Natalia Carolinni Souza de Sa v. Star Blue Corporation, et al.
The Third District affirmed by citation opinion in an appeal arising from a Florida Rule of Civil Procedure 1.540(b)(3) motion for relief from judgment based on alleged fraud. The court reaffirmed that such a motion must specify the essential facts of the purported fraud rather than assert legal conclusions or rehash matters already explored at trial, and that only a prima facie showing of fraud entitles a movant to an evidentiary hearing. It also restated that an appellate court is reactive and cannot decide issues the trial court never ruled on.
Key facts
- Natalia Carolinni Souza de Sa, proceeding pro se, appealed from the Circuit Court for Miami-Dade County (Judge Jose M. Rodriguez) in litigation against Star Blue Corporation.
- The appeal challenged the denial of relief sought under Florida Rule of Civil Procedure 1.540(b)(3), which permits relief from a judgment for fraud, misrepresentation, or other misconduct of an adverse party.
- +2 more key facts with a free trial
Holdings
- To warrant an evidentiary hearing, a rule 1.540(b)(3) motion must specify the essential facts of the purported fraud and may not merely assert legal conclusions; the specificity requirement…
- +2 more holdings with a free trial
Why it matters
This citation opinion is a useful authority for defending post-judgment fraud attacks under rule 1.540(b)(3), a recurring feature of commercial and consumer litigation. It confirms that the pleading burden is… — full analysis with a trial
Read the full opinion, holdings & search — free for 30 days
The full opinion PDF, the rules the court applied, our significance analysis, the background facts, and full-text search across every tracked Florida decision — in your hands.
- Search every tracked Florida decision in seconds
- Save, tag & file the cases that matter into your own library
- Read the full plain-English analysis and holdings
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.