Foreclosure defense attorney Jeffrey H. Papell thought it was a done deal. He’d convinced Miami-Dade Circuit Judge Monica Gordo to dismiss a bank’s case against homeowner Katherine Radosevich and had an order entitling him to attorney fees for that work.

But a new appellate court ruling unpacking the nuances of “prevailing party” means Papell will have to return to the trial court to fight for his fees.