CLIFFORD RAGSDALE, INC. d/b/a Commercial Electric Company, a Florida Corporation, Appellant,
v.
MORGANTI, INC., Morganti, South Inc., Wolff & Munier, Inc., Federal Insurance Company, Jointly and Severally, Appellees.
District Court of Appeal of Florida, Fourth District.
*1322 Larry A. Klein and Cone, Owen, Wagner, Nugent, Johnson & McKeown, P.A., West Palm Beach, for appellant.
Michael B. Davis of Walton, Lantaff, Schroeder, Carson & Wahl, West Palm Beach, for appellees.
MOORE, Judge.
Appellant/plaintiff contends that the trial court erred in dismissing its cause and entering final judgment with prejudice. We disagree and affirm.
The time sequence is important and it is repeated as follows:
November 18, 1975 Defendants filed a motion to dismiss for failure to state a cause of action.
November 18, 1975 Defendants filed a motion to abate for failure of the plaintiff to comply with the "fictitious name statute," Section 865.09, Florida Statutes (1975).
February 13, 1976 Trial court dismissed plaintiff's complaint and granted plaintiff until March 15, 1976 to amend. Trial court also granted defendants' motion to abate.
July 28, 1976 Defendants filed a motion for final judgment dismissing complaint with prejudice.
September 3, 1976 Plaintiff's new counsel filed a notice of appearance, motion in opposition to motion for final judgment dismissing complaint with prejudice and an amended complaint.
November 5, 1976 Defendants filed motion to strike plaintiff's amended complaint because leave of court had neither been sought nor granted.
November 10, 1976 Final judgment entered dismissing with prejudice plaintiff's action.
Pursuant to the last entry indicated above, this appeal was instituted.
The record does not reflect any attempt on the part of the plaintiff to comply with the "fictitious name statute" which caused the "abatement" of the action below. Both parties, however, are deemed to have waived non-compliance by reason of their participation in further proceedings. See, Cor-Gal Builders, Inc. v. Southard,
In a scholarly opinion, Judge Wigginton traced the history of the rules of procedure in situations such as that before us through the year 1963. Hardee v. Gordon Thompson Chevrolet, Inc.,
In the absence of an abuse of discretion, the trial court's dismissal with prejudice will not be disturbed. E & E Electric Contractors, Inc. v. Singer,
Accordingly, the final judgment of dismissal with prejudice is
AFFIRMED.
ALDERMAN, C.J., and CROSS, J., concur.
NOTES
Notes
[1] "(b) Involuntary Dismissal: Any party may move for dismissal of an action or of any claim against him for failure of an adverse party to comply with these rules or any order of court. Notice of hearing on the motion shall be served as required under Rule 1.090(d) ... Unless the court in its order for dismissal otherwise specifies, a dismissal under this subdivision and any dismissal not provided for in this rule, other than a dismissal for lack of jurisdiction or for improper venue or for lack of an indispensable party, operates as an adjudication on the merits." (Emphasis added).
