The Florida Senate

55.604  Recognition and enforcement.--Except as provided in s. 55.605, a foreign judgment meeting the requirements of s. 55.603 is conclusive between the parties to the extent that it grants or denies recovery of a sum of money. Procedures for recognition and enforceability of a foreign judgment shall be as follows:

(1)  The foreign judgment shall be filed with the clerk of the court and recorded in the public records in the county or counties where enforcement is sought.

(a)  At the time of the recording of a foreign judgment, the judgment creditor shall make and record with the clerk of the circuit court an affidavit setting forth the name, social security number, if known, and last known post-office address of the judgment debtor and of the judgment creditor.

(b)  Promptly upon the recording of the foreign judgment and the affidavit, the clerk shall mail notice of the recording of the foreign judgment, by registered mail with return receipt requested, to the judgment debtor at the address given in the affidavit and shall make a note of the mailing in the docket. The notice shall include the name and address of the judgment creditor and of the judgment creditor's attorney, if any, in this state. In addition, the judgment creditor may mail a notice of the recording of the judgment to the judgment debtor and may record proof of mailing with the clerk. The failure of the clerk to mail notice of recording will not affect the enforcement proceedings if proof of mailing by the judgment creditor has been recorded.

(2)  The judgment debtor shall have 30 days after service of the notice to file a notice of objection with the clerk of the court specifying the grounds for nonrecognition or nonenforceability under this act.

(3)  Upon the application of any party, and after proper notice, the circuit court shall have jurisdiction to conduct a hearing, determine the issues, and enter an appropriate order granting or denying recognition in accordance with the terms of this act.

(4)  If the judgment debtor fails to file a notice of objection within the required time, the clerk of the court shall record a certificate stating that no objection has been filed.

(5)  Upon entry of an order recognizing the foreign judgment, or upon recording of the clerk's certificate set forth above, the foreign judgment shall be enforced in the same manner as the judgment of a court of this state.

(6)  Once an order recognizing the foreign judgment has been entered by a court of this state, the order and a copy of the judgment may be recorded in any other county of this state without further notice or proceedings, and shall be enforceable in the same manner as the judgment of a court of this state.

(7)  A lien on real estate in any county shall be created only when there has been recorded in the official records of the county (a) a certified copy of the judgment, and (b) a copy of the clerk's certificate or the order recognizing the foreign judgment. The priority of such lien will be established as of the time the latter of the two recordings has occurred. Such lien may be partially released or satisfied by the person designated pursuant to ¹paragraph (1).

History.--s. 4, ch. 94-239.

¹Note.--As published in s. 4, ch. 94-239. Senate Amendment 2 to C.S. for H.B. 51, which became ch. 94-239, added material including the reference to "paragraph (1)" (see Journal of the Senate 1994, p. 746).