Item T2 T2
BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS
COUNTY of MONROE Mayor James K.Scholl,District 3
The Florida Keys Mayor Pro Tern Michelle Lincoln,District 2
Craig Cates,District 1
David Rice,District 4
Holly Merrill Raschein,District 5
Board of County Commissioners Meeting
March 25, 2025
Agenda Item Number: T2
2023-3844
BULK ITEM: Yes DEPARTMENT: County Attorney
TIME APPROXIMATE: STAFF CONTACT: Peter Morris
No
AGENDA ITEM WORDING: Authorization to initiate litigation against Sunset Garden Estate Land
Trust 2/10/2014, Simtrust Group LLC, and affiliated officers, fiduciaries, agents, and other responsible
parties, regarding violations of the Monroe County Codes and Comprehensive Plan that have occurred
and continue to occur at the property located at 93930 Overseas Highway in Tavernier.
ITEM BACKGROUND:
The property has been the site of illegal landclearing and illegal construction, as well as violations of
Chapter 4 of the Monroe County Code regarding animals. The property is owned by Sunset Garden
Estate Land Trust 2/10/2014, is located at 93930 Overseas Highway, Tavernier and currently has
property identification number 00089090-000000. The Monroe County Property Appraiser classifies
the property as "Vacant- Residential".
The County has the option of:
1. issuing a notice of violation and seeking relief before the Code Compliance Magistrate; or
2. filing a civil enforcement action seeking declaratory and injunctive relief, costs, fees, and/or
monetary penalties in Circuit Court to ensure compliance with the Comprehensive Plan, Florida
Building Code, Monroe County Code(s), and/or requirements of state law as applicable.
County staff recommends that the BOCC authorize the initiation of civil litigation against the above-
referenced property owner and other responsible parties for relief consistent with Option 2, including
but not limited to injunctive relief, costs of prosecution, and damages.
PREVIOUS RELEVANT BOCC ACTION:
N/A
INSURANCE REQUIRED:
No
1
CONTRACT/AGREEMENT CHANGES:
N/A
STAFF RECOMMENDATION: Approval.
DOCUMENTATION:
Monroe County Property Appraiser's Office - Property Record Card- (Parcel ID No. 00089090-
000000).pdf
Monroe County v. Sunset Garden Estate Land Trust 2.10.2014 et al., Case No. 3D23-1368 (Fla. 3rd
DCA Mar. 12, 2025).pdf
FINANCIAL IMPACT:
Approximately $412.50 in filing and summons fees, plus cost(s) of prosecution in an amount
determinable at the conclusion of litigation.
2
Liz Yongue
From: Ballard-Lindsey <Ballard-Lindsey@ Mon roeCounty-FL.Gov>
Sent: Monday, March 24, 2025 4:12 PM
To: Gomez-Krystal; County Commissioners and Aides; Kevin Madok; Senior Management
Team and Aides; Liz Yongue; InternalAudit
Cc: Shillinger-Bob; Williams-Jethon; Cioffari-Cheryl; Livengood-Kristen; Rubio-Suzanne;
Pam Radloff; County-Attorney; Allen-John; Danise Henriquez; Hurley-Christine; Rosch-
Mark; Gambuzza-Dina; Beyers-John; InternalAudit; Valcheva-Svilena
Subject: ADD-ON Item T2 03/25/2025 BOCC Meeting
Attachments: ADD-ON Item T2 03.25.2025 BOCC Meeting.pdf
Good Afternoon,
Please be advised,the following Add On Item is set for inclusion day-of meeting prior to the approval of the Agenda:
"Authorization to initiate litigation against Sunset Garden Estate Land Trust 211012014, Simtrust Group LLC, and
affiliated officers,fiduciaries, agents, and other responsible parties, regarding violations of the Monroe County Codes and
Comprehensive Plan that have occurred and continue to occur at the property located at 93930 Overseas Highway in
Tavernier."
The Agenda Item Summary is attached.Once approved,this will be considered Add On Item T2.
Sincerely,
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PLEASE NOTE: FLORIDA HAS A VERY BROAD RECORDS LAW. MOST WRITTEN COMMUNICATIONS TO OR FROM 7WE
COUNTY 2E(�ARDINC� COUNTY BUSINESS ARE PUBLIC RECORDS AVAILABLE TO 7WE PUBLIC AND MEDIA UPON
REQUEST'. YOUR EMAIL COMMUNICATION MAY BE SUBJECT'TO PUBLIC DISCLOSURE.
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Monroe County, FL
**PROPERTY RECORD CARD**
Disclaimer
The Monroe County Property Appraiser's office maintains data on property within the County solely for the purpose of
fulfilling its responsibility to secure a just valuation for ad valorem tax purposes of all property within the County.The
Monroe County Property Appraiser's office cannot guarantee its accuracy for any other purpose.Likewise,data
provided regarding one tax year may not be applicable in prior or subsequent years.By requesting such data,you
hereby understand and agree that the data is intended for ad valorem tax purposes only and should not be relied on for
any other purpose.
By continuing into this site you assert that you have read and agree to the above statement.
Summary
Parcel ID 00089090-000000
Account# 1100960
Property ID 1100960
Millage Group 500P
Location 93930 OVERSEAS Hwy,TAVERNIER
Address
Legal 23 62 38 ISLAND OF KEY LARGO PT GOVT LOTS 4-5 A3-56
Description OR958-254/57 OR1312-1574DC OR1444-1989/93 OR1658-
656 OR1658-922/35 OR2329-189 OR2673-571/72
(Notes INot to be used on Ilegprll docuirnein s)
Neighborhood 1699
Property Class VACANT RES(0000)
Subdivision
Sec/Twp/Rng 23/62/38
Affordable No � i� rr i�
Housing ,
rr
Owner
5lJN.II:::" GAllall::)II::NII:::S"II'A'll"II::'.I...AINII:z"
.................................................................................................................................................................................................................
C/O Sl MTRUST GROUP LLC TRUSTEE
93930 OVERSEAS H WY
Tavernier FL 33070
Valuation
2024 Certified Values 2023 Certified Values 2022 Certified Values 2021 Certified Values
...............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
+ Market Improvement Value $0 $0 $0 $0
...............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
+ MarketMiscValue $37,193 $38,147 $0 $0
...............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
+ Market Land Value $42,598 $42,598 $42,598 $42,598
...............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
= Just Market Value $79,791 $80,745 $42,598 $42,598
...............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
= Total Assessed Value $34,011 $30,919 $29,718 $29,718
...............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
School Exempt Value $0 $0 $0 $0
...............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
= School Taxable Value $79,791 $80,745 $29,718 $29,718
Historical Assessments
Year Land Value Building Value Yard Item Value Just(Market)Value Assessed Value Exempt Value Taxable Value Maximum Portability
................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
2024 $42,598 $0 $37,193 $79,791 $34,011 $0 $79,791 $0
................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
2023 $42,598 $0 $38,147 $80,745 $30,919 $0 $80,745 $0
................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
2022 $42,598 $0 $0 $42,598 $29,718 $0 $29,718 $0
................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
2021 $42,598 $0 $0 $42,598 $29,718 $0 $29,718 $0
................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
2020 $42,598 $0 $0 $42,598 $29,718 $0 $29,718 $0
................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
2019 $42,601 $0 $0 $42,601 $42,601 $0 $42,601 $0
................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
2018 $21,665 $0 $0 $21,665 $21,665 $0 $21,665 $0
t the Maxinnnuinn Portability its ac n es�t:irnatt oinllyaiud sh�OUlld not be relied uupoin a,tJhR act.uuall poirtablllk..y arn�oururnt.Corrtact ryuir us�t'hce hoven i�ty the act uall poirtablllk.y arn�ouunit.
Land
Land Use Number of Units Unit Type Frontage Depth
................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
HARDWOOD HAMMOCK(OOHH) 4.72 Acreage 0 0
................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
ENVI RONMENTALLY SENS(OOOX) 1.18 Acreage 0 0
Yard Items
Description Year Built Roll Year Size Quantity Units Grade
...............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
TIKI 2022 Roll Year Ox0 1 1400SF 5
...............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
TI KI 2022 Roll Year O x 0 1 235 SF 4
Sales
Sale Date Sale Price Instrument Instrument Number Deed Book Deed Page Sale Qualification Vacant or Improved Grantor Grantee
...............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
2/10/2014 $0 Warranty Deed 2673 571 11-Unqualified Vacant
...............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
10/26/2007 $500,000 Warranty Deed 2329 189 T-Unqualified Vacant
View Tax Info
`J ew"Taxes for thk f°wcell
.....................................................................................................
Photos
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SCHNEIDER
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Opinion filed March 12, 2025.
Not final until disposition of timely filed motion for rehearing.
No. 3D23-1368
Lower Tribunal No. 19-0460-P
Monroe County, Florida, etc.,
Appellant,
vs.
Sunset Gardens Estate Land
Trust 2/10/2014, etc., et al.,
Appellees.
An Appeal from the Circuit Court for Monroe County, Timothy J.
Koenig, Judge.
Peter H. Morris, Assistant County Attorney, for appellant.
Hershoff, Lupino & Yagel, LLP, and Matthew O. Hutchinson, for
appellees.
Before FERNANDEZ, LINDSEY, and MILLER, JJ.
LINDSEY, J.
Appellant Monroe County appeals from a Final Declaratory Judgment
entered in favor of Appellee Sunset Gardens Estate Land Trust, following
cross-motions for summary judgment. Sunset operates a farm on its
property (the Florida Keys Farm) and sought a declaration as to whether
state law preempts County regulation of various agricultural uses of the
property (Count 1). Sunset also sought a declaration as to the legality of a
daily $200 fine imposed for land clearing (Count 11). The trial court entered
judgment in favor of Sunset on both counts. For the reasons set forth below,
we partially affirm and partially reverse.
I. BACKGROUND
The following facts are undisputed. In February 2014, Sunset acquired
the subject property, which the County had designated as Tier
environmentally sensitive land.' In September 2017, County Code
Enforcement began investigating illegal development of the property, and the
next month, it issued a Stop Work Order due to ongoing land clearing without
a permit. At this time, the property was classified as "residential vacant." In
January 2018, Sunset filed an Application for Agricultural Classification with
the Property Appraiser. This Application was approved in April 2018.
In October 2018, the County issued Sunset a Notice of Violation for
failure to obtain permits for beekeeping and land clearing. The Violation
required Sunset to obtain a permit to restore the property in a manner
approved by the County Biologist. In January 2019, the parties entered into
' Under the County's tier system, Tier I is the most environmentally sensitive
and the highest protected category.
2
a Stipulation Agreement. Pursuant to the Stipulation, Sunset agreed to
follow a detailed Restoration and Replanting Plan prepared by the County
Biologist. Nothing in the Stipulation required Sunset to obtain a permit before
following the Restoration Plan.
After a hearing, a magistrate entered a Final Order incorporating both
the Notice of Violation and the Stipulation. The Order required Sunset to
follow and complete the County Biologist's Restoration Plan by June 2019.
Failure to comply would result in a $200 per day fine. None of the conditions
in the Order required Sunset to obtain a permit before following the
Restoration Plan.
According to Jonathan Simpson, Sunset's Trustee, Sunset complied
with the Restoration Plan before the deadline and contacted the County for
reinspection. However, the County refused to complete the inspection
because Sunset failed to obtain a permit before following the Restoration
Plan. In July 2019, after the deadline for compliance had passed, the County
sent Sunset a letter informing it that unspecified violations remained on the
property and that fines of $200 per day would be imposed until the property
comes into compliance.
In September 2019, Sunset filed the underlying declaratory judgment
action. In its operative two-count Complaint, Sunset sought a declaration as
to the County's ability to regulate the agricultural uses of the farm—
regulations Sunset contends are preempted by State law. More specifically,
3
Sunset broadly alleged that various State statutes preempt "local laws,
ordinances, and code regulations related to the prohibition of agricultural
purposes, uses, operations or activities." Sunset did not identify which local
regulations were preempted. Sunset also sought a declaration that it
complied with the Stipulation and that the $200 per day fine was therefore
unlawful.
In August 2022, the parties participated in mediation, and Sunset
agreed to apply for a Letter of Understanding. In its application, Sunset
explained that it intended to use the property for a variety of agricultural and
agrotourism uses, including: "beekeeping, growing pineapples and other
nursery plants, raising goats for milk production, chickens for egg production,
processing goat milk soap, operating a farm market, hosting farm tours, farm
winery, and hosting weddings and other events." Sunset also referenced
several state laws that it claimed preempted local regulation of the intended
uses.
The County issued a 33-page Letter of Understanding providing "a
review of the current provisions of the Monroe County Comprehensive Plan
and Land Development Code . . . that would generally apply to the proposed
use and development on the subject property." The Letter set forth dozens
of local regulations. However, the Letter expressly made no determination
as to whether any State laws preempted local regulation of the property.
4
The County also filed a three-count Counterclaim seeking (1) a
declaration that over 35 local land development regulations are not
preempted by State law; (11) injunctive relief prohibiting further land clearing
and development; and (III) declaratory relief as to the enforcement of the
$200 per day fine.
Shortly after the County filed its Counterclaim, Sunset moved for
summary judgment. Sunset argued that local regulation of the agricultural
uses of the land was preempted by State law. Sunset also argued that the
County breached the Stipulation and therefore was not entitled to collect the
$200 per day fine. In response, the County agreed that the case should be
decided on summary judgment as both sides solely raised pure issues of
law. Accordingly, the County filed a cross-motion for summary judgment.
Following a hearing, the trial court entered final summary judgment in
favor of Sunset. The court determined that Florida law—including the Florida
Right to Farm Act (§ 832.14) and the Agricultural Lands and Practices Act (§
163.3162)—expressly preempts local regulation of Sunset's present
agricultural use of the land. However, the court declined to determine
whether the more than 35 local regulations listed in the County's
Counterclaim were preempted. With respect to the fines, the court
determined that Sunset had complied with the Restoration Plan and the
County had failed to comply with the Stipulation by refusing to inspect the
5
property. Consequently, the court declared that the County was not entitled
to collect the $200 per day fine.
The County timely appealed.
II. ANALYSIS
The parties filed cross motions for summary judgment below and
agreed that the issues raised present pure issues of law. Our standard of
review is de novo. See, e.g., Am. Auto. Ins. Co. v. FDH Infrastructure Servs.,
LLC, 364 So. 3d 1082, 1083 (Fla. 3d DCA 2023).
The County raises numerous arguments on appeal. The County's first
argument is that the appeal is moot. The County's remaining arguments
concern Sunset's 2017 development and Sunset's proposed future
development of the subject property. We address these arguments in turn.
a. Mootness
The parties do not dispute that the Property Appraiser classified a
portion of the subject land as agricultural for the 2022 tax year and
completely denied agricultural classification for the 2023 tax year. Because
the property is no longer classified as agricultural, the County contends this
appeal is moot. We disagree.
"An issue is moot when the controversy has been so fully resolved that
a judicial determination can have no actual effect." Godwin v. State, 593 So.
2d 211 , 212 (Fla. 1992). Here, there has not been full resolution of the
controversy for at least two reasons. First, according to Sunset, it has
6
appealed the Appraiser's determination to no longer classify the property as
agricultural, and this is pending before the trial court. In its challenge to the
Appraiser's change in classification, Sunset argues that the decision to
remove the agricultural classification is arbitrary and that Sunset is entitled
to the agricultural classification pursuant to § 193.461 , Florida Statutes
(2024).2 Because this remains unresolved in the trial court, we cannot say
that the appeal is moot.
The second reason the change in classification does not fully resolve
the issues on appeal is that this does not affect the legality of the daily $200
fine that was imposed after Sunset followed the Restoration Plan pursuant
to the Stipulation. Accordingly, we reject the County's mootness argument.
b. Sunset's 2017 Development
The County frames the "critical question for this Court to resolve" as
"[w]hether Sunset's massive unpermitted land clearing of this
environmentally sensitive Tier I parcel commencing in September 2017
constitutes `development' . . . ." We note that the order on appeal does not
2 Pursuant to § 193.461(3)(e), "land that has received an agricultural
classification from the value adjustment board or a court of competent
jurisdiction pursuant to this section is entitled to receive such classification in
any subsequent year until such agricultural use of the land is abandoned or
discontinued, the land is diverted to a nonagricultural use, or the land is
reclassified as nonagricultural pursuant to subsection (4)." Subsection (4)
requires the property appraiser to reclassify the following as nonagricultural:
(a) Land diverted from an agricultural to a nonagricultural use and (b) Land
no longer being utilized for agricultural purposes.
7
determine that the County could not regulate the development of the property
in 2017. Indeed, the trial court correctly found that after Sunset received the
Notice of Violation, it entered into a Stipulation in which it did not contest the
violations.
We have no trouble concluding that the County was within its authority
to prohibit Sunset from the land clearing that occurred in 2017 on
environmentally sensitive land that was zoned as "residential vacant" at the
time. Due to the property's environmental designation and the fact that it
was not zoned for agricultural use, Sunset could not have been engaged in
bona fide agricultural purposes' when it removed environmentally sensitive
vegetation and began developing the land.
But our analysis does not stop here. As a result of Sunset's
unpermitted land clearing, the parties entered into a Stipulation Agreement
in which Sunset agreed to follow a Restoration and Replanting Plan prepared
by the County Biologist. The Stipulation was expressly incorporated by the
code compliance Magistrate's Final Order. It is undisputed that Sunset
complied with the Restoration Plan, but when Sunset attempted to have the
property inspected, the County refused and imposed a $200 per day fine.
The County contends that it refused the inspection because Sunset was
required to obtain a permit before replanting. But neither the Magistrate's
' "The term `bona fide agricultural purposes' means good faith commercial
agricultural use of the land." § 193.461 (3)(b).
8
Final Order nor the Stipulation require Sunset to obtain a permit before
replanting. Instead, the County relies on its own Notice of Violation, which
the Magistrate's Final Order also incorporates.
We agree with the trial court that the express terms of the Stipulation,
entered into after the Notice of Violation, control. The Notice of Violation
required certain corrective action, including obtaining an after-the-fact permit
for restoration, which itself required input from the County Biologist. The
Notice further set a hearing date. Instead of proceeding to a public hearing,
the parties entered into a Stipulation in which Sunset agreed to follow a
comprehensive Restoration Plan prepared by the County Biologist. The
purpose of the after-the-fact permit in the Notice of Violation was to ensure
that the restoration complied with the dictates of the County Biologist. It is
illogical that such a permit would be required when the Stipulation already
required Sunset to follow a written, detailed Restoration Plan prepared by
the Biologist.
Moreover, as the trial court correctly observed:
[T]he Stipulated Agreement was entered into by the
parties in lieu of proceeding to a contested hearing
on the violation. The parties agreed to various terms
in the Stipulated Agreement that were incorporated
into the Final Order. The Stipulated Agreement does
not contain a requirement that Sunset Gardens
obtain a permit before re-planting, and therefore, this
requirement cannot be read into the Final Order.
9
Accordingly, the County's argument that Sunset was required to obtain
a permit fails. Because Sunset complied with the Stipulation, we affirm the
trial court's determination that the County is not entitled to collect the $200
per day fine.
c. Sunset's Proposed Development
We now turn to the County's arguments concerning Sunset's proposed
development of the property and whether State law preempts local regulation
of the property.4 As this is an appeal from a declaratory judgment, we begin
with the elements of declaratory relief.'
Our Supreme Court has explained that individuals seeking declaratory
relief must show the following:
[1] a bona fide, actual, present practical need for the
declaration; . . . [2] a present, ascertained or
ascertainable state of facts or present controversy as
to a state of facts; [3] that some immunity, power,
privilege or right of the complaining party is
dependent upon the facts or the law applicable to the
facts; [4] that there is some person or persons who
have, or reasonably may have an actual, present,
adverse and antagonistic interest in the subject
matter, either in fact or law; [5] that the antagonistic
and adverse interest are all before the court by
4 The County argues that Sunset is bound by the local regulations set forth
in the Letter of Understanding. We disagree. The Letter, by its own terms,
simply reviews local regulations that would generally apply and expressly
does not determine whether the County's growth management laws are
preempted by State law.
' "A declaratory judgment is a statutorily created remedy." Martinez v.
Scanlan, 582 So. 2d 1167, 1170 (Fla. 1991); see also Chapter 86, Fla. Stat.
(2024).
10
proper process or class representation[;] and [6] that
the relief sought is not merely the giving of legal
advice by the courts or the answer to questions
propounded from curiosity.
Martinez v. Scanlan, 582 So. 2d 1167, 1170 (Fla. 1991) (quoting May v.
Holley, 59 So. 2d 636, 639 (Fla.1952)). "These elements are necessary in
order to maintain the status of the proceeding as being judicial in nature and
therefore within the constitutional powers of the courts." Id. "There is a line
between an acceptable claim for declaratory judgment and an unacceptable
request for a court to provide an `advisory opinion."' Guttenberg v. Smith &
Wesson Corp., 357 So. 3d 690, 691-92 (Fla. 4th DCA 2023). In short, there
"must exist some justiciable controversy between adverse parties that needs
to be resolved for a court to exercise its jurisdiction." Martinez, 582 So. 2d
at 1171 .
Here, there is not a sufficient justiciable controversy to warrant
declaratory relief.' As an initial matter, there has not been a final resolution
of the subject property's zoning classification. As set forth above, the
Property Appraiser removed Sunset's agricultural classification, and this
dispute remains pending in the trial court.
6 We note that the 2018 Notice of Violation did include a violation for
beekeeping pursuant to section 110-140(a) of the Monroe County Code.
However, this violation was dismissed pursuant to the parties' Settlement.
We therefore do not decide whether local regulation of beekeeping is
preempted by State law.
11
Moreover, the preemption issues before us are too abstract to be
justiciable. In its request for a Letter of Understanding from the County,
Sunset did not set forth specific development plans. Instead, it explained
that it intended to use the property for "a variety of agricultural and
agritourism uses, including beekeeping, growing pineapples and other
nursery plants, raising goats for milk production, chickens for egg production,
processing goat milk soap, operating a farm market, hosting farm tours, farm
winery, and hosting weddings and other events." Similarly, the County has
listed over 35 local regulations' that might be applicable to Sunset's
proposed development plans. Such generalities involving potential
development and potentially applicable local regulations are simply
insufficient to create a justiciable controversy. See, e.g., Santa Rosa County
v. Admin. Comm'n, Div. of Admin. Hearings, 661 So. 2d 1190, 1193 (Fla.
1995) ("Florida courts will not render, in the form of a declaratory judgment,
what amounts to an advisory opinion at the instance of parties who show
merely the possibility of legal injury on the basis of a hypothetical `state of
facts which have not arisen' and are only `contingent, uncertain, [and] rest in
' These regulations cover a host of subjects, including permitting, building
and fence height requirements, stormwater mitigation, parking, open space
requirements, and maximum illumination. Until there is an actual
controversy between the parties over the regulated subject matter, there is
no jurisdiction to render declaratory relief. See, e.g., Aaronson v. White, 324
So. 3d 1024 (Fla. 3d DCA 2021).
12
the future."' (quoting LaBella v. Food Fair, Inc., 406 So. 2d 1216, 1217 (Fla.
3d DCA 1981))).
Indeed, the trial court properly declined to determine whether the more
than 35 local regulations were preempted by State law because this requires
a "use-by-use, ordinance-by-ordinance analysis." As the court further
explained:
The County is not entitled to a broad, wholesale,
declaratory finding that its land development
regulations or even the numerous ordinances cited in
its Counterclaim are not preempted to the State
because Monroe County has not shown how the
enumerated ordinances in its Counterclaim do not
impact farming operations, generally, and specifically
as to Sunset Gardens.
To the extent the order on appeal concludes that local regulation of
Sunset's current agricultural uses is preempted, we are compelled to reverse
because this implicates the same justiciability concerns. It remains uncertain
whether the subject property is currently classified as agricultural. Moreover,
the County has not issued any additional notices of violation or otherwise set
forth the exact local regulations that apply to Sunset's current agricultural
uses. Similarly, the trial court's Final Declaratory Judgment does not identify
which local regulations are applicable to Sunset's current agricultural uses
nor does the Judgment identify the local regulations that are preempted.
III. CONCLUSION
13
Accordingly, we reverse the Final Declaratory Judgment insofar as it
determines that unspecified local regulations pertaining to Sunset's
agricultural uses are preempted by State law. We affirm in all other respects,
including the trial court's determination that the County is not entitled to
collect the $200 per day fine.
Affirmed, in part; reversed, in part.
14