Opinion ID: 2491016
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 4

Heading: Prospective or Retroactive Application of Section 57.105(4)

Text: Substantive statutes are presumed to apply prospectively absent clear legislative intent to the contrary. See Metro. Dade County v. Chase Fed. Hous. Corp., 737 So.2d 494, 499 (Fla.1999) (The general rule is that in the absence of clear legislative intent to the contrary, a law affecting substantive rights, liabilities and duties is presumed to apply prospectively.) (citing Hassen v. State Farm Mut. Auto. Ins. Co., 674 So.2d 106, 108 (Fla. 1996); Arrow Air, Inc. v. Walsh, 645 So.2d 422, 425 (Fla.1994)). When determining whether a statute should be retroactively applied, the statute at issue is subjected to the following inquiries: The first inquiry is one of statutory construction: whether there is clear evidence of legislative intent to apply the statute [retroactively]. If the legislation clearly expresses an intent that it apply retroactively, then the second inquiry is whether retroactive application is constitutionally permissible. Id. at 499 (citations omitted). Further, to determine legislative intent as to retroactivity, this Court looks both to the purpose behind the enactment of the statute and the terms of the statute. Id. at 500. As the First District recognized in Walker, the purpose of the safe harbor provision is to give a pleader a last clear chance to withdraw a frivolous claim or defense . . . or to reconsider a tactic taken primarily for the purpose of unreasonable delay. Walker, 946 So.2d at 70 (citing Maxwell Bldg. Corp. v. Euro Concepts, LLC, 874 So.2d 709, 711 (Fla. 4th DCA 2004)). With regard to the language of the safe harbor provision, there is no evidence of a legislative intent to rebut the presumption against retroactivity. Both the statute and its enacting legislation are silent on the forward or backward reach of the safe harbor provision. Tellingly, the enacting legislation simply provides that [t]his act shall take effect July 1, 2002. Ch.2002-77, § 2, at 909, Laws of Fla. Due to the lack of evidence of legislative intent to apply the statute retroactively, we conclude that the safe harbor provision applies prospectively. Consequently, we need not consider the second interrelated inquiry as to whether retroactive application is constitutionally permissible. See Mem'l Hosp.-W. Volusia, Inc. v. News-Journal Corp., 784 So.2d 438, 441 (Fla. 2001) (citing Singletary v. State, 322 So.2d 551, 552 (Fla.1975)). Although we conclude that the safe harbor provision applies prospectively, this conclusion does not completely resolve the issue before us. We thus proceed to consider whether the safe harbor provision applies to cases such as Kenniasty where the frivolous claims were originally filed before the provision became effective, but the motion seeking attorney's fees pursuant to section 57.105 was filed after the provision took effect. The Fifth District in Kenniasty held that [a]lthough Deitz and Moore filed suit prior to the effective date of section 57.105(4), this safe harbor provision applied because Bionetics filed its motion for attorney's fees on March 28, 2003, well after its July 1, 2002, effective date. Kenniasty, 10 So.3d at 1186. In contrast, the First District in Walker held that the safe harbor provision did not apply retroactively to a case where the complaint was filed and the legal harm occurred before the effective date of the safe harbor provision. Walker, 946 So.2d at 71-72. Thus, whereas the Fifth District in Kenniasty focused on the date the motion for attorney's fees was filed to determine the applicability of the safe harbor provision, the First District in Walker focused on the time the legal harm occurred and the date the underlying suit was filed to determine the prospective application of the safe harbor provision. We conclude that Walker espouses the correct view. In this case, the claims for tortious interference with business relations, invasion of privacy, and violation of the federal Procurement Integrity Act were originally filed before the safe harbor provision became effective. Because the safe harbor provision is substantive and does not apply retroactively, we hold that the safe harbor provision cannot apply in this case. Therefore, the Fifth District erred in concluding that the safe harbor provision applied because Bionetics' motion for attorney's fees was filed after the safe harbor provision took effect. Having resolved the conflict presented before this Court, we decline to address the remaining issues raised by both parties in this case.