Court Opinion

ID: 9409789
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-07-19 15:05:19.478184+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T17:20:53.615011
License: Public Domain

DISTRICT COURT OF APPEAL OF THE STATE OF FLORIDA
                              FOURTH DISTRICT

                  ELSA SANCHEZ and LUIS SANCHEZ,
                            Appellants,

                                      v.

          CITIZENS PROPERTY INSURANCE CORPORATION,
                           Appellee.

                               No. 4D23-642

                              [July 19, 2023]

   Appeal of a nonfinal order from the Circuit Court for the Seventeenth
Judicial Circuit, Broward County; Michael A. Robinson, Judge; L.T. Case
No. CACE22011898.

  Jeremy D. Bailie of Weber, Crabb & Wein, P.A., St. Petersburg, for
appellants.

   Scot E. Samis, C. Ryan Jones, and Brandon R. Christian of Traub
Lieberman Straus & Shrewsberry LLP, St. Petersburg, for appellee.

GERBER, J.

    The homeowners appeal from the circuit court’s non-final order
granting the insurer’s motion to stay and compel appraisal. After the
homeowners filed their initial brief, the insurer filed a motion to dismiss
this appeal as moot, on the basis that the insurer was withdrawing its
demand for appraisal and agreeing to a lift of the stay so the underlying
litigation can proceed. The homeowners filed a response arguing that
because the insurer has consented to the homeowners’ requested relief,
we should treat the insurer’s motion to dismiss as a confession of error
and reverse the circuit court’s order.

    By previous order, we agreed with the homeowners’ response, and
indicated we would treat the insurer’s motion to dismiss as a confession
of error. See, e.g., Barfield v. Dep’t of State, Div. of Licensing, 568 So. 2d
493, 494 (Fla. 1st DCA 1990) (where, after the appellant’s appeal, the
appellee agreed to the appellant’s requested relief, and the appellee then
filed a motion to dismiss the appeal as moot, the appellate court elected to
treat the appellee’s motion to dismiss as a confession of error, and reversed
and remanded the case for further proceedings).

  We now reverse the circuit court’s non-final order granting the insurer’s
motion to stay and compel appraisal, and remand for further proceedings.

   Reversed and remanded.

MAY and CIKLIN, JJ., concur.

                            *        *         *

   Not final until disposition of timely filed motion for rehearing.

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