Dade Water and Sewer Authority approached the District and asked the District to help the Authority dispose of sludge (R. 18-1919); the District agreed and understood their responsibility to be marketing and the County’s responsibility to be providing safe sludge and analysis. (R. 18-1925-26). Jack Campbell, Chairman of the Board of the District, testified that the District asked the Authority to give Parker a volume discount. The Authority consented. The District needed to move substantial quantities of sludge out of drying beds so the Authority could proceed with its plant construction; the District believed lowering the price would encourage sales and . enable it to quickly move the sludge and hasten construction. (R. 18-1909-10). James Cowgill, Sr., a professional engineer and employee of the Authority at the time in question, testified about the relationship between the Authority and the District. He testified that whenever the agreement between the two bodies was altered, they had to go through the County Commissioners (R. 21-2574); One time, the Authority cut its price in half so the District’s customers, who had lost them crops to freeze and canker disease, could afford the sludge (R. 18-2610-11); The Authority set up a pay scale so that the more sludge the District sold, the lower the price to the District would be (R. 18-2612); The Authority at one time lowered the sludge price and lent the District money after auditing the District’s books to see where the money and sales were going (R. 18-2572); And “a lot of times [the Authority] didn’t get [the District] the equipment [they had requested] because [the Authority] figured they could do as-is.” (Id.) All of the foregoing evidence, when viewed in the light most favorable to plaintiffs, including all reasonable inferences to be drawn therefrom, suffices to support the jury finding that agency existed. We cannot say the facts and inferences point so strongly and overwhelmingly in favor of the defendants that reasonable people could not have reached this verdict for plaintiffs. Accordingly, we affirm the jury finding that agency existed.