[RPPTL LandTen] Dangerous Expansion of the waiver of Landlord's right toi sue for possession

[Jeff Mazor]

A number of residential eviction cases have been dismissed with prejudice
based upon what I believe is a very distorted interpretation of FS, Section
83.56(5), copied at the bottom of this email. This may be something that
should be addressed by our committee. 

 

We know that when a Landlord accepts rent, she loses the right to proceed on
any  already-delivered Notice to Pay or Vacate, and must prepare and deliver
a new Notice to Pay or Vacate reflecting the reduced outstanding balance.
There is some indication that some judges may be uncomfortable with a
Landlord accepting a partial payment and then quickly serving a new Notice
to Pay or Vacate. 

 

These cases have held, in effect, that when a Landlord accepts rent that
includes any partial payment for the current month, she not only loses the
right to proceed on any  already-delivered Notice to Pay or Vacate,  but
also loses the right to do a new Notice to Pay or Vacate for the outstanding
balance for the current month, and loses the right to sue for eviction until
after the beginning of the next month!

 

The few judges that adhere to this approach seem to treat the current month
as a unified whole so that accepting any partial payment for that month
waives all enforcement rights for the whole month.  

                                                

The orders of dismissal contain language such as:

 

            “2.        Plaintiff waived the right to bring this action by
accepting rental monies during the period of noncompliance being sued. §
83.56(5), Fla. Stat. Plaintiff accepted $500.00 in August.

 

            3.         Under § 83.56(5), Fla. Stat., when a landlord accepts
rent with actual knowledge of noncompliance by the tenant, the landlord
waives his or her right to terminate the rental agreement for the
noncompliance. Hodgson v. Jones, 6 Fla. L. Weekly Supp. 758a (Fla. 17th Cir.
Ct. 1999).

 

            4.         A partial payment of the rent is an act of
noncompliance for the reason that at the time the landlord accepts the
partial payment the landlord is aware that the tenant is not in full
compliance with the terms of the rental agreement.”

 

As a practical matter, this approach means that if a tenant can only make a
partial payment for a given month, unless it is very substantial, the
Landlord probably should refuse the partial payment and instead proceed to
evict because, otherwise, the tenant will be able to stay for the entire
month without paying anything beyond that partial payment. 

 

This seemingly pro-tenant interpretation of the statute, if allowed to
stand, will simply mean more evictions and less ability to give any
consideration or flexibility to the tenants.

 

Your thoughts?  

 

Jeffrey R. Mazor, Esq.

J. R. Mazor & Associates, P.A.

Presidential Circle Building 

4000 Hollywood Blvd.,  Suite 265-s

Hollywood, FL 33021

Phone: 954-962-3500

Fax:       954-962-3560

Email:   JMazor at Mazor.com

 

 

Florida Statutes, Section 83.56(5) says, in part: 

 

            (5)        If the landlord accepts rent with actual knowledge of
a noncompliance by the tenant or accepts performance by the tenant of any
other provision of the rental agreement that is at variance with its
provisions, or if the tenant . . . the landlord . . . waives his or her
right to terminate the rental agreement or to bring a civil action for that
noncompliance, but not for any subsequent or continuing noncompliance.   . .
.

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