County Faces Legal Fees in Rent Control Fight
An appeals court ruled Florida Realtors and the Florida Apartment Association can seek attorney fees from Orange County over a rent-control lawsuit.
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – An appeals court Friday said the industry group Florida Realtors® and the Florida Apartment Association can seek attorney fees from Orange County after a battle about a rent-control measure.
The groups filed a lawsuit in 2022 after the Orange County Commission adopted an ordinance that moved forward with the rent-control proposal. The lawsuit cited a state law designed to prevent rent controls and said Orange County had not met requirements for an exception to the law.
A court eventually issued a temporary injunction against the rent-control proposal, and the Legislature later made a change that eliminated the exception to the law. As a result, a circuit judge dismissed the lawsuit as moot.
But a three-judge panel of the 6th District Court of Appeal on Friday said the case should not have been dismissed because the groups could seek payment of their attorney fees.
The 11-page opinion, written by Judge Carrie Ann Wozniak and joined by Judges Keith White and Paetra Brownlee, sent the case back to circuit court to “assess and award reasonable attorney fees and costs.”
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