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1. Defendant made a false statement regarding a material fact;
2. Defendant knew or should have known the representation was false;
3. Defendant intended that the representation induce plaintiff to act on it; and
4. Plaintiff suffered damages in justifiable reliance on the representation.

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1. Defendant made a false statement regarding a material fact;
2. Defendant knew or should have known the representation was false;
3. Defendant intended that the representation induce plaintiff to act on it; and
4. Plaintiff suffered damages in justifiable reliance on the representation.

The elements of claims for fraud in the inducement, fraud in the performance, fraudulent misrepresentation and negligent misrepresentation are identical and differ only by the underlying facts supporting each claim. Compare Pulte Home Corp. v. Osmose Wood Preserving, Inc., 60 F.3d 734, 742 (11th Cir. 1995) (fraud in the inducement), with Baggett v. Electricians Credit Union, 620 So. 2d 784, 786 (Fla. 2d DCA 1993) (negligent misrepresentation), and Johnson v. Davis, 480 So. 2d 625, 627 (Fla. 1985) (fraudulent misrepresentation). Fraud is also known as the tort of deceit. See Crown Eurocars, Inc. v. Schropp, 636 So. 2d 30, 37 (Fla. 2d DCA 1993), aff’d, 654 So. 2d 1158 (Fla. 1995).

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FLORIDA STATE COURTS

Supreme Court: Johnson v. Davis, 480 So. 2d 625, 627 (Fla. 1985).

First District: R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Co. v. Martin, 53 So. 3d 1060, 1068 (Fla. 1st DCA 2010).

Second District: U.S. Bank N.A. v. Rios, 166 So.3d 202, 210 (Fla. 2d DCA 2015); Parham v. Fla. Health Scis. Ctr., Inc., 35 So. 3d 920 (Fla. 2d DCA 2010).

Third District: Frutafino, S.A.S. v. Dole Chile, S.A., 405 So. 3d 497, 500 (Fla. 3d DCA 2025); Houri v. Boaziz, 196 So.3d 383, 393 (Fla. 3d DCA 2016); Moriber v. Dreiling, 194 So.3d 369, 373 (Fla. 3d DCA 2016); Witt v. LaGorce Country Club, Inc., 35 So. 3d 1033 (Fla. 3d DCA 2011), voluntarily dismissed 44 So. 3d 108 (Fla. 2010).

Fourth District:  Lorber v. Passick as Tr of Sylvia Passick Revocable Trust, 327 So.3d 297, 304 (Fla. 4th DCA 2021) ;  Sena v. Pereira, 179 So.3d 433, 436 (Fla. 4^th DCA 2015); Prieto v. Smook, Inc., 97 So. 3d 916, 917 (Fla. 4th DCA 2012).

Fifth District: Dziegielewski v. Scalero, 352 So. 3d 931, 934 (Fla. 5th DCA 2022); Black Diamond Props. v. Haines, 69 So. 3d 1090 (Fla. 5th DCA 2011); Joseph v. Liberty Nat’l Bank, 873 So.2d 384, 388 (Fla 5th DCA 2004).

FLORIDA FEDERAL COURTS

Eleventh Circuit: Gonzalez v. Indep. Order of Foresters, No. 24-10758, 2025 WL 337898, at *4 (11th Cir. Jan. 30, 2025); Awodiya v. Ross Univ. Sch. of Med., No. 19-12832, 2020 WL 9718875, at *4 (11th Cir. May 24, 2020); Global Quest, LLC  v. Horizon Yachts, Inc.,  849 F.3d 1022, 1029-30 (11th Cir. 2017).

Southern District: Bader v. Hammond Props., Inc, No. 1:24-CV-20004-PCH, 2024 WL 4217813, at *2 (S.D. Fla. June 24, 2024); Eran Indus. Ltd. v. Eran Fin. Servs., 2023 WL 3028381, *5 (S.D. Fla. Feb. 24, 2023); Steel Media Grp., LLC v. Lewis, 2023 WL 1413043, *7 (S.D. Fla. Jan. 6, 2023); Armor Corr. Health Services, Inc. v. Teal, 2021 WL 5834245, *24 (S.D. Fla. Dec. 8, 2021).

Middle District: Hardin v. Oakley Transp., Inc., No. 8:21-CV-2980-MSS-AEP, 2025 WL 948313, at *7 (M.D. Fla. Mar. 28, 2025); Brooks v. Brooks Consultants, Inc., 2022 WL 18492552, *8 (M.D. Fla. Nov. 7, 2022); Auctus Grp., LLC v. 216 Constellation LLC, 2022 WL 16951917, *2 (M.D. Fla. Oct. 21, 2022); Dodge Chrysler Jeep of Winter Haven, Inc. v. Beamon, 2022 WL 18492696, *4 (M.D. Fla. Oct. 18, 2022).

Northern District: Alt. Materials, LLC v. Monroe, 2023 WL 2410928, *8 (N.D. Fla. Jan. 23, 2023); Brier v. De Cay, 2017 WL 1164724, at *5 (N.D. Fla. March 1, 2017); Cmty. Mar. Park Assoc., v. Mar. Park Dev. Partners., No. 3:11cv60/MCR/CJK, 2011 WL 2790185 (N.D. Fla. July 14, 2011).

FLORIDA REFERENCES

Restatement (Second) of Torts § 525 (1977 Amendment)

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2 Defenses to Claim for Fraud - Fraudulent Inducement

(1) Fla. R. Civ. P. 1.110(d) (pleading affirmative defenses), and other standard defenses. See § 1.

(2) Statute of Limitations: § 95.11(3)(j), Fla. Stat. (four years).

(3) The statute of repose provides that a claim for fraud must be commenced “within 12 years after the date of the commission of the alleged fraud, regardless of the date the fraud was or should have been discovered’’. See § 95.031(2)(a), Fla. Stat.

(4) Mere opinions or misrepresentations of law are not actionable. See e.g., Bailey v. Trenman, Simmons, Kemker, Scharf, Barkin, Frye & O’Neil, 938 F. Supp. 825, 829 (S.D. Fla. 1996); MDVIP, Inc. v. Beber, 222 So.3d 555, 561 (Fla. 4th DCA 2017).

(5) False statements regarding promised future action are not actionable unless the promisor had no intentions of performance at the time of the representation. See Thor Bear, Inc v. Crocker Mizner Park, Inc., 648 So. 2d 168, 172 (Fla. 4th DCA 1994).

(6) Reliance on misrepresentations are unreasonable where the statements are contained in a subsequent written agreement between the parties. See Barnes v. Burger King Corp., 932 F. Supp. 1420, 1427 (S.D. Fla. 1996); Fin-S Tech, LLC v. Surf Hardware International-USA, Inc., No. 13-CV-80645, 2014 WL 12461349, at *8 (S.D. Fla. Jan. 8, 2014); Ferox, LLC v. ConSeal  Int’l, Inc., 175 F.Supp.3d 1363, 1376 (S.D. Fla. 2016).

(7) Waiver is a defense to fraud when the allegedly defrauded party had actual or imputed knowledge of the facts supporting the fraud claim. See BGW Design Ltd., Inc. v. Service America Corp., No. 10-20730-Civ, 2011 WL 13220382, at *10 (S.D. Fla. Nov. 30, 2011).; Coral Gables Imported Motorcars, Inc. v. Fiat Motors of North America, Inc., 673 F.2d 1234, 1240 (11th Cir. 1982), cert. denied, 459 U.S. 1104 (1983). See also Picture It Sold Photography, LLC v. Bunkelman, 287 So. 3d 699, 704 (Fla. 4th DCA 2020) (Explaining that the execution of a contract with knowledge that an initial agreement was fraudulently procured constitutes a waiver of claims based on the previous fraud.).

(8) Fraudulent misrepresentations do not result from a seller’s puffery in stating opinions or commendations about a product’s value. See Wasser v. Sasoni, 652 So. 2d 411, 412 (Fla. 3d DCA 1995); Baker v. Brunswick Corp., No. 2:17–cv–572–FtM–99MRM, 2018 WL 1947433, at *7 (M.D. Fla. April 25, 2018).

(9) “It is a fundamental, long-standing common law principle that a plaintiff may not recover in tort for a contract dispute unless the tort is independent of any breach of contract.” Island Travel & Tours, Ltd., Co. v. MYR Independent, Inc., 300 So.3d 1236, 1239 (Fla. 3d DCA 2020) citing Peebles v. Puig, 223 So.3d 1065, 1068 (Fla. 3d DCA 2017).

(10) To assert the defense of fraud, the party must allege with specificity the relevant facts and circumstances supporting the defense, as well as all of the essential elements of fraudulent conduct. Zikofsky v. Robby Vapor Systems, Inc., 846 So.2d 684, 685 (Fla. 4th DCA 2003); Meridian Trust Co. v. Batista, No. 17-23051-WILLIAMS, 2018 WL 4760277, at *3 (S.D. Fla. Sept. 30, 2018).

(11) A party cannot recover for fraudulent oral representations which are covered in or contradicted by a later written agreement. California Inst. of Arts and Tech., Inc. v. Campus Mgmt. Corp., NO. 18-24701-CIV-SMITH, 2020 WL 1692079, at *4 (S.D. Fla. Jan. 22, 2020); Fin-S Tech, LLC v. Surf Hardware International-USA, Inc., No. 13-CV-80645, 2014 WL 12461349, at *8 (S.D. Fla. Jan. 8, 2014); Giallo v. New Piper Aircraft, Inc. 855 So.2d 1273, 1275 (Fla. 4th DCA 2003).

(12) Privity. The plaintiff must show that the fraudulent act induced the formation of contract between the parties, and a non-party to the contract cannot possibly demonstrate such inducement. GlobeTec Construction, LLC v. Custom Screening & Crushing, 77 So. 3d 802 (Fla. 3d DCA 2011).

(13) In an arms-length transaction there is no duty imposed on either party to act for the benefit or protection of the other party, or to disclose facts that the other party could, by its own diligence, have discovered. See Carbiener v. Lender Processing Services, Inc., No. 3:13–cv–970–J–39PDB, 2014 WL 12610224, at *16 (M.D. Fla. July 16, 2014); Caldwell v. Compass Entertainment Group LLC, 2015 WL 8772909 *5 (M.D. Fla. Dec. 15, 2015).

(14) A plaintiff may not rely on statements made by litigation adversaries to establish fraud claims. See Moriber v. Dreiling, 194 So.3d 369, 373 (Fla. 3d DCA 2016)  (holding “plaintiff had no right to rely on any such representations, in view of the fact that the parties understood at all times that they were in hostile relations to each other”).

(15) A plaintiff may assert a claim for fraud and breach of contract where the claim for fraudulent inducement is based on facts separate and distinct from the breach of contract claim and such tort (e.g., a species of fraud or negligent misrepresentation) is committed independently of the breach of contract. E.g., Tiara Condominium Assoc.’n, Inc. v. Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc., 110 So.3d 399, 402-403 (Fla. 2013).

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