Florida District Courts of Appeal, 2024

LANDON L. WILLIAMS, JR. v. REGINALD L. WILLIAMS, SR., INDIVIDUALLY AND AS PERSONAL REPRESENTATIVE OF THE ESTATE OF LANDON L. WILLIAMS, SR. A/K/A LANDON LOVARN WILLIAMS, SR., LANITA WILLIAMS-WELLS, YOLANDA S. WILLIAMS

LANDON L. WILLIAMS, JR. v. REGINALD L. WILLIAMS, SR., INDIVIDUALLY AND AS PERSONAL REPRESENTATIVE OF THE ESTATE OF LANDON L. WILLIAMS, SR. A/K/A LANDON LOVARN WILLIAMS, SR., LANITA WILLIAMS-WELLS, YOLANDA S. WILLIAMS
Florida District Courts of Appeal · Decided April 12, 2024

LANDON L. WILLIAMS, JR. v. REGINALD L. WILLIAMS, SR., INDIVIDUALLY AND AS PERSONAL REPRESENTATIVE OF THE ESTATE OF LANDON L. WILLIAMS, SR. A/K/A LANDON LOVARN WILLIAMS, SR., LANITA WILLIAMS-WELLS, YOLANDA S. WILLIAMS

Opinion

FIFTH DISTRICT COURT OF APPEAL STATE OF FLORIDA _____________________________ Case No. 5D23-0515 LT Case No. 2021-CP-001940 _____________________________ LANDON L. WILLIAMS, JR., Appellant, v. REGINALD L. WILLIAMS, SR., INDIVIDUALLY and as PERSONAL REPRESENTATIVE of the ESTATE of LANDON L. WILLIAMS, SR., a/k/a Landon Lovar Williams Sr., LANITA WILLIAMS-WELLS, YOLANDA S. WILLIAMS, AND MICHELLE D. WILLIAMS, Appellees. _____________________________

On appeal from the Circuit Court for Duval County.

Jack M. Schemer, Judge.

Landon L. Williams, Jr., Jacksonville, pro se.

Noel G. Lawrence, of Noel G. Lawrence, P.A., Jacksonville, for Appellee, Reginald L. Williams, Sr. No Appearance for Remaining Appellees.

April 12, 2024 HARRIS, J.

Appellant, Landon Williams, Jr., appeals the trial court’s Final Order Denying Petitions to Invalidate Last Will and Testament of Landon Williams, Sr. Finding no error, we affirm that order in all respects.

Appellant also challenges the court’s finding of entitlement to attorney’s fees in favor of Appellee, Reginald L. Williams, Sr. The challenged order did not award any specific amount of fees, it merely reserved jurisdiction to do so. An order finding entitlement to attorney’s fees without setting the amount is a nonfinal, non- appealable order. Sitaram v. Alley, 325 So. 3d 919, 921 (Fla. 5th DCA 2020). We therefore dismiss this portion of the appeal for lack of jurisdiction.

Finally, Appellant challenges the trial court’s failure to remove the personal representative and failure to rule on his oral request for a mistrial. “Appellate courts may not decide issues that were not ruled on by a trial court in the first instance.” Sierra by Sierra v. Pub. Health Tr. of Dade Cnty., 661 So. 2d 1296, 1298 (Fla. 3d DCA 1995). Because these final two issues are not ripe for appellate review, we dismiss those portions of the appeal as well.

AFFIRMED in part; DISMISSED in part.

EDWARDS, C.J., and KILBANE, J., concur.

_____________________________ Not final until disposition of any timely and authorized motion under Fla. R. App. P. 9.330 or 9.331. _____________________________

Case-law data current through December 31, 2025. Source: CourtListener bulk data.