Circuit Civil Department

General Information | Circuit Civil Glossary | Circuit Civil FAQ

To obtain information on a Civil case, search our online records.

Frequently Asked Questions:

HOW CAN I BID ON PROPERTY AT FORECLOSURE SALES?
*Minimum bid is subject to change

Foreclosure sales are conducted in the atrium of the Hernando County Government Center located at 20 N. Main Street, Brooksville, FL.  Sales are held on Tuesdays and Thursdays at 11:00 a.m. unless the Clerk’s Office is closed due to a Legal Holiday or act of nature. *Beginning in November 2008, sales will be held more frequently than on Tuesday and Thursday due to the increasing number of foreclosure cases being filed. Please check the foreclosure information on the Clerk's home page under Online Services. Anyone interested in bidding must obtain and fill out a bid card prior to the sale.  Bid cards are available in the Clerk’s Office on the second floor, room 245 of the Government Center.

There are risks associated with bidding at foreclosure sales.  You should consult an attorney if you are unfamiliar with those risks.  Deputy Clerks cannot give you legal advice.  Any person interested in purchasing property at a foreclosure sale is strongly encouraged to research the property for sale or hire someone to do the research for you.  The court file and official records should be reviewed to determine if there are any outstanding liens or encumbrances existing against the property.  A purchaser at a foreclosure sale takes the property subject to any defects, liens and encumbrances. 
A foreclosure sale may be set aside because a defendant has filed for bankruptcy protection.  In some cases the Clerk’s Office may be unaware that the defendant has filed for bankruptcy and the sale may go forward.  If this happens, the sale may be set aside and considered null and void.  If you bid at a sale and the sale is set aside, the sale and registry fee that you pay will not be refunded to you.  If a Notice of Bankruptcy is filed in the court file prior to the sale, the sale will be canceled.

If you are the successful bidder at a foreclosure sale, you must pay immediately after the sale to the Clerk in cash or by cashier’s check a good faith deposit of 5% of the final bid amount.  You must then pay the balance of the bid amount plus the required registry fees and documentary stamps no later than 5:00 p.m. on the day following the sale.  If you do not pay the balance by 5:00 p.m. the day following the sale, the good faith deposit will be forfeited pursuant to F.S. 45.031 (2).
(Court registry fees are calculated at 3% of the first $500 deposited and 1.5% of the remainder of the amount.  Documentary stamps are calculated at .70 per $100.)

WHAT HAPPENS IF I FILE A CASE AND THE PERSON PAYS ME BEFORE THE HEARING? DO I GET MY FILING FEES BACK?
If your case is settled to your satisfaction prior to the court date, you should sign a dismissal so that the case can be removed from the docket. You do not have to sign a dismissal unless the party has also paid you the filing fees and costs expended to file your case. Your filing fees and costs are non-refundable.

CAN I CALL THE CLERK'S OFFICE AND FIND OUT IF MY NEIGHBOR HAS BEEN SUED?
Record searches are $1.50 per name per year payable in advance. You can visit the Clerk's Office and utilize one of the access terminals available to the public at no charge or you may Search Our Online Records.

CAN I PICK WHICH JUDGE HEARS MY CASE IF I FILE ONE?
No, the computer program randomly selects the Judge out of a pool of judges as specified by an Administrative Order assigning specific case types to certain judges for a given year.

HOW DO I COLLECT A JUDGMENT?
http://ccfcorp.dos.state.fl.us/corpweb/inquiry/jlien_how_to.html

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