D & M JUPITER, INC., Appellant,
v.
William FRIEDOPFER and Jupiter West, Inc., d/b/a Jupiter Industrial Associates, and William Collins, Appellees.
District Court of Appeal of Florida, Fourth District.
*486 John J. Shahady and Thomas R. Shahady of Adorno & Yoss, P.A., Fort Lauderdale, for appellant.
Jeremy E. Slusher of Broad and Cassel, West Palm Beach, for appellees.
POLEN, J.
This action arises out of the purchase of commercial property from William Friedopfer and Jupiter West, collectively doing business as Jupiter Industrial Associates (J.I.A.), for $1,850,000. On April 29, 1999, Michael Flora as a principal of D & M Jupiter (D & M) and his wife, as the buyers, and J.I.A., as the seller, entered into a commercial contract for the purchase of the property. Subsequent to their execution of the contract, the Floras assigned their interest therein to D & M. The dispute concerns the propensity of the *487 property to flood. Prior to entering into the contract, J.I.A. provided the Floras a twenty-page Confidential Offering Memorandum, stating in part that "[s]ite drain requirements are met through a French drain retention storm sewer system which collects into the master drainage system of the Jupiter Commerce Park." The bottom of each page in the relevant section of the memorandum contained the language "[t]his confidential information is deemed correct but not guaranteed." Despite such language, the Floras claim to have relied upon the representation that the property has proper drainage. On March 12, 2001, D & M filed a two-count complaint against J.I.A. alleging a cause of action for fraud in the inducement and negligent misrepresentation. J.I.A. filed a motion for summary judgment on June 6, 2002, alleging: (1) no record evidence to support D & M's allegations, (2) D & M's claims are barred by the economic loss rule, and (3) D & M waived its right to bring any claims. The trial court entered final summary judgment in favor of the J.I.A., and we hereby reverse.
In determining the propriety of summary judgment, we must resolve whether there is any genuine issue as to any material fact and if the moving party is entitled to a judgment as a matter of law. Fla. R. Civ. P. 1.510(c) (2003). Volusia County v. Aberdeen at Ormond Beach, L.P.,
As a general rule, it is a matter for the jury to determine if an intentional misrepresentation has been made by a seller to a buyer. See Walsh v. Alfidi,
Furthermore, the economic loss rule does not bar recovery in this case. The Supreme Court has announced "that by recognizing that the economic loss rule may have some genuine, but limited, value in our damages law, we never intended to bar well-established common law causes of action." Moransais v. Heathman,
The economic loss rule was held not to bar a fraud claim in Allen, where the buyers of a company brought a fraud action against the sellers for failing to accurately disclose the company's tax liability. The company rather than having no tax liabilities which it claimed, in fact owed $100,000 in unpaid taxes. The sellers moved for a directed verdict based on the theory that the economic loss rule barred the fraud claims, but the trial court denied the motion. In affirming the trial court's ruling, this Court said that the misrepresentation was "simply made and relied upon" in inducing the transaction, and also pointed out that the sellers were not required to take any further action based on this contract term and therefore the fraud must be in a term of the bargain and not in an act of performance. Id.
By contrast, the economic loss rule was held to bar recovery in Hotels of Key Largo, Inc. v. RHI Hotels, Inc.,
J.I.A.'s final ground for summary judgment is that D & M waived its right to bring a tort claim due to "as is" language in the contract. Though a party may waive any right to which he is legally entitled, whether secured by contract, conferred by statute, or guaranteed by Constitution, Gilman v. Butzloff,
In Oceanic Villas Inc. v. Godson,
[i]f the lease was procured by fraud and misrepresentation as to a material fact, the truth or falsity of which was known only to the lessor (and it is so alleged in the bill of complaint), and which misrepresentations, if proved, would be sufficient basis for a decree of rescission, then such fraudulent misrepresentation vitiated every part of the lease contract and the Lessee was not bound by the above quoted clause ... To hold that by the terms of the contract which is alleged to have been procured by fraud, the lessor could bind the lessee in such manner that lessee would be bound by the fraud of the lessor would be against *489 the fundamental principles of law, equity, good morals, public policy and fair dealing. Id.
We take from that holding that where there is fraudulent inducement of a contract, the fraudulent misrepresentation vitiates every part of the contract, including any "as is" clause. However, since the initial determination of whether there was a fraudulent misrepresentation has yet to be resolved, this issue is not ripe for review.
REVERSED and REMANDED for further proceedings consistent with this opinion.
FARMER, C.J., and ANDREWS, ROBERT LANCE, Associate Judge, concur.
