Summary
finding that issues of fact precluded summary judgment on plaintiff's tortious interference claim where defendants threatened to call third parties to tell them not to use plaintiff's services
Summary of this case from Special Purp. Accts. Receivable v. Prime One Cap.Opinion
No. 97-0668
June 10, 1998 Order Granting Clarification August 20, 1998
Appeal from the Circuit Court for the Seventeenth Judicial Circuit, Broward County; John Luzzo, Judge; L.T. Case No. 94-02278 (07).
John H. Pelzer and Mitchell E. Cook of Ruden, McClosky, Smith, Schuster Russell, P.A., Fort Lauderdale, for appellant.
Charles D. Bavol and Audrey B. Rauchway, Tampa, for Appellee-Jabil Circuit, Inc.
Appellant, a sales agent, represents manufacturers of electrical components used by Appellee, Jabil Circuit, Inc., in its products. Appellee originally purchased components through Appellant, but later began buying directly from the manufacturers. We reverse, in part, the summary judgment entered against Appellant on its claims of tortious interference with a business relationship. Issues of fact exist as to whether Appellee induced the manufacturers to stop using Appellant as their agent on the sales accounts of other buyers, as reflected by evidence that Appellee threatened to call all of the manufacturers with which Appellee did business to tell them not to use Appellant's services. However, summary judgment is affirmed with respect to Appellee's own decision to purchase directly from the manufacturers.
STONE, C.J., GROSS, J. and OWEN, WILLIAM C., JR., Senior Judge, concur.