U.S.C.A. § 13981; West's F.S.A. §§ 772.014, 796.09; West's F.S.A. RCP Rule 1.280(b)(1). *1076 Richard E. Johnson and Heather Fisher Lind- say, of Spriggs & Johnson, Tallahassee, for Peti- tioners. Mark S. Peters of Amari, Theriac & Eisenmenger, P.A., Cocoa, for Respondents. W. SHARP, Judge. Batas and Shumate