Bobby E. Williams challenges the final order declaring his 1998 Ford pickup truck forfeited as contraband under section 932.701, Florida Statutes (1997). We reverse the forfeiture because it was based on a summary judgment that the trial court had entered in reliance on unopposed, but insufficient, affidavits pursuant to Florida Rule of Civil Procedure 1.510(e).
In its complaint for forfeiture, the Sheriffs Office alleged that, while sitting inside
The detective’s affidavits were insufficient under Florida Rule of Civil Procedure 1.510(e), which requires that all summary judgment affidavits be made on personal knowledge and affirmatively show that the affiant is competent to testify to the matters in the affidavit. See Zoda v. Hedden,
First, despite the detective’s averment that the facts in the complaint were true based on his personal knowledge, that simply could not be true. He was not an eyewitness to the offense. He did not ,arrive at the scene until.after the acts had been completed. Therefore, the facts he recited as personal knowledge had to have come from the statements of the two victims, which makes those statements hearsay. See § 90.801, Fla. Stat. (1997). Second, because the detective was not present when the acts occurred, he is not competent to testify to what did occur. Third, because the facts as stated constituted hearsay, and did not fall within any of the hearsay exceptions, they could not be introduced into evidence. See § 90.803, Fla. Stat. (1997).
Since the trial court granted the motion for summary judgment and entered its final judgment of forfeiture based solely on the detective’s incompetent and insufficient affidavit, we must conclude that the trial court entered summary judgment without the benefit of any facts. Accordingly, summary judgment was improper. See Holl v. Talcott,
We acknowledge that the State is correct that Williams’ acquittal or conviction for the underlying charge is irrelevant to a civil forfeiture action, see Vasquez v. City of Hialeah,
Reversed and remanded for further proceedings.
