Court Opinion

ID: 9959757
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2024-04-12 16:03:02.567248+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T08:18:54.924750
License: Public Domain

FIFTH DISTRICT COURT OF APPEAL
                STATE OF FLORIDA
                 _____________________________

                      Case No. 5D23-0515
                  LT Case No. 2021-CP-001940
                 _____________________________

LANDON L. WILLIAMS, JR.,

    Appellant,

    v.

REGINALD L. WILLIAMS, SR.,
INDIVIDUALLY and as PERSONAL
REPRESENTATIVE of the ESTATE
of LANDON L. WILLIAMS, SR.,
a/k/a Landon Lovar Williams
Sr., LANITA WILLIAMS-WELLS,
YOLANDA S. WILLIAMS, AND
MICHELLE D. WILLIAMS,

    Appellees.
                 _____________________________

On appeal from the Circuit Court for Duval County.
Jack M. Schemer, Judge.

Landon L. Williams, Jr., Jacksonville, pro se.

Noel G. Lawrence, of Noel G. Lawrence, P.A., Jacksonville, for
Appellee, Reginald L. Williams, Sr.

No Appearance for Remaining Appellees.

                          April 12, 2024
HARRIS, J.

     Appellant, Landon Williams, Jr., appeals the trial court’s
Final Order Denying Petitions to Invalidate Last Will and
Testament of Landon Williams, Sr. Finding no error, we affirm
that order in all respects.

     Appellant also challenges the court’s finding of entitlement to
attorney’s fees in favor of Appellee, Reginald L. Williams, Sr. The
challenged order did not award any specific amount of fees, it
merely reserved jurisdiction to do so. An order finding entitlement
to attorney’s fees without setting the amount is a nonfinal, non-
appealable order. Sitaram v. Alley, 325 So. 3d 919, 921 (Fla. 5th
DCA 2020). We therefore dismiss this portion of the appeal for lack
of jurisdiction.

    Finally, Appellant challenges the trial court’s failure to
remove the personal representative and failure to rule on his oral
request for a mistrial. “Appellate courts may not decide issues that
were not ruled on by a trial court in the first instance.” Sierra by
Sierra v. Pub. Health Tr. of Dade Cnty., 661 So. 2d 1296, 1298 (Fla.
3d DCA 1995). Because these final two issues are not ripe for
appellate review, we dismiss those portions of the appeal as well.

    AFFIRMED in part; DISMISSED in part.

EDWARDS, C.J., and KILBANE, J., concur.

                 _____________________________

    Not final until disposition of any timely and
    authorized motion under Fla. R. App. P. 9.330 or
    9.331.
               _____________________________

                                 2