Florida Senate - 2020                                    SB 1224
       
       
        
       By Senator Simmons
       
       
       
       
       
       9-01300-20                                            20201224__
    1                        A bill to be entitled                      
    2         An act relating to real estate conveyances; amending
    3         s. 689.01, F.S.; providing that subscribing witnesses
    4         are not required to validate certain instruments
    5         conveying a leasehold interest in real property;
    6         providing an effective date.
    7          
    8  Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
    9  
   10         Section 1. Subsection (1) of section 689.01, Florida
   11  Statutes, is amended to read:
   12         689.01 How real estate conveyed.—
   13         (1) No estate or interest of freehold, or for a term of
   14  more than 1 year, or any uncertain interest of, in, or out of
   15  any messuages, lands, tenements, or hereditaments shall be
   16  created, made, granted, transferred, or released in any other
   17  manner other than by instrument in writing, signed in the
   18  presence of two subscribing witnesses by the party creating,
   19  making, granting, conveying, transferring, or releasing such
   20  estate, interest, or term of more than 1 year, or by the party’s
   21  lawfully authorized agent, unless by will and testament, or
   22  other testamentary appointment, duly made according to law; and
   23  no estate or interest, either of freehold, or of term of more
   24  than 1 year, or any uncertain interest of, in, to, or out of any
   25  messuages, lands, tenements, or hereditaments, shall be assigned
   26  or surrendered unless it be by instrument signed in the presence
   27  of two subscribing witnesses by the party so assigning or
   28  surrendering, or by the party’s lawfully authorized agent, or by
   29  the act and operation of law; provided, however, that no
   30  subscribing witnesses shall be required for any such instrument
   31  pertaining to a leasehold estate in real property. No seal shall
   32  be necessary to give validity to any instrument executed in
   33  conformity with this section. Corporations may execute any and
   34  all conveyances in accordance with the provisions of this
   35  section or ss. 692.01 and 692.02.
   36         Section 2. This act shall take effect July 1, 2020.