GREGORY BALASCO, an individual, and RJS, INC., a Florida corporation d/b/a SARASOTA TOYOTA, Appellants, v. GULF AUTO HOLDING, INC., a Florida corporation, and COURTESY TOYOTA OF BRANDON, INC., a Florida corporation, Appellees., 707 So. 2d 858

Summary

The court affirmed and remanded the trial court's grant of injunctive relief to appellee car dealership and car holding company in their action against appellant individual and car dealership that prevented appellants from soliciting appellee car dealership's employees to leave appellee car dealership for three years following appellant individual's resignation. Appellee car dealership had employed appellant individual. Appellees had proven, as they was required to do by statute, that the contract was reasonably necessary to protect their legitimate business interests. Because appellee car dealership hired personnel with little or no sales experience and invested considerable money and time to teach them how it wanted them to sell cars, there was a legitimate business interest at stake. Restrictive covenants could not be found void for lack of consideration if they specified that continued employment was consideration. However, the three-year period was presumptively unreasonable and ...