Records Management
General Information | Records Management FAQ's
Please view our online records.
The Records Management Department performs many functions within the Clerk’s Office. The primary Records Management functions are:
- Central Duplication Room - Centralized photocopying services for county agencies
- Central File Room - Centralized management and tracking of active court files
- Central Mail Room - Centralized inter-office and postal services for county agencies
- Recording - Documents placed on public record in the Official Records Book
- Records Room - Information and copies of documents relating to ownership of, or liens against, real property located within Hernando County
- Records Storage Facility - Retention, microfilming and destruction of inactive county records
- Tax Deed Sales - Properties sold at public auction due to taxes being delinquent
The following is some information relating to these functions that might be of interest to you:
CENTRAL DUPLICATION ROOM
Government Center Complex, Ground Floor - Rm #51
The Duplication Room provides copy services to all departments located within the Government Complex and some county
agencies not located in the complex. The centralization of duplication services allows county employees to perform
other tasks while their copies are being made.
CENTRAL FILE ROOM
Government Center Complex, First Floor /Rm #137 (352) 540-6701
The Central File Room houses open court files. Closed or inactive court files may be stored at the Records Facility
or microfilmed. To access court files, contact the Central File Room by phone or in person. Utilizing an automated
bar-code tracking system, the file clerk can identify the location of all court files and refer you to the appropriate
location. Court files are public records and may be viewed by anyone unless specifically exempted by Florida Statutes.
A public viewing area is located near the file room should anyone wish to view a court file. However, court files may
not be removed from the file room.
CENTRAL MAIL ROOM
Government Center Complex, Ground Floor /Rm #50
The Central Mail Room provides centralized postal services for county agencies. These services include sorting and
delivering interoffice and incoming U.S. Mail twice-daily. The Central Mail Room also postmarks outgoing and specialized
mail such as UPS and Federal Express. Prior to setting up the Central Mail Room in 1990, each county department processed
their own mail. With the centralization of mail room functions, county employees have been able to spend more time
performing other tasks and services for the public.
RECORDING
161 E. Jefferson Street (across the street from the Courthouse) Phone: (352) 540-6768.
Please note the mailing address is: 20 N. Main Street, RM#215, Brooksville, FL 34601.
By Florida Statutes, the Clerk maintains the Official Records Book of all documents that are required or authorized
to be recorded. Documents recorded in the Official Records Book relate to the ownership, transfer, or encumbrance of
or claims against real or personal property or any interest therein. Some examples are: deeds, mortgages, liens,
judgments, tax warrants, powers of attorney relating to any of the documents and satisfactions of liens and mortgages.
All records that are received for recording in the Official Records Book are microfilmed and made available to the
public for viewing and/or copying the following day.
The Recording Clerks can provide information in regards to recording requirements and fees for documents to be placed on
public records. This office is a ministerial one. This means that we cannot give legal advice and cannot help you
fill out any legal forms. If there is any doubt in your mind concerning the use or how to complete any form, or your
legal rights, it is strongly recommended that the services of an attorney be obtained.
- Must have original document (containing original signatures and notary acknowledgment)
- Grantors/Grantee (s) address must be typewritten on the document
- Two witnesses per signature
- Names printed or typed under all signatures on document
- Complete Notary Acknowledgment (including notary commission expiration date and seal)
- Notary must also state how the signer was identified (type of ID or personally known)
- This instrument prepared by: Name and address on all documents
- Return to: Name and address on all documents
- Checks not endorsed/or improperly endorsed: Make check payable to “Clerk of Circuit Court”
- Proper fees for Recording, Indexing, Documentary Stamp Taxes and Intangible Taxes Recording fee is $10.00 for a one page instrument (8 ½" by 14"). For instruments with more than one page, each additional page is $8.50. An additional fee of $1.00 per name (after the fourth) is due for indexing instruments that contain more than four names.
RECORDS ROOM
161 E. Jefferson Street (across the street from the Courthouse) Phone: (352) 540-6768. Please note the mailing address is: 20 N. Main Street, RM#215, Brooksville, FL 34601.
In 1877, the Courthouse burned and all records were destroyed. The Clerk's Records Room currently has records dating
from 1878 to present. The index to the records is kept in alphabetical order, which enables access by a person's last
name. Plat subdivision and Property Tax information is also available in the Records Room. The Records Room is open to
the public Monday through Friday from 8:00a.m. to 5:00p.m. A clerk is available to assist anyone who may need help in
finding their records and can provide copies if requested for an established charge.
If you are unable to come in person, you may request a search to be done by the Records Clerk. The fee for searching
the public records is $2.00 per name or $2.00 per legal for property searches, for each year searched. To obtain copies
of any instrument in the public records the fee is $1.00 per page. Certifying copies of any instrument in the public
records is $2.00 per certification.
Prior to 1983 the Official Records Index & Images are available on microfilm. The Official Record’s Index & Images are available on computers
from 1983 to present. In January 1993, a new computer imaging system was implemented which allows the public to view
and order copies of images from the Official Records directly from the personal computer (PC).
The public can view the index and the document on PC's located in the Recording Division, Records Room and if a copy is desired, they can prompt the PC to send a
copy to a printer located at the Records Clerk's desk. The Records Clerk will then call up the customer name and
print the request. The Public can also view, and/or print for free, the Official Record's Index and Images on a PC from the privacy of their own home by logging onto the Clerk's Website at www.clerk.co.hernando.fl.us (and selecting "search our online records" located at the top-right section of the web page.)
Recorded copies of plats contain the dimensions (sizes of lots) of a particular property within a subdivision.
They are also available to the public for viewing in the Records Room. In 1991, the Recording Division went on-line
with a plat book computer system designed to automate the process of distributing copies of Hernando County Subdivision
Plat pages. The system allows the public on-screen viewing of recorded plats (including state & county right of way maps). both at the Clerk's Recording office or from the privacy of their own home. Copies of plats can be obtained at the Clerk's Recording Office for a fee of $1.00 ea, or if accessed through the Clerk's Website, they can be printed from home for free.
Tax records can also be viewed on computers in the Records Room or on the Tax Collector's website at www.hernandocounty.us/tc . Information available includes: owner’s name, mailing
address, location address, tax history, taxes due/paid, delinquent taxes, assessment liens, and legal descriptions.
RECORDS STORAGE FACILITY
234 East Jefferson Street (352) 754-4234
The Public Records Laws of the State of Florida require all public agencies / officials to establish and maintain a
records management program. This means that all public records must be retained and protected until they have satisfied
the retention requirements established by the State Bureau of Archives and Records Management and have been properly
disposed of.
For many years the Clerk’s Office had visualized a centralized, environmentally controlled facility for records
retention purposes. Due to continued growth, the need for such a facility became crucial.
On October 18, 1993, the Hernando County Records Storage Facility officially opened. The facility, located at 234 East
Jefferson Street, formerly housed the Hernando County Jail. The old three-story building was completely remodeled
into a secure, temperature and humidity controlled environment to house the county’s inactive records. The Records
Storage Facility offers a variety of cost-effective services to all county departments which include: storage of
inactive records; microfilming; retrieval and delivery of records upon request; inventory and tracking of records; and
coordination with the State Bureau of Archives and Records Management for destruction of records when retention
requirements have been met.
The Records Storage Facility currently houses and manages over 8,000 boxes of inactive records from all branches of county
government. Also housed at the facility are archival records dating back to 1877 when the original court house and all
of its records were destroyed by fire. These are the original records which are now retained mainly for their historical
value. Today, all vital county records are identified and protected from loss by microfilming and storing a copy of the
film at an off-site security facility located in Pennsylvania.
The Records Storage Facility also provides a public research area to facilitate the public’s access to records which are
stored at the facility. However, to request access or copies of any records, first contact the appropriate department or
government office. They will determine if the record is in storage and coordinate retrieval of same.
TAX DEED SALES
161 E. Jefferson Street (across the street from the Courthouse) Phone: (352) 540-6782 or 6768. Please note the mailing address is: 20 N. Main Street, RM#215, Brooksville, FL 34601.
If you own property in Hernando County, you must pay taxes each year. Ad valorem taxes are levied by the Board of
County Commissioners, the Hernando County School Board, Southwest Florida Water Management District and other applicable
special districts. The Property Appraiser determines the value of your property against which the taxes are levied and
collected by the Tax Collector. If you do not pay your property taxes by the established deadline, they become
delinquent. In order for the Tax Collector to collect the monies due for the delinquent taxes, Tax Certificates are
sold.
The manner in which delinquent taxes are collected is prescribed by Florida Statutes (Chapter 197) and is briefly
described as follows:
Hernando County real estate taxes are due each year November 1, payable through March 31 of the following year, with
discounts allowed for early payments and a 3% penalty imposed beginning April 1. Items remaining unpaid by Mid-April
are advertised in the local newspaper for three consecutive weeks in May in an effort to notify the property owners
of outstanding tax liability.
According to Florida Statutes, on or before the first day of June each year a Tax Certificate sale must be held.
This is a public auction where a Tax Certificate is sold to the party who will pay the property owners tax and accept
the lowest interest rate when redemption is made. A certificate is an interest-bearing lien and the interest rate varies
from 0% to 18%. Certificates are sold on any items remaining unpaid at the time of the sale. Once a certificate is
sold, the property owners may redeem the certificate by payment of taxes plus penalty, advertising, fees and interest.
If the certificate is not redeemed within a two-year time period, the certificate holder may begin proceedings for a
Tax Deed Sale.
Upon application for a Tax Deed by the certificate holder, a tax and title search is done by an abstract company to
determine if there are any other outstanding taxes on the property. If there are, the applicant pays these and they
become part of the starting bid at the actual Tax Deed sale. Once the search is completed, certification is made to
the Clerk of Circuit Court and the application is delivered to the Clerk. The property is then advertised for four
consecutive weeks prior to the Tax Deed sale with the applicant paying the advertising cost as part of the opening bid.
When the Clerk receives the application for Tax Deed from the Tax Collector, the Clerk’s Office will notify by mail the
owner of the property and all interested lien holders of record that the property will be sold at public auction to the
highest bidder unless the taxes, plus any applicable fees, are paid before the sale. The minimum bid will include
all delinquent and current taxes due, plus all monies paid by the certificate-holder with interest and applicable fees
due to the Clerk for performing the sale.
Each time a Tax Deed Sale is scheduled, the Tax Deed Clerk prepares a “Sale List.” The list includes information
pertaining to the minimum starting bid, the assessed value of the property, the legal description and the last known
titleholder of record. The "Sale List" can be viewed, and/or printed for free, by logging onto the Clerk's Website at www.clerk.co.hernando.fl.us - look at the right-side of the web page for "Online Services" section and select the "Tax Deed Sale List." The "Sale List" may also be purchased from the Clerk's office. To receive a copy of any “Tax Deed Sale List” from the Clerk's Office, a fee of $.15 cents per page (plus postage) must
be paid in advance.
The tax deed sale is held by the Clerk of the Circuit Court in the BCC Chambers, 1st floor at the Government Center on the third Monday of the month (unless it falls on a holiday then it would be the following Monday) and is open to the
Public. The property is auctioned to the highest bidder: Purchase price is payable at the Clerk’s Office upon completion
of this sale, payable by cashier’s check, money order or cash. If full payment is not received upon completion of the
sale, a non refundable deposit of $200.00 is required. The remaining balance MUST be received within 24 hours of sale.
There ARE NO EXCEPTIONS! No personal checks are accepted for the bid amount.
A Tax Deed is a deed from the County to the highest bidder, issued for non-payment of real estate taxes by the property
owner who forfeits all rights to the property by this default.
When considering tax deed properties, please be advised that ALL PROPERTIES ARE SOLD "BUYER BEWARE."
Addresses of the property are not provided.
Maps reflecting the legal description of property to be sold:
a) Subdivision plat maps are available online at the Clerk's Website at www.clerk.co.hernando.fl.us (under "Search our online records"-then select "Plats".) They are also available for viewing and/or purchase in the Clerk's Office, Recording Division (161 E. Jefferson Street - across the street from the Court House.).
These descriptions are identified by a Subdivision name, Block number and Lot number.
Governmental liens & judgments survive the issuance of the Tax Deed and may be fully or partially satisfied with any
overbid monies from the sale. Liens of governmental units not satisfied in full survive the issuance of the Tax Deed.
Should you have any questions concerning what liens & judgments survive the Tax Deed sale, consult an attorney, we
cannot advise you. Tax Deeds are not clear titles. Quiet title suits to clear the title of properties are Civil Law
suits and are not handled by the Tax Deed Clerk. Information on this procedure and costs would be available from an Attorney
that handles these lawsuits.
b) Acreage Maps (Metes and Bounds Legal Descriptions: Section, Township, Range) maps are available in the Property Appraiser’s office and on their Website at www.hernando.floridapa.com.
A property that does not sell at the Tax Deed Sale is placed on the "List of Lands Available for Taxes." After ninety
days from the sale date, anyone can purchase property off the "List of Lands Available for Taxes." To purchase property
from the "List of Lands Available for Taxes," one would pay the redemption amount plus any taxes that accrue from the
date of the sale. Any properties placed on this "List of Lands Available for Taxes" that are not purchased within seven
years from the date they are placed on the list of lands will escheat to the county after seven years (or three years,
if the certificate was issued after July 1, 1999).
The “List of Lands Available for Taxes” includes the following information: Clerk File Number; Certificate Number; Property
Description and Key Number; Amount to Redeem (excluding accrued taxes and additional interest due to the certificate holder);
Deed to Hernando County If Not Sold By Date; Date and Type of Disposition. The "List of Lands Available for Taxes" can be viewed, and/or copied for free, by logging onto the Clerk's Website at www.clerk.co.hernando.fl.us - Look on the right-side of the web page for "online services" below that you will find the link to the "List of Lands Available for Taxes." If you wish to receive a copy of this list, a fee
of $.15 per page plus postage must be paid in advance. The fee can also be charged to a preestablished escrow account.