Florida Statutes

Fla. Stat. § 55.503 (2025)

Recording and status of foreign judgments; fees.

✓ 2025 Florida Statutes — current through the 2025 Regular Session
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55.503 Recording and status of foreign judgments; fees.
(1) A copy of any foreign judgment certified in accordance with the laws of the United States or of this state may be recorded in the office of the clerk of the circuit court of any county. The clerk shall file, record, and index the foreign judgment in the same manner as a judgment of a circuit or county court of this state. A judgment so recorded shall have the same effect and shall be subject to the same rules of civil procedure, legal and equitable defenses, and proceedings for reopening, vacating, or staying judgments, and it may be enforced, released, or satisfied, as a judgment of a circuit or county court of this state.
(2) Any person recording a foreign judgment shall pay to the clerk of the circuit court a service charge as is required for the recording of an original action demanding the relief or judgment granted in the foreign judgment.
History.ss. 3, 7, ch. 84-5.
Notes of Decisions
Cited in 26 cases (2 in the last 5 years), 1989–2026 · leading case: John Patrick v. Richard Hess, 212 So. 3d 1039 (Fla. 2017).
John Patrick v. Richard Hess, 212 So. 3d 1039 (Fla. 2017). · cites it 18× “11(1), demonstrates that the Legislature intended to apply the twenty-year limitations period contained in section 95.11(1) to the enforcement of a foreign judgment after its recording and domestication under FEFJA.”
Michael v. Valley Trucking Co., Inc., 832 So. 2d 213 (Fla. 4th DCA 2002). · cites it 5× “§ 55.503, Fla. Stat. (2000). A Florida judgment automatically becomes a lien on real property in a particular county when a certified copy of the judgment is recorded in the public records of that county.”
New York State Com'r of Taxation v. Friona, 902 So. 2d 864 (Fla. 4th DCA 2005). · cites it 5× “We agree the New York Transcript meets the requirements of section 55.503, Florida Statutes (2002). [3] We disagree, however, with the court's application of the five-year statute of limitations to the "domestication" of the foreign judgment.”
Pratt v. Equity Bank, N.A., 124 So. 3d 313 (Fla. 5th DCA 2013). · cites it 5× “See § 55.503, Fla. Stat. (2008); see also Fazzini v.”
Barr v. Barr, 724 So. 2d 1200 (Fla. 1st DCA 1998). · cites it 6× “” § 55.503(1), Fla. Stat. (1995)(emphasis added).”
Dollar Sav. & Trust Co. v. Soltesiz, 636 So. 2d 63 (Fla. 2d DCA 1994). · cites it 7× “These consolidated appeals emanate from two circuit court decisions holding that appellant, Dollar Savings and Trust Company's (Dollar), foreign judgment, recorded pursuant to section 55.503, Florida Statutes (1989), was subordinate and inferior to the subsequently executed and…”
Hess v. Patrick, 164 So. 3d 19 (Fla. 2d DCA 2015). · cites it 5× “503(1) provides that a foreign judgment properly recorded under FEFJA “shall have the same effect and shall be subject to the same rules of civil procedure, legal and equitable defenses, and proceedings for reopening, vacating, or staying judgments, and it may be enforced,…”
Joannou v. Corsini, 543 So. 2d 308 (Fla. 4th DCA 1989). · cites it 2× “§ 55.503, Fla. Stat. (Supp. 1984). However, appellee resists the dismissal of this appeal because he claims that the jurisdictional issue and subsequent sanction imposed in the contempt order are not rendered moot by the reversal of the California action.”
SCG Travel, Inc. v. Westminster Fin. Corp., 583 So. 2d 723 (Fla. 4th DCA 1991). · cites it 4× “[1] Petitioner then recorded the New Jersey judgments in Palm Beach county under section 55.503, Florida Statutes (1989), whereupon respondents filed actions in the circuit court here under section 55.”
Jones v. Directors Guild of Am., Inc., 584 So. 2d 1057 (Fla. 1st DCA 1991). “As provided by section 55.503(1) of the Act: A judgment so recorded shall have the same effect and shall be subject to the same rules of civil procedure, legal and equitable defenses, and proceedings for reopening, vacating, or staying judgments, and it may be enforced,…”
Baker v. Bennett, 633 So. 2d 91 (Fla. 4th DCA 1994). · cites it 2× “The Bennetts filed and recorded a certified copy of the judgment with the Clerk of the Circuit Court of Palm Beach County as authorized by section 55.503, Florida Statutes. Baker moved to vacate the Alabama judgment on the ground that the Alabama trial court never obtained…”
Zitani v. Reed, 992 So. 2d 403 (Fla. 2d DCA 2008). “The Reeds moved to strike the suggestion of bankruptcy, which the circuit court granted. Because Mr.”
— 55.503(1) — 17 cases
John Patrick v. Richard Hess, 212 So. 3d 1039 (Fla. 2017). “11(1), demonstrates that the Legislature intended to apply the twenty-year limitations period contained in section 95.11(1) to the enforcement of a foreign judgment after its recording and domestication under FEFJA.”
Barr v. Barr, 724 So. 2d 1200 (Fla. 1st DCA 1998). “” § 55.503(1), Fla. Stat. (1995)(emphasis added).”
Pratt v. Equity Bank, N.A., 124 So. 3d 313 (Fla. 5th DCA 2013). “See § 55.503, Fla. Stat. (2008); see also Fazzini v.”
Hess v. Patrick, 164 So. 3d 19 (Fla. 2d DCA 2015). “503(1) provides that a foreign judgment properly recorded under FEFJA “shall have the same effect and shall be subject to the same rules of civil procedure, legal and equitable defenses, and proceedings for reopening, vacating, or staying judgments, and it may be enforced,…”
New York State Com'r of Taxation v. Friona, 902 So. 2d 864 (Fla. 4th DCA 2005). “We agree the New York Transcript meets the requirements of section 55.503, Florida Statutes (2002). [3] We disagree, however, with the court's application of the five-year statute of limitations to the "domestication" of the foreign judgment.”
— 55.503(3) — 1 case
Nichols v. Nichols, 613 So. 2d 137 (Fla. 4th DCA 1993).
Annotations are extracted automatically from the opinions in the Syfert caselaw corpus and ranked by authority, recency, and treatment. Dots show Syfertize treatment of the citing case itself.

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