Cricket Properties, LLC v. Nassau Pointe at Heritage Isles Homeowners Ass'n
124 So. 3d 302
| Fla. Dist. Ct. App. | 2013Background
- Cricket Properties, LLC purchased property by tax deed and seeks to quiet title against Regions Bank, SunTrust Bank, and Nassau Pointe HOA.
- Nassau answered and raised that Cricket was liable for unpaid assessments under §720.3085(2)(b); the banks defaulted.
- Cricket argued §197.573(2) extinguishes liens for unpaid assessments, so property is free of Nassau’s lien.
- The trial court held §720.3085(2)(b) supersedes §197.573(2); the judgment quieted title as to banks but not Nassau.
- The court noted Nassau’s pleadings did not address actual owed assessments, and the judgment preserved Nassau’s potential claims “without prejudice.”
- The appellate court reverses, holding §197.552 and §197.573(2) govern survival of liens and that tax deeds do not transfer title for §720.3085(2)(b).
Issues
| Issue | Plaintiff's Argument | Defendant's Argument | Held |
|---|---|---|---|
| Whether §720.3085(2)(b) survivorship applies to liens after tax deeds | Cricket relies on §197.573(2) to extinguish liens; §720.3085(2)(b) creates liability on transfer of title. | Nassau contends §720.3085(2)(b) preserves liens upon transfer by title. | §720.3085(2)(b) does not save liens from extinguishment; tax deeds do not constitute transfer of title. |
| Whether a tax deed constitutes a transfer of title for purposes of §720.3085(2)(b) | Title transfer occurs when ownership changes; §720.3085(2)(b) should apply. | Tax deed creates a new original title, not a transfer of title. | Tax deed does not equal a transfer of title; §720.3085(2)(b) cannot apply to pre-transfer unpaid assessments. |
| Whether §197.552 and §197.573(2) are controlling over §720.3085(2)(b) | Statutes should be harmonized; §197.552 and §197.573(2) extinguish liens. | §720.3085(2)(b) may supersede when later enacted. | §197.552 and §197.573(2) control; liens do not survive a tax deed, and §720.3085(2)(b) is not controlling. |
Key Cases Cited
- Sugarmill Wood Oaks Vill. Ass’n v. Wires, 766 So.2d 487 (Fla. 5th DCA 2000) (construction of preemption by tax deeds; savings for HOA liens)
- Blume v. Giles, 197 So. 344 (Fla. 1940) (tax title creates new, original title, not transfer)
- Dean v. Kane, 143 So. 656 (Fla. 1932) (tax title creates new title; not a transfer)
- GTC, Inc. v. Edgar, 967 So.2d 781 (Fla. 2007) (statutory interpretation; de novo review of legal questions)
- Palm Harbor Special Fire Control Dist. v. Kelly, 500 So.2d 1382 (Fla. 2d DCA 1987) (more specific statute governs over general terms when applicable)
- Mendenhall v. State, 48 So.3d 740 (Fla. 2010) (more specific statute controls when in conflict)
- Sugarmill Wood Oaks Vill. Ass’n v. Wires, 766 So.2d 487 (Fla. 5th DCA 2000) (reaffirmation of survivability of liens under related provisions)