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The Law
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Disabilities Omnibus Case Severed
by Ron Davis Actions taken by a disabled customer have proven costly for a Florida shopping center owner as well as the other owner. As a likely result, the center’s owner and certain tenants could face a costly backlash. The shopping center includes Suncrest Plaza, Cerrato’s Italian Market Food, and Joa Thai Kitchen. The Americans with Disabilities Act and the Florida Americans with Disabilities both played major roles in what has become an important outcome for both owners and tenants. Suncrest Plaza is the lessor and operator of the shopping center. As a result, Suncrest Plaza responds when contacted by a tenant who has major complaints. And a response was necessary when a tenant did in fact have a complaint.
The complainant provided this information for consideration:
“I recommend that this court exercise its discretion and sever the complaint, because keeping the claim in one lawsuit does not serve the purposes and because of the potential for prejudice, expense, or delay.” The judge added, “This unusual lawsuit currently involves three parallel sets of law violations. All three sets in turn involve separate facts, and the defendant may raise separate arguments. “They may require the plaintiff to file an amended complaint that asserts only the claim pursued jointly against Suncrest Plaza and Cerrato’s Italian Market. “Plaintiff must file separate actions for the remainder of the claim and pay a filing fee for each new case, and for those reasons,” the judge concluded, “the court must therefore sever the case into separate lawsuits, especially if the plaintiff continues to assert the claims alleging in the current complaint. That will require a separate action to be filed.” (United States District Court M.D. Florida, Orlando Division, Filed 4/07/2017)
Decision: June 2017
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