Ross v. Prospectsplus!, Inc.

NOT FINAL UNTIL TIME EXPIRES TO FILE REHEARING
MOTION AND, IF FILED, DETERMINED
IN THE DISTRICT COURT OF APPEAL
OF FLORIDA
SECOND DISTRICT
ROBERTA ROSS, )
)
Appellant, )
)
v. ) Case No. 2D14-5217
)
PROSPECTSPLUS!, INC., )
)
Appellee. )
)
Opinion filed January 6, 2016.
Appeal from the Circuit Court for Sarasota
County; Kimberly Bonner, Judge.
William L. Yanger of Yanger Law Group,
P.A., Tampa, for Appellant.
R. John Cole, II, and Richard John Cole, III,
of R. John Cole, II, & Associates, P.A.,
Sarasota, for Appellee.
ALTENBERND, Judge.
Roberta Ross appeals an order confirming an arbitration award. We
conclude that the order is a nonfinal, nonappealable order. In many cases we would
relinquish jurisdiction for the trial court to enter a final, appealable order. But the issues
that Ms. Ross wishes to raise do not appear to be issues within our scope of review
even from a final order. Accordingly, we dismiss this appeal.
Roberta Ross was an independent contractor who sold products for
Prospectsplus!, Inc. The parties entered into a "Representative Agreement" in 2005,
under which Ms. Ross received certain compensation for sales. The agreement
provided for the resolution of any claims or controversies between the parties by
arbitration pursuant to the American Arbitration Association rules.
Prospectsplus! terminated this contract at the end of 2012, and a
controversy arose concerning Ms. Ross's right to receive continuing payments for
products sold to customers who were obtained through Ms. Ross's efforts. She filed a
claim for arbitration with the American Arbitration Association alleging a breach of
contract and unjust enrichment. After a two-day hearing, the arbitrator filed a short
award in August 2014 denying Ms. Ross's claims and ruling in favor of Prospectsplus!.
Oddly, Ms. Ross thereafter filed a petition in circuit court pursuant to
section 682.12, Florida Statutes (2014), to confirm the award in her unsuccessful
arbitration. She did not seek to vacate the unsuccessful award for any of the reasons
enumerated in section 682.13. The circuit court accommodated her request and
entered an "Order Confirming Arbitration Award." Ms. Ross now seeks to appeal the
order in which the circuit court provided her with the relief she requested. In her brief,
Ms. Ross argues that the arbitrator erred in making certain rulings during the arbitration.
This court issued an order for Ms. Ross to show cause why the action
should not be dismissed as an appeal from a nonfinal, nonappealable order. Having
received responses, we conclude that the appeal should be dismissed.
Section 682.15 states that "[u]pon granting an order confirming . . . an
award, the court shall enter a judgment in conformity therewith." Thus, an order
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confirming an arbitration award is not the final order in such a proceeding; it must be
followed by a final judgment. See City of Tallahassee v. Big Bend PBA, 703 So. 2d
1066, 1069 (Fla. 1st DCA 1997). No final judgment has been entered in this case.
Even if a final judgment had been entered in this case, the issues that this
court can consider under its scope of review of an order confirming an arbitration award
are very narrow. Ms. Ross is not aggrieved by the order confirming arbitration because
she asked for this order; she cannot argue that the circuit court erred in ruling in her
favor on this petition. Even when a party files a motion to vacate an award, the legal
rulings made by the arbitrator are rarely within the purview of our review. See Eaton
Vance Distribs., Inc. v. Ulrich, 692 So. 2d 915, 916 (Fla. 2d DCA 1997); Applewhite v.
Sheen Fin. Res., Inc., 608 So. 2d 80 (Fla. 4th DCA 1992).
Accordingly, we dismiss this appeal. If Ms. Ross believes there is an
issue this court can review following the entry of final judgment on the order of
confirmation, she is still free to file an appeal from that final judgment.
Dismissed.
NORTHCUTT and CRENSHAW, JJ., Concur.
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