Opinion ID: 1641790
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 4

Heading: Dismissal of Claim Against MUI

Text: Respondent Miami Urology Institute (MUI) also contends that the trial court properly dismissed plaintiffs' cause against defendant MUI on independent grounds for plaintiffs' failing to serve a separate notice of intent to initiate litigation upon MUI. Petitioners counter by arguing that because, under rule 1.650(b)(1), Florida Rules of Civil Procedure, MUI bears a legal relationship to a prospective defendant who received a notice (Dr. Mekras), a separate notice to MUI was not necessary. Alternatively, even if a separate notice was required, petitioners allege that, under Ingersoll, MUI is estopped since this issue was not raised as an affirmative defense in a responsive pleading. [8] Rule 1.650(b), Florida Rules of Civil Procedure, provides, in pertinent part: (1) Notice of intent to initiate litigation sent by certified mail to and received by any prospective defendant shall operate as notice to the person and any other prospective defendant who bears a legal relationship to the prospective defendant receiving the notice. The notice shall make the recipient a party to the proceeding under this rule. (2) The notice shall include the names and addresses of all other parties and shall be sent to each party. (Emphasis added.) Since MUI bears a legal relationship to Dr. Mekras (i.e., it was his employer), notice to Dr. Mekras operated as notice to MUI. Paragraph (2) does not vitiate this interpretation. It requires, inter alia, the claimant to include the names and addresses of persons who are already parties to the action (i.e., those who have already been sent notices) in the new notice. This way a new defendant will know who has been previously joined as a defendant in the action. We therefore agree with petitioners that MUI is not entitled to a dismissal on this separate ground.