Sandra Epperson Rich v. John D. Rich
CourtDistrict Court of Appeal of Florida
Date FiledAugust 31, 2022
Docket2D19-2721
StatusPublished
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Full Opinion
DISTRICT COURT OF APPEAL OF FLORIDA
SECOND DISTRICT
SANDRA EPPERSON RICH,
Appellant,
v.
JOHN D. RICH; ARNOLD R. RICH; BANNUM, INC.; KENTUCKY
MANAGEMENT GROUP, INC.; and 656 R/E VENTURE, INC.,
Appellees.
No. 2D19-2721
August 31, 2022
Appeal pursuant to Fla. R. App. P. 9.130 from the Circuit Court for
Pinellas County; Christopher LaBruzzo, Judge.
David A. Maney of Maney, Damsker & Jones, P.A., Tampa, for
Appellant.
Michael J. Park of Park, Ossian, Barnaky & Park, P.A., Clearwater,
for Appellee John D. Rich.
No appearance for remaining Appellees.
KELLY, Judge.
Sandra Epperson Rich (the Former Wife) appeals the trial
court's nonfinal order awarding John D. Rich (the Former Husband)
$126,220.61 in attorney's fees and costs and denying her amended
motion for attorney's fees and costs in this dissolution of marriage
proceeding. The trial court based its ruling on "the Former Wife's
inequitable conduct regarding her meritless defenses to the
establishment and enforcement of the parties' Antenuptial
Agreement" and the Former Wife's "inequitable conduct regarding
documents she allegedly procured from a dumpster on the private
property of the Third-Party Defendants and their accountant."
Given our disposition of the parties' related appeal from the final
judgment of dissolution,1 we reverse.
In Rich v. Rich, 337 So. 3d 138 (Fla. 2d DCA 2022), this court
concluded that the trial court's findings regarding the interpretation
of the antenuptial agreement and the admissibility of the "dumpster
documents" were erroneous and that a new trial was required. Id.
at 147–49. Thus, because many of the findings on which the trial
court based its attorney's fee award to the Former Husband will be
1 Rich v. Rich, 337 So. 3d 138 (Fla. 2d DCA 2022).
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revisited on retrial, we reverse the fee award to the Former Husband
and remand for reconsideration.
We also reverse the denial of the Former Wife's amended
motion for attorney's fees under section 61.16, Florida Statutes
(2018), and Rosen v. Rosen, 696 So. 2d 697 (Fla. 1997). Upon
remand, the court shall consider the relative financial positions and
conduct of the parties during the proceedings, including the Former
Husband's delay tactics, litigiousness, and failure to comply with
many orders of the court. See Kelly v. Kelly, 925 So. 2d 364, 370
(Fla. 5th DCA 2006) (holding that the former wife was entitled to
costs and attorney's fees caused by the bad faith of the former
husband, including his obstructive tactics and his delay in paying
sums due the former wife throughout the proceedings).
Reversed and remanded with directions.
MORRIS, C.J., and SMITH, J., Concur.
Opinion subject to revision prior to official publication.
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