Winn-Dixie Stores, Inc. et al v. Dolgencorp, LLC
Filing
1199
OPINION AND ORDER. Signed by Judge Donald M. Middlebrooks on 5/16/2016. (jas)
I THE UNI
N
TED STATES DI
STRI CO URT
CT
SO UT H ER N D I
STR I O F FLO R I A
CT
D
W I DI E STO RES.I .e aI
NN- XI
NC. t .
Pl nt f s
ai if ,
C ons i e C as No.
oldat d
e
9: - v11 c 80601 DM M
-
BI LOTS STORES, NC. an O hi c p.
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I ,
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f ndant hi d- t Pl ntf,
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SA RR I H O LD I G S I I .
A
N
V, NC ,
Thid- t Def ndant
r pary
e
.
O PI ON AND ORDER
NI
Thi aci be
s ton gan i 2011 whe W i n-7xi St e , l a is a tlae c pa es
n
n n li e or s nc. nd t fiit om ni
(s i Di e' br
sW nn- xi ' oughta a ton ag ns s er dee nt.i udi Bi Lot St e ,I
)
n ci
ai t ev al fnda s ncl ng g s ors nc.
(d g Los'. Thecu r diput i vest t r pa t c ai Bi Lot fld a ns is
i
Bi t'
)
rent s e nvol he hid- ry ompl nt g s ie gai t t
f r rln or S n a Holig I lc (Sara' a wela S ri' c u tr li a an t
o me a dl d, a i
dn s V, n . : ri', s l s aras o n ecams g is
k
)
Bi Lot . On Aprl 1 201 lhed a benc ti atwhih tm e doc
g s
i 8, 6, l
h ral
c i
ument y a t tmoni l
ar nd esi
a
ke he olowi i ngs ac
e de ewe e p es nt Ba e o t evi nc pr en e 1ma t f l ng fndi off t
vi nc r r e ed. s d n he de e es t d,
a c cl i oflw .
nd on usons a
1
.
FI DI S ( F FA C T
N NG )
l lt 2001 Bi Lot be neg itng wih Sari spr dec s -n-ntr s,W a c
n ae
, g s gan ota i
t
ra' e es ori i e e t t h
OmegaHol ngs L. (b ac Omeg ',t l s as cea oneofW ach Omega'
di , P. û th
W
a' o ea e pa t
)
t
s
s
hoppi c ntr,lome t d Plza ( ta Tetmony;Da Tetmon Pr ral
ng e es l sea a . Catno si
y si y; eti
Stpul i at8) Bi Lot i e d t us t s ea Home t dPl af oneofis
i aton
. g s ntnde o e he pac t
sea az or
t
sor ,St e171 .( yTesi
t es or
1 Da
tmony)
.
Durngt stme W i Di ewasatna atHome tadPlza ( eti Stpul in
i hi i , nn- xi
e nt
se a . Pr ral i ato
a 8) W i Di ewa gr e arsrci c
t . nn- xi s antd e titve ovena i udi t e usverghtt
nt ncl ng he xcl i i o
o ae a s mar t i Home t d Pl a. ( g Lot Ex. 5 . Thi r titve
pert uper ke n
sea az Bi
s
)
s esrci
c nantwa rcoredbys tf m las ( Sa at tmony)
ove
se d
hor or e e.F. ni esi
.
At ti ,V ice Ca tno t tfed. He i a cure e oyee of Bi Lot a wa a
ral n
ta esii
s
r nt mpl
g
s nd s
di sona r ale t e man r f Bi Lot a t tme Bi Lot be
vii l e sat
age or g
s t he i
g s gan ne i i
gotatng
wih W a c Omeg Ca t t sii d t the was i ve i al busne s a pe t
t
th
a. tano e tfe ha
nvol d n 1 i s s c s
r a i t t ne iton bewe n Bi Lot a W ach Omega Cat no t sii d
eltng o he gotai
t e
g
s nd
t
. ta e tte
t t as pa toft ne itons Bi Lot r quese t tW a c Om e pr de t
ha ,
r
he gota i , g s e t d ha
th
ga ovi he
e usve us a e m e s t tW ath Om e ha wih ot r tnant i Homese d
xcl i
e gr e nt ha
c
ga d t he e s n
ta
Pl a. He as t tfe t t i was sanda d pr tc f Bi Lot t as f s h
az
lo esiid ha t
t r aci e or g
s o k or uc
e us v durn neg i i wih lndl dsan t ti wasnotsa r pr tce t
xcl i es i g otatons t a or
d ha t
t nda d aci o
r a tte s ar h f r titve cove nt i t a e He c d notr c las ng f
un il e c or esrc i
na s n he r a.
oul
e al ki or
t e tl ngua oft e us ve .
he xac a
ge he xcl i s
4.
Ats m e poi durng t ne itons Exhi tF wa cr t d. Exhi tF pum ore t
o
nt i he gota i ,
bi
s ea e
bi
td o
ls t e l i us i Hom e tad Pl a. I i u ea e ty whe Exhi tF was
it he xcusve es n
se
az t s ncl r xacl
n
bi
ev
dy ,
ch
ga' s t
cr a e or who c e e t doc e . St en Nor ke W at Om e s as e
e t d,
r atd he
um nt
ma
nage f Hom e t a Pl a a t tm e t tfed t t he c d not r a l who
r or
se d az t he i , esii ha
oul
ec l
drfe Exhi t F,or i i was ceaed by W ac Omega or Tera Nova ( ach
atd
bi
ft
r t
th
r
W t
Ome s ma ng p ope t a nt. ( dyke Tesi ny; s e alo Catno
ga'
nagi r ry ge ) Nor
tmo
e s
ta
Tesi
tmony'F.Sara Te tmony) Stphe Kaz a at ney a Gre r Tr rg
,
ri si
. e n t, n tor
t e nbeg aui
2
who r pr e e W ath Om e durng t ne itons alo ts ii t the t wa
e es ntd
c
ga i he gota i , s e tted ha
oo s
uns r wher Exhi t F orgi t but t Gr e r Tr i di not dr t t
ue
e
bi
i naed,
hat e nbe g aurg d
af he
do ent
cum .
Exhi tF de c i d t W i Di ee l i a f l
bi
s rbe he nn- xi xcusve s olows:
Te nt s l ha t e l i rght t ope a e a s r ke i t
na hal ve he xcus ve i
o
rt
upe mar t n he
Ce e 'LL a e no t l s s ce t a tnantwihi 1, s f oft
nt r
,
gr es t o ea e pa o e
t n 000 q t he
Pr s f us a a s r r t gr e y sor o t s l f of pr s
emies or e s upe ma ke , oc r t e, r o e l or f emie
c n u to sa l /f. orfn y g o eis me t fs v g tbl fu t,
o s mp in: tb e c) a c r c re , a, h, e ea e r is
ba y goods or foz n f ;Excl i doe nota y t t nts l s
ker
, r e oods
usve s
ppl o ena a e
t tdo note e 500 s f.or 1 oft so e oom ;exc r t a s
ha
xc ed
q t
0%
he t r r
ept esaur nt ;
e ptchan d ugsor ,t pe te s l oft a
xce
i r t e he nnit d ae he bove lse f iems
it d ood t ,
be and wi s lbe e
er
ne hal
xpande t 1500 s f ofs esa ea;e e i of
d o ,
q t al r xc pton
o ep c a e so e(o lr e ta 3,0 s a d n co e t a 2 0 f fo
n a k g tr n a g r h n 2 0 f n o l s r h n 0 t r m
Te nt,onl Tena may s l bee a wi i t s
na l y
nt
el r nd ne n he hoppi ce e f
ng ntr or
of- emie cons m pton. Te ntm a ope ae a ba r dei t s n i
fpr s
u i
na
y
rt
ke y/ lcaes e n
s
hoppi c nt r exc pt t t one del-esa a combo not t e e
ng e e , e ha
ir t ur nt
o xce d
5, fa nocl e t 250f t tna ( s ,28)
000s nd
os r han
to e nt Lea e
( gLot Ex.2at2) The Pa teswoul l e l nzt t des rpton i Exhi tF
Bi s
.
ri
d atr ea hat he ci i n
bi
di notma c t a t ale l i us agr e e bewe n W i Di e a W ath
d
t h he c u xcusve e e m nt t e
nn- xi nd
c
O m ega
.
6.
Cata t sii d t the r vi d Exhi tF.bei vi t ti wa t a t ll ua
t no e tfe ha
e ewe
bi
le ng ha t s he cua ang ge
s esii hat n
t
pule f om W i D i e' exc us v us a e e . He alo t tfed t i mos
ld r
nn- xi s l i e e gr em nt
i t nc ,Bi Lot woul r cei a co of t a ua exc usve a t tBi Lot
nsa es g
s
d e ve
py
he ct l l i nd ha g s
r a l r le on t lndl d f s ch i or a i Catano r ewe Exhi tF a
egulry e id
he a or or u nf m ton. t evi d
bi nd
co l
ncuded t tt fr tca e ofExhi tF pr de W i Di e wih t e l i
ha he i s lus
bi
ovi d nn- xi t he xcusve
rght t oper t a s er ke i Hom e tad Plza Ca tno concl d t at t
i o
ae
up mar t n
se
a .
ta
ude h he
e usve' s cond and t r ca es c e t a a tona pr ec i by f t
xcl i s e
hid lus r a ed n ddii l ot ton
urher
p e ntng t nt wihi 1000 s r f etof W i Di e fom s lng m or t
r ve i ena s t n ,
qua e e
nn- xi r
eli
e han
500 s r f tof g oe re . Cat no u r t t t m S e ie ' t m e n t
qua e ee
r eis
ta nde sood he er t m s s' o a he
pr
3
W i Di epr s a tle e28)'t rf t t las bet enW i Di ea
nn- xi emies nd i was ' o eer o he e e we
t
nn- xi nd
W at Om e
ch
ga. Cat no f t t tfe t t he l d atHomese Plza' st
ta urher esiid ha
ooke
t ad a s ie
pl esi e a a e of 100 s r f e ,and de e ne t a tonalr titon
an, tmatd n r a
, 0 qua e e t
t nni d he ddii
esrc i
di notr ac St e 1 1
d
e h or 71 .
Catano t tte t tea h W i Di e excusve wa dif r nt a Bi Lot woul
t
esii d ha c
nn- xi
l i
s f e e , nd g
s
d
ha t r e ea e usve t deenni whe he Bi Lo s woul be i c lc .
ve o eviw ch xcl i o t ne
t r g t
d
n onti t
Catnotsiid ta,nti c s , a Bi Lo sk o t t t ss j c t tea ta
ta e tfe h t i h s a e h d g t n wn ha i wa ube t o h cu l
r titon, Bi Lot wo d no ha e ut t l s wih W ach Om e
esrc i
g
s ul
t ve xec ed he ea e t
t
ga.
Howe r Ca tno alo t sii d t t a t tm e Bi Lot woul not have be n
ve , ta
s e tfe ha , t he i , g
s
d
e
c
once ne a
r d bout t 5 s r f lm ia i be us is sor we e nots lng
he 00 qua e oot i tton ca e t t es r
eli
m uc f
h ood.
8.
M or ov , i t addii l c
e er n he
tona omm e s s c i of Bi Lot ' Re Esat De
nt e ton
g
s
al t e al
Sum ma y,i a ar Bi Lot ha c i r d t slm iai m i i SW E NEED TO
r t ppe s g s d onsde e hi i t ton, tng I
REV I
EW W I
NN D I I S EX CLU SI E ON FO OD SA LES. I APPEA RS W E
X E'
V
T
W I BE LI I
LL
M TED TO 500 SQ FT 0F FOOD SALES AND NO FROZEN
FOODS. ( ra Ex.3 a 2) I i uncla whehe t s c
' Sari
'
t . t s e r t r he e omment wer wrten
s e it
be or ora t Exhi tF wa cr a e The Rea Esae De Summ a y i c t d t t
f e
fer
bi
s e t d.
l t t al
r ndi a e ha
t daeofc
he t ommitea ova wasDec mbe 1 2001.(d.at1 .
te ppr l
e r 7,
1
)
9.
On May 1 2002,a Ia e a e me (he % s ')wa e utd bewe Bi Lo s
6,
e s gre nt t ' e' s xec e t en g t
Lea
a W ach Omeg ( era Stpulton a 8 . The Le e c ane a
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