Court Reverses $85,000.00 Attorneys’ Fee Award in Construction Lien Case After Applying Significant Issues Test Despite Award to Contractor

This case from Florida’s Second District Court of Appeal arises from a dispute over hours charged by a staffing company and a related charge of less than $3,000.00. After having its fraudulent lien claim dismissed during trial, the property owner appealed, having that ruling reversed, only to have the trial court’s ruling in favor of the staffing company on its good-faith-dispute defense save the staffing company. The appellate court also found that the trial court applied the wrong test in awarding attorneys’ fees and reversed an award of $85,000.00 in attorneys’ fees to the staffing company.