Judge John Simon has ruled that late attorney George Ralph Miller and a company associated with lawyer/developer Lloyd Blue will be required to pay attorney's fees to Walton County resident Suzanne Harris in a Sunshine law case.
By TOM McLAUGHLIN
NWF Daily News
Judge John Simon has ruled that late attorney George Ralph Miller and a company associated with lawyer/developer Lloyd Blue will be required to pay attorney’s fees to Walton County resident Suzanne Harris in a Sunshine law case.
Harris, represented by attorney Matt Gaetz, will now go after attorneys fees from Walton County, which included Miller and Blue as “indispensible parties” during the protracted legal battle with Harris.
“It’s just a shame Walton County can’t do things in the sunshine,” Harris said, noting the county has now spent over $200,000 fighting her in a case she offered to settle.
“I told them if they’d just admit wrong doing I’d drop the suit,” Harris said.
A call to Lloyd Blue’s office was not immediately returned.
Harris filed a lawsuit in 2010 alleging the state Sunshine Law was violated when Walton County hired Miller without the public being notified.
It was filed following a controversial purchase of South Walton land in the area of Chat Holley Road.
Simon ruled with Harris when he decided in 2015 that then-interim County Attorney Lynn Hoshihara put Miller on retainer without notifying the board of county commissioners she was doing so.
That violated a county admonition to Hoshihara that she “work with the board to secure outside legal counsel, as needed,” Simon said in that ruling.
Walton County wound up paying $187,400 to Miller during the time he was on retainer.
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Banned
Bravo!
Banned
Hmm, According to the widow the article is "TOTALLY FALSE", a retraction has been demanded and the person who presented the false article will be sued.
I've know Tom McLaughlin a long, long time and have never known him to get a story totally wrong and I have never ever seen a written retraction by the Daily News in regard to one of his stories.
I've know Tom McLaughlin a long, long time and have never known him to get a story totally wrong and I have never ever seen a written retraction by the Daily News in regard to one of his stories.
Beach FanaticAuthor
#42
Here's the court order
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Banned
Here's the court order
Dropbox - 253 ORDER DENYING FORMER DEF'S MILLER & 331'S MTNS FOR ATTY FEES.pdf
I had no doubt it was an accurate news report Bob and had NO DOUBT the document existed. Thanks for posting it though.
Banned
Daily News retracts report on Sunshine Law case
The estate of late attorney George Ralph Miller and a company associated with lawyer/developer Lloyd Blue will not be required to pay attorney's fees to Walton County resident Suzanne Harris.
By staff reports
The estate of late attorney George Ralph Miller and a company associated with lawyer/developer Lloyd Blue will not be required to pay attorney’s fees to Walton County resident Suzanne Harris.
The Daily News incorrectly reported Tuesday that Circuit Court Judge John Simon had ordered the fees be paid.
331 Bayside Properties and Miller were brought into a Sunshine Law case filed in 2010 by Harris against Walton County.
However, Miller was granted final summary judgment on Harris’ claims in 2013, and Harris dismissed 331 Bayside Properties from the case in 2012, court documents show. As such, neither is being required to pay Harris’ legal fees.
We apologize to the family of the late attorney George Ralph Miller, Lloyd Blue and 331 Bayside Properties for incorrectly reporting on this case and for any harm we may have caused.
The estate of late attorney George Ralph Miller and a company associated with lawyer/developer Lloyd Blue will not be required to pay attorney's fees to Walton County resident Suzanne Harris.
By staff reports
The estate of late attorney George Ralph Miller and a company associated with lawyer/developer Lloyd Blue will not be required to pay attorney’s fees to Walton County resident Suzanne Harris.
The Daily News incorrectly reported Tuesday that Circuit Court Judge John Simon had ordered the fees be paid.
331 Bayside Properties and Miller were brought into a Sunshine Law case filed in 2010 by Harris against Walton County.
However, Miller was granted final summary judgment on Harris’ claims in 2013, and Harris dismissed 331 Bayside Properties from the case in 2012, court documents show. As such, neither is being required to pay Harris’ legal fees.
We apologize to the family of the late attorney George Ralph Miller, Lloyd Blue and 331 Bayside Properties for incorrectly reporting on this case and for any harm we may have caused.
Beach Fanatic
More crow, anyone? Anyone?
Banned
More crow, anyone? Anyone?
What would you like to hear?
SoWal Insider
When Misty is mistaken she is always the first to own it, give her the credit due.
Beach Fanatic
Surprised that it even made on here. Surely people talk to one another especially if they're acquainted, or was this just a dig at the press for getting it wrong?
Beach Fanatic
When Misty is mistaken she is always the first to own it, give her the credit due.Agree. Humility is very flattering. Serious.
Too bad leaderdhip, especially public keadership (local, state, fed), doesn't act in kind.
{cough}Hillary{cough}
Beach Fanatic
If you read the Judges order that is posted above it says I do not have to pay their attorney fees. When I sued the county and won Judge Simon ruled Walton County had to pay my attorney fees. Bayside properties and George Ralph Miller were not awarded attorney fees when they sued me for filing a a frivolous or bad faith for me to bring Miller and 331 into the suit.I won and the ruling was I DO NO HAVE TO PAY THEIR ATTORNEY FEES. The county lost and they do have to pay my attorney fees. The county to date has spent approximately from the county own records approximately 200,000 of taxpayer money fighting this suit. I did in fact offer to settle with the county for admitting they were wrong when they hired George Ralph Miller and when the 331 Chatt Holley land was purchased out of the sunshine. In an ealier case I sued George Ralph Miller inanother sunshine case and that is the case I was awarded attorney fees From George Ralph that i have never been paid.
Beach Fanatic
If you read the Judges order that is posted above it says I do not have to pay their attorney fees. When I sued the county and won Judge Simon ruled Walton County had to pay my attorney fees. Bayside properties and George Ralph Miller were not awarded attorney fees when they sued me for filing a a frivolous or bad faith for me to bring Miller and 331 into the suit.I won and the ruling was I DO NO HAVE TO PAY THEIR ATTORNEY FEES. The county lost and they do have to pay my attorney fees. The county to date has spent approximately from the county own records approximately 200,000 of taxpayer money fighting this suit. I did in fact offer to settle with the county for admitting they were wrong when they hired George Ralph Miller and when the 331 Chatt Holley land was purchased out of the sunshine. In an ealier case I sued George Ralph Miller inanother sunshine case and that is the case I was awarded attorney fees From George Ralph that i have never been paid.
Hi Suzanne, You have endured so much through all this. Thank you for explaining the situation. Clearly, you should be paid for any and all fees awarded in any case if they are owed you. Hopefully the Daily News will present an article that articulates the facts correctly as you have presented them.
Beach Fanatic
Please read the judgement that was posted above. George Ralph Miller and 331 Bayside Properties sued me to pay their attorney fees for bringing them into the Sunshine Lawsuit against the county that I filed and won. This is the case where the county has to pay my attorney fees and the case where the county has spent 200,000 defending the suit out of tax payers dollars. I offered to settle with the county long ago before the legal fees got so high, the county would admit they hired George Ralph Miller out of the sunshine and the bought the Chatt Holley land from 331 Bayside out of the sunshine. We would each pay our own fees and walk away. Years later I won, the county lost and not they owe my fees not George Ralph and 331 Bayside.
As you can see in the judgement Miller and 331 Bayside sued me to pay their attorney fees but the judge ruled as you can see above I did NOT owe either their attorney fees.The county made me bring them in the case as an indispensable parties, the ruling says I did NOT file a bad faith case against them, and that Walton County made me include them in the law suit as an indispensable party .
The only money George Ralph owes me is from the firsr Public record lawsuit I filed against him and won. I was awarded fees in that case but as of today George Ralph nor his estate has paid me.
As you can see in the judgement Miller and 331 Bayside sued me to pay their attorney fees but the judge ruled as you can see above I did NOT owe either their attorney fees.The county made me bring them in the case as an indispensable parties, the ruling says I did NOT file a bad faith case against them, and that Walton County made me include them in the law suit as an indispensable party .
The only money George Ralph owes me is from the firsr Public record lawsuit I filed against him and won. I was awarded fees in that case but as of today George Ralph nor his estate has paid me.
Beach Fanatic
Hi Suzanne, You have endured so much through all this. Thank you for explaining the situation. Clearly, you should be paid for any and all fees awarded in any case if they are owed you. Hopefully the Daily News will present an article that articulates the facts correctly as you have presented them.Now we need a Better South Walton run by open honest government in THE SUNSHINE, for the people by the people.
Beach Fanatic
Now we need a Better South Walton run by open honest government in THE SUNSHINE, for the people by the people.
Yes, I could not agree more Suzanne.
Beach Fanatic
Dave, I hope you will be kind enough to post this on the private face book page that I am not a member of so everyone will understand and know the truth.
SWGB
It is posted there and you can join if you wish. It was only made private to stop spammers.
Beach Fanatic
Thanks, what is the website or face book page name and I will join. Have a great day.
Banned
When Misty is mistaken she is always the first to own it, give her the credit due.
Thank you Poppaj.
Edited
Beach Fanatic
Dave, I hope you will be kind enough to post this on the private face book page that I am not a member of so everyone will understand and know the truth.
I was going to ask you if you could; with respect, repair the few typos and I certainly will be happy to post it.
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Now we need a Better South Walton run by open honest government in THE SUNSHINE, for the people by the people.
We need a better Walton County run by open honest government in THE SUNSHINE, for the people by the people.
It's needed up here in the North too!
SWGB
Thanks, what is the website or face book page name and I will join. Have a great day.
Walton County Ideas for Visioning and Quality of Life
Beach Fanatic
Thanks, what is the website or face book page name and I will join. Have a great day.
If you want to post it your self, and I think you would be a valued addition to the Facebook page group here is the link. Just request to join and the administrators will except you in shortly after.
Walton county ideas for visioning and quality of life httpsWWW.Facebook.com/groups/317394411663027/
Banned
@Phil Good I originally posted this in the thread where you actually made the comment but in an effort to get that topic back on track and away from comments you made to derail that entire conversation, I deleted it there and will put it here.
Since you brought up speaking ill of someone....isn't it true that a certain widow copied an image from Suzanne Harris' Facebook page, posted it to her own page and implied that the woman in question was feeding a toddler alcohol and stated the woman in question was an idiot among other things?? To use an image of a woman holding an innocent child to assert said claims palls in comparison to anything I've said publicly. In fact it's downright pathetic.
Before you say that didn't happen...think long and hard about your answer. Remember, I do my homework!
If Ms. Harris isn't allowed to tell the truth about what happened in her dealings with regard to the now deceased GR Miller with proof and court documents, shouldn't the widow be prevented from making very derogatory, very defamatory and FALSE allegations against Ms. Harris?
People who live in glass houses...
You shouldn't speak ill of anyone, particularly good men like GR Miller who are no longer around to defend themselves.
Since you brought up speaking ill of someone....isn't it true that a certain widow copied an image from Suzanne Harris' Facebook page, posted it to her own page and implied that the woman in question was feeding a toddler alcohol and stated the woman in question was an idiot among other things?? To use an image of a woman holding an innocent child to assert said claims palls in comparison to anything I've said publicly. In fact it's downright pathetic.
Before you say that didn't happen...think long and hard about your answer. Remember, I do my homework!
If Ms. Harris isn't allowed to tell the truth about what happened in her dealings with regard to the now deceased GR Miller with proof and court documents, shouldn't the widow be prevented from making very derogatory, very defamatory and FALSE allegations against Ms. Harris?
People who live in glass houses...
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P.S. @ Phil Good
The comments made by the widow were there at 2 AM this morning. The offending photo and subsequent comments were deleted on or before 7 AM. Its all good! I'm sure there are screenshots somewhere. It just goes to show you just how nasty and dishonorable some people can be when its proven their spouse acted out of the Sunshine.
It should also come as no surprise that folks calling themselves "Christian" are actually acting like the devil in disguise. Hypocritical at best and certainly not the way to honor your dead husbands memory. Its not a way to maintain the moral high ground either!
The comments made by the widow were there at 2 AM this morning. The offending photo and subsequent comments were deleted on or before 7 AM. Its all good! I'm sure there are screenshots somewhere. It just goes to show you just how nasty and dishonorable some people can be when its proven their spouse acted out of the Sunshine.
It should also come as no surprise that folks calling themselves "Christian" are actually acting like the devil in disguise. Hypocritical at best and certainly not the way to honor your dead husbands memory. Its not a way to maintain the moral high ground either!
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