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Florida Personal Injury Lawyers
$3,830,000

Catastrophic motorcycle accident resulted in a jury verdict.

$1,748,000

Auto accident, multi-car crash

$1,200,000

Auto accident

$1,035,000

Auto accident involving defective airbag

$850,000

Auto accident

$700,000

Auto accident

$700,000

Auto accident

$600,000

Hospital turned away patient

$550,000

Auto accident involving tractor trailer

$450,000

Auto accident

$400,000

Car accident

$350,000

Golf Cart Accident

$300,000

Slip and Fall at Work

$210,000

Slip and Fall

$195,000

Auto Accident

$175,000

Accident involving pressure cooker

$106,890

Auto Accident

$100,000

Auto Accident

$100,000

Auto Accident

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Collecting Your Personal Injury Judgment

Money

You’ve won your personal injury lawsuit. So what happens now? It’s easy to assume that the litigation is over once the court issues a judgment in your favor, ordering the other party to pay a specific amount of money to you. But the losing party is probably not going to hand you a check as you walk out of the courtroom door.

Collecting on a final judgment can be tricky, especially if the losing party does not voluntarily pay the damages award. What is the best way for you to collect the compensation owed to you?

What Is a Judgment Lien?

A judgment lien is one way to ensure that the losing party (also called the debtor) pays a court-ordered monetary award to the winning party (also called the creditor).

A lien is a claim on someone else’s property. It gives the lienholder the right to take that property if the debtor does not make timely payments on the money it owes to the lienholder. A mortgage is a common type of lien. In that case, the bank holds a mortgage on your house, and if you don’t make timely payments to the bank then you can lose your home.

A judgment lien can also be attached to the debtor’s house and other real estate (like a condo or land). Florida also permits judgment liens on personal property, like jewelry, art and other valuables.

How Do I Obtain a Judgment Lien?

To attach the lien on real estate, the creditor must record the judgment in the county in which the property is located. The lien will remain attached for 10 years, even if the debtor sells the property to someone else. To attach the lien on personal property, the creditor must file the judgment with the Florida Department of State. This lien will remain attached for 5 years.

Collecting on a judgment lien can be complicated if there other liens attached to the property, if the debtor files for bankruptcy, or if the property is foreclosed. An experienced attorney will explain all of your options and help you obtain the money that is owed to you.

The Homestead Exemption

Florida grants a “homestead exemption” to debtors with a judgment lien attached to their primary residence. This means that a portion of the home’s value cannot be touched by creditors. The standard exemption is $25,000, and it only applies to permanent Florida residents. So if someone has a vacation home in Florida that residence is not covered under the homestead exemption.

Contact Us Today

Contact an Orlando personal injury attorney at The Pendas Law Firm today for a free consultation if you were injured by another person’s negligence. Our experienced attorneys will guide you through the litigation process from beginning to end, including helping you collect the judgment entered in your favor.

The Pendas Law Firm also represents clients in the Fort Myers, Miami, West Palm Beach, Jacksonville, Fort Lauderdale, Tampa, Daytona Beach and Bradenton areas.

Resource:

leg.state.fl.us/Statutes/index.cfm?App_mode=Display_Statute&URL=0000-0099/0055/Sections/0055.10.html

Read What Others Have To Say About Us

  • “I can’t express how much I appreciate this law firm. I had the honor to deal with attorney Daniel. He kept me updated on my case. I couldn’t ask for a better law firm. Daniel fought for me til the end and got me what I deserved. Thanks Daniel and your team for always being there to answer any of my questions. If I ever need a law firm again...”

    Terry Mcphillips
  • “Speedy & superb handling of clients & cases, kind & caring. Highly recommended professionals. They made everything very easy for us, were outgoing & polite. I would call them again if ever in need, rather than call the larger firms that need to advertise & brag about winnings…Pendas was a pleasant & more personal approach instead of...”

    Joseph Kestell
  • “Wow I called Pendas Law Firm the other day at their main intake line it was around 11 o’clock at night and I’ve got this wonderful representative his name was Jeffrey Alvarez. This guy was very professional and his compassion was out of this world I don’t know what I would do if I could not have got a hold of him...”

    Luis Sanchez
  • “Thank you for helping us in our time of need. This firm handled my father’s workers comp case, and helped us with every question we had, and we had a plenty. Thankful for the entire legal team!”

    Enilno Resu
  • “I just concluded a case with attorney Michael Sanchez and paralegal Camilo Lopez. I can only say they are exceptional. The customer service is unique, they have been battling alongside me since day 1. They are not only courteous and professional, but they also are amazing at their job. Thanks to them I got a great deal. I am glad I decided to use their services...”

    Israel Garcia
  • “Their attorneys are absolutely someone you want handling your car accident claim. They communicated with us promptly and thoroughly. I was very happy with our recovery. Already recommended them to others in the same circumstances, their staff speaks Spanish and you feel like in family.”

    Ian Brito
  • “Very Professional law firm. They explained to you every detail what to do according to the laws (worker’s compensation). Mr. Danilo Cruz is the best Lawyer and his team. They are very kind, friendly, responsible, I love this firm. They fight for their clients. AwesomeTeam!”

    Lau Rod