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Fla. Stat. § 55.502 (2025)

Construction of act.

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55.502 Construction of act.—
(1) As used in ss. 55.501-55.509, the term “foreign judgment” means a judgment, decree, or order of a court of any other state, territory or commonwealth of the United States, or of the United States if such judgment, decree, or order is entitled to full faith and credit in this state.
(2) This act shall not be construed to impair the right of a judgment creditor to bring an action to enforce his or her judgment instead of proceeding under this act.
(3) This act shall be interpreted and construed to effectuate its general purpose to make uniform the law with respect to the subject of this act among states enacting it.
(4) Nothing contained in this act shall be construed to alter, modify, or extend the limitation period applicable for the enforcement of foreign judgments.
History.—ss. 2, 8, ch. 84-5; s. 16, ch. 94-348; s. 1358, ch. 95-147; s. 2, ch. 2013-164.
Notes of Decisions
Cited in 28 cases (2 in the last 5 years), 1987–2023 · leading case: John Patrick v. Richard Hess, 212 So. 3d 1039 (Fla. 2017).
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John Patrick v. Richard Hess, 212 So. 3d 1039 (Fla. 2017). · cites it 14× “3d at 20 ; see § 55.502(1) Fla. Stat. (“As used in ss. 55.”
Le Credit Lyonnais, SA v. Nadd, 741 So. 2d 1165 (Fla. 5th DCA 1999). · cites it 8× “[20] § 55.502(1), Fla.Stat. [21] § 55.502(2), Fla.”
De La Osa v. Wells Fargo Bank, N.A., 208 So. 3d 259 (Fla. 3d DCA 2016). · cites it 2× “, § 55.502(1), Florida Statutes (2016) (“‘[F]oreign judgment’ means a judgment, decree, or order of a court of any other state.”
Hess v. Patrick, 164 So. 3d 19 (Fla. 2d DCA 2015). · cites it 7× “Section 55.502 provides as follows: 55.502 Construction of act.”
Michael v. Valley Trucking Co., Inc., 832 So. 2d 213 (Fla. 4th DCA 2002). · cites it 2× “§ 55.502, Fla. Stat. (2000). Therefore, until 1994, creditors with federal judgments who wished to place a lien on property in Florida had to file an action to domesticate the judgment in Florida and then record the judgment as a Florida judgment to create a lien.”
Burshan v. Nat'l Union Fire Ins. Co. of Pittsburgh, Pa., 805 So. 2d 835 (Fla. 4th DCA 2001). “Section 55.502(4) provides that nothing in the Act "shall be construed to alter, modify, or extend the limitation period applicable for the enforcement of foreign judgments.”
New York State Com'r of Taxation v. Friona, 902 So. 2d 864 (Fla. 4th DCA 2005). · cites it 2× “" § 55.502(2), Fla. Stat. (2002) (emphasis added).”
Nadd v. Le Credit Lyonnais, SA, 804 So. 2d 1226 (Fla. 2001). “Additionally, section 55.502(4) states specifically, "Nothing contained in this act shall be construed to alter, modify, or extend the limitation period applicable for the enforcement of foreign judgments.”
Pratt v. Equity Bank, N.A., 124 So. 3d 313 (Fla. 5th DCA 2013). · cites it 2× “In order to render a foreign judgment enforceable in Florida, the judgment creditor must record the judgment and provide the clerk of the circuit court with an affidavit setting forth the last known address of the judgment debtor.”
Fazzini v. Davis, 98 So. 3d 98 (Fla. 2d DCA 2012). · cites it 2× “Section 55.502, Florida Statutes (2008), defines “foreign judgment” as “any judgment, decree, or order of a court of any other state or of the United States if such judgment, decree, or order is entitled to full faith and credit in this state.”
Fed. Deposit Ins. Corp. v. Panelfab Intern. Corp., 501 So. 2d 167 (Fla. 3d DCA 1987). · cites it 5× “Section 55.502(1), Florida Statutes (1985), specifically defines the term "foreign *168 judgment," which the Florida Enforcement of Foreign Judgments Act governs, as "any judgment, decree, or order of a court of any other state if such judgment, decree, or order is entitled to…”
Muka v. Horizon Fin. Corp., 766 So. 2d 239 (Fla. 4th DCA 2000). · cites it 2× “Also, as the Credit Lyonnais court itself noted, FUOMRA lacks a counterpart to FEFJA section 55.502(4) which provides that: "Nothing contained in this act shall be construed to alter, modify, or extend the limitation period applicable for the enforcement of foreign judgments.”
Show all 28 citing cases →
— 55.502(1) — 12 cases
John Patrick v. Richard Hess, 212 So. 3d 1039 (Fla. 2017). “3d at 20 ; see § 55.502(1) Fla. Stat. (“As used in ss. 55.”
De La Osa v. Wells Fargo Bank, N.A., 208 So. 3d 259 (Fla. 3d DCA 2016). “, § 55.502(1), Florida Statutes (2016) (“‘[F]oreign judgment’ means a judgment, decree, or order of a court of any other state.”
Fed. Deposit Ins. Corp. v. Panelfab Intern. Corp., 501 So. 2d 167 (Fla. 3d DCA 1987). “Section 55.502(1), Florida Statutes (1985), specifically defines the term "foreign *168 judgment," which the Florida Enforcement of Foreign Judgments Act governs, as "any judgment, decree, or order of a court of any other state if such judgment, decree, or order is entitled to…”
Le Credit Lyonnais, SA v. Nadd, 741 So. 2d 1165 (Fla. 5th DCA 1999). “[20] § 55.502(1), Fla.Stat. [21] § 55.502(2), Fla.”
New York State Dept. of Taxation v. Patafio, 829 So. 2d 314 (Fla. 5th DCA 2002).
— 55.502(2) — 7 cases
New York State Com'r of Taxation v. Friona, 902 So. 2d 864 (Fla. 4th DCA 2005). “" § 55.502(2), Fla. Stat. (2002) (emphasis added).”
Pratt v. Equity Bank, N.A., 124 So. 3d 313 (Fla. 5th DCA 2013). “In order to render a foreign judgment enforceable in Florida, the judgment creditor must record the judgment and provide the clerk of the circuit court with an affidavit setting forth the last known address of the judgment debtor.”
Le Credit Lyonnais, SA v. Nadd, 741 So. 2d 1165 (Fla. 5th DCA 1999). “[20] § 55.502(1), Fla.Stat. [21] § 55.502(2), Fla.”
Haskin v. Haskin, 781 So. 2d 431 (Fla. 4th DCA 2001).
Policemen's & Firefighters' Ret. Fund v. Tranter (In Re Tranter), 245 B.R. 419 (Bankr. S.D. Florida 2000).
— 55.502(3) — 3 cases
Le Credit Lyonnais, SA v. Nadd, 741 So. 2d 1165 (Fla. 5th DCA 1999). “[20] § 55.502(1), Fla.Stat. [21] § 55.502(2), Fla.”
SCG Travel, Inc. v. Westminster Fin. Corp., 583 So. 2d 723 (Fla. 4th DCA 1991).
Expedia, Inc. v. McKenney's, Inc., 611 So. 2d 98 (Fla. 1st DCA 1992).
— 55.502(4) — 9 cases
John Patrick v. Richard Hess, 212 So. 3d 1039 (Fla. 2017). “3d at 20 ; see § 55.502(1) Fla. Stat. (“As used in ss. 55.”
Burshan v. Nat'l Union Fire Ins. Co. of Pittsburgh, Pa., 805 So. 2d 835 (Fla. 4th DCA 2001). “Section 55.502(4) provides that nothing in the Act "shall be construed to alter, modify, or extend the limitation period applicable for the enforcement of foreign judgments.”
Hess v. Patrick, 164 So. 3d 19 (Fla. 2d DCA 2015). “Section 55.502 provides as follows: 55.502 Construction of act.”
Nadd v. Le Credit Lyonnais, SA, 804 So. 2d 1226 (Fla. 2001). “Additionally, section 55.502(4) states specifically, "Nothing contained in this act shall be construed to alter, modify, or extend the limitation period applicable for the enforcement of foreign judgments.”
Le Credit Lyonnais, SA v. Nadd, 741 So. 2d 1165 (Fla. 5th DCA 1999). “[20] § 55.502(1), Fla.Stat. [21] § 55.502(2), Fla.”
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