Evans v. Gulf Landings Association, Inc.
A homeowners' 2011 declaratory action over who must maintain a drainage easement ended with an order granting the HOA summary judgment that was never reduced to a final judgment; the case was later dismissed for lack of prosecution. In the HOA's later damages suit, the trial court held the maintenance issue was settled as 'law of the case.' The Second DCA reversed, holding the law of the case doctrine applies only to issues decided on appeal and that collateral estoppel did not apply because the unreduced summary judgment order remained interlocutory and the only final disposition (dismissal for lack of prosecution) was not on the merits.
🔒 Read the full opinion, holding & search the library
The full opinion PDF, the rules the court applied, our significance analysis, the background facts, and full-text search across every tracked Florida decision are available to members. Start a free 30-day trial — no credit card.
Not ready to sign up? Get the free Friday digest — the week's key Florida decisions by email, no login required.
Florida Court Tracker provides summaries of publicly available court opinions for informational and research purposes only. This is not legal advice and does not create an attorney–client relationship. Always verify holdings against the official opinion.