How Long Is a Florida Judgment Good For?

How long is a Florida judgment good for?

An action on a judgment of a Florida court of record must be brought within twenty years under Florida’s statute of limitations. That is the outer limit on the judgment itself. The lien against real property is a separate and shorter clock, which is where most creditors lose the ability to collect without realising it.

How long does a Florida judgment lien last?

A judgment recorded on or after 1 July 1994 is a lien on real property in that county for an initial period of ten years from the date of recording. It can be extended for an additional ten years by re-recording a certified copy and simultaneously filing an affidavit with the lienor’s current address, subject to the statutory limit.

How do I renew a Florida judgment before it expires?

You re-record a certified copy of the judgment in the county where the property sits, and file the affidavit of current address at the same time. Do it before the existing lien lapses, not after. A lapsed lien does not simply revive, and in the meantime the property can be sold or refinanced out from under you.

Is an old Florida judgment still worth enforcing?

That depends entirely on what the debtor has now, not on what they had when you won. Debtors acquire jobs, accounts and property over twenty years. They also go bankrupt, die, and move assets into other names. The only way to answer the question is to look at the debtor’s present position before you spend anything.

What is a Judgment Viability Report?

It is our Florida assessment of whether a specific judgment is worth enforcing: what the debtor currently holds, what is reachable under Florida law, what is exempt, and where you sit against other claimants. It is scoped and quoted in writing before any research begins. It exists because the honest answer to “should I keep going?” is sometimes no.

What if the answer is that it is not worth enforcing?

Then you have that in writing, and you stop spending. Some creditors use it to justify writing the judgment off. Others use it to price a sale. Either is a better outcome than years of speculative writs, which is the usual alternative and the reason most judgments are never collected.