The Florida Senate

76.32  Attachment of vessels.--

(1)  WHEN APPLICABLE.--In all actions by any person, firm, corporation or association of persons, including the state and any governmental subdivision, agency or department of the state, against any person, firm, association of persons or corporation, whether resident or nonresident, to recover damages for injury to the person or property thereof, resulting from negligence in the navigation, direction or management of any ship or boat of any kind, whether domestic or foreign and however propelled, within the territorial jurisdiction of the state, plaintiff is entitled to an attachment at law against the vessel in the manner hereinafter provided.

(2)  VENUE.--Venue shall be in the county where defendants or any of them reside or the county where the damage or injury was suffered or the county where the vessel charged with the responsibility for the damage or injury is found.

(3)  MOTION FOR.--Before any writ of attachment issues, plaintiff shall file in the court from which the writ is desired, a motion, which shall not be verified or negative the attachment debtor's exemptions, and which shall set forth the filing of the action, the circumstances under which the injury or damage complained of was suffered giving rise to plaintiff's cause of action and the amount of plaintiff's demand made in good faith.

(4)  BOND.--No attachment shall issue until the person applying for it, the person's agent or attorney, makes a bond with surety to be approved by the clerk of the court in which the action is commenced payable to defendant in a sum at least double the amount of money in good faith demanded conditioned to pay all costs and damages which defendant may sustain in consequence of plaintiff's improperly suing out the attachment but no bond shall be required when the state, or any governmental subdivision, agency, or department is plaintiff.

(5)  FORTHCOMING BOND.--Any vessel attached under this law may be restored at any time to defendant or to some other person for him or her, on defendant or the other person giving bond with surety to the officer levying the attachment to be approved by the officer payable to plaintiff in double the value of the vessel levied on, if the value does not exceed the amount of plaintiff's claim, or double the amount of plaintiff's claim, if the value exceeds the amount of plaintiff's claim, the value to be fixed by the officer, conditioned for the forthcoming of the property restored to abide the final judgment of the court but if the action is for unliquidated damages, defendant or the claimant of the offending vessel instead of furnishing a bond may apply to the court for a reduction in the amount of the bond, and the court may fix the amount and conditions of the bond at a sum sufficient to adequately secure payment of the amount of the injury or damage which may have been suffered by plaintiff with costs. The release bond shall be approved by the court. If plaintiff recovers a judgment, it shall be rendered against defendant, or the claimant of the vessel, and his or her surety on the release bond.

(6)  APPLICATION OF LAW.--This law applies to those actions for injury, loss or damage which occur without the admiralty and maritime jurisdiction of the courts of the United States.

History.--ss. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, ch. 23137, 1945; s. 26, ch. 67-254; s. 382, ch. 95-147.

Note.--Former ss. 76.32-76.37.