Fourth District Court of Appeal Judge Carole Taylor wrote the opinion. Photo: Melanie Bell/ALM.
The Fourth District Court of Appeal invoked a rule of judicial deference that says courts should generally stay away from the affairs of voluntary organizations, reversing a decision against a Florida nonprofit.
The plaintiff, a Martin County aviation community called The Naked Lady Ranch Inc., had hoped to obtain an injunction against a former member accused of improperly using its runway and airstrip. But Martin Circuit Judge Barbara Bronis tossed the suit after a bench trial in May 2018. The judge found the plaintiff hadn’t established a prima facie case on any of its counts, and that its documents didn’t include a procedure for suspension or termination.
