Mt. Hawley Insurance Company v. Michael A. Russo
CourtDistrict Court of Appeal of Florida
Date FiledMay 10, 2023
Docket2D2022-2471
StatusPublished
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Full Opinion
DISTRICT COURT OF APPEAL OF FLORIDA
SECOND DISTRICT
MT. HAWLEY INSURANCE COMPANY,
Petitioner,
v.
MICHAEL A. RUSSO and
LOKNATH FOOD AND FUEL, LLC,
Respondents.
No. 2D22-2471
May 10, 2023
Petition for Writ of Certiorari to the Circuit Court for Hillsborough
County; Rex M. Barbas, Judge.
Michele A. Vargas and Sina Bahadoran, of Clyde & Co US LLP, Miami,
for Petitioner.
Lydia Sturgis Zbrzeznj of Southern Atlantic Law Group, PLLC, Winter
Haven, for Respondent Michael A. Russo.
No appearance for remaining Respondent.
ROTHSTEIN-YOUAKIM, Judge.
Mt. Hawley Insurance Company petitions for a writ of certiorari to
quash the trial court's order instructing discovery to proceed, granting
Michael A. Russo's motion to compel, and denying in part Mt. Hawley's
motion for stay. Because no coverage action is pending in the trial
court—and one is pending in federal district court—we grant the petition
in part and quash the order to the extent that it permits discovery on
coverage matters. See Dep't of Rev. ex rel. T.H.W. v. D.E.B., 312 So. 3d
180, 184–85 (Fla. 2d DCA 2021) (granting certiorari petition and
quashing an order compelling genetic testing of nonparty where trial
court had subject matter jurisdiction over only a child support petition
and thus lacked subject matter jurisdiction over the paternity issue);
Plevy v. Plevy, 438 So. 2d 1053, 1054 (Fla. 4th DCA 1983) (granting
certiorari petition and quashing discovery order, reasoning that "[i]f the
trial court lacked jurisdiction to modify a judgment, it follows that it
lacked jurisdiction to enter a discovery order relating to modification"); cf.
Spacebox Dover, LLC v. LSREF2 Baron LLC, 112 So. 3d 751, 752 (Fla. 2d
DCA 2013) (concluding that the trial court departed from the essential
requirements of law by refusing to stay discovery in light of earlier-filed
action pending in another jurisdiction); State v. Harbour Island, Inc., 601
So. 2d 1334, 1335 (Fla. 2d DCA 1992) (same). In all other respects, the
petition is denied.
Petition granted in part and denied in part; order quashed in part.
MORRIS, C.J., and SLEET, J., Concur.
Opinion subject to revision prior to official publication.
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