Community Design Corporation v. Antonell case brief

Community Design Corporation v. Antonell case brief summary
459 So.2d 343 (1984)

CASE SYNOPSIS

Appellant employer sought review of the decision of the Circuit Court for Dade County (Florida) that entered a final judgment in favor of appellee employee that included attorney's fees and costs in a breach of contract case and appellee challenged the amount of the attorney's fees.

CASE FACTS
Appellant employer challenged the trial court's award of judgment with attorney's fees and costs to appellee employee on the grounds that the contract was too indefinite and uncertain to be valid and there was no agreement on the amount of the bonus, degree of completion, or division among employees.

DISCUSSION

• The court affirmed the decision in all respects, and held that appellee's cross appeal had no merit and the evidence was reasonably susceptible to a finding that appellant was due a bonus. 
• A jury could have found that the completion requirement was met and once completed appellant had a good faith duty to recommend a bonus for those who qualified. 
• The subsequent failure was a breach. 
• Otherwise appellant would have been allowed to receive the benefit of appellee's performance and then hide behind a cloak of vagueness. 
• Attorney's fees were appropriately awarded under Florida Stat. ch. 448.08 (1981) to avoid inequity to appellee in an action for unpaid wages, which included bonuses.

CONCLUSION
The court affirmed the judgment in favor of appellee employee in all respects, because appellee employee's cross-appeal on the amount of attorney's fees was without merit, and substantial competent evidence supported a finding that appellant employer breached its duty to appellee and was responsible for fees incurred in an action to recover wages including bonuses.

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