JAX Refrigeration, Inc. v. Raymond D. Chin, an Individual, Kerry T. Mowlam, an Individual, and KR Mechanical, LLC, a Florida Limited Liability Company
CourtDistrict Court of Appeal of Florida
Date FiledMay 20, 2020
Docket1D19-1673
StatusPublished
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Full Opinion
FIRST DISTRICT COURT OF APPEAL
STATE OF FLORIDA
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No. 1D19-1673
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JAX REFRIGERATION, INC.,
Appellant,
v.
RAYMOND D. CHIN, an
individual, KERRY T. MOWLAM,
an individual, and KR
MECHANICAL, LLC, a Florida
limited liability company,
Appellees.
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On appeal from the Circuit Court for Duval County.
Katie L. Dearing, Judge.
May 20, 2020
PER CURIAM.
AFFIRMED.
LEWIS and WINOKUR, JJ., concur; MAKAR, J., concurs with opinion.
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Not final until disposition of any timely and
authorized motion under Fla. R. App. P. 9.330 or
9.331.
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MAKAR, J., concurring.
Affirmance of the trial court’s detailed and thorough order,
which denied temporary injunctive relief, means only that the
plaintiff is not entitled to what is considered extraordinary relief
at the outset of the litigation. Provident Mgmt. Corp. v. City of
Treasure Island, 796 So. 2d 481, 485 (Fla. 2001) (“a temporary
injunction constitutes extraordinary relief”). It does not mean that
the plaintiff is without remedy in the form of damages against the
defendants upon due process and proper proof at trial. Just as a
“party successfully obtaining temporary injunctive relief can still
lose the case,” a “party whose application for temporary injunctive
relief is denied can still prevail on the merits.” Bruce J. Berman &
Peter D. Webster, 4 Fla. Prac., Civil Procedure § 1.610:9 (2020).
The trial court heard extensive testimony, made credibility
determinations, and found that the plaintiffs are substantially
likely to succeed on the merits of their breach of loyalty claim, but
concluded that damages were an adequate remedy at law,
rendering temporary injunctive relief unavailable. Of course, the
trial court’s initial factual findings and legal conclusion as to the
likelihood of success on this one claim are not dispositive and
further factual development of the parties’ pre- and post-
termination conduct may dispel, confirm, or augment this claim as
well as other claims and defenses. Ladner v. Plaza Del Prado
Condo. Ass’n, Inc., 423 So. 2d 927, 929 (Fla. 3d DCA 1982)
(“Because a party is not required to prove his case in full at a
preliminary injunction hearing, the findings of fact and
conclusions of law made by the court at that hearing are not
binding at the trial on the merits.”).
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M. Scott Thomas and Armando Nozzolillo of Burr & Forman, LLP,
Jacksonville, for Appellant.
Robert B. George of The Liles Firm, P.A., Jacksonville, for
Appellees.
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