Lake County Clerk of the Circuit Court and Comptroller
Gary J. Cooney, Clerk

Frequently Asked Questions

Property Recovery

• How can I recover my property from a person who refuses to return it?
  

  A replevin action is used for resolving civil disputes involving personal property valued up to $50,000 (excluding court costs, interest, and/or attorney's fees, if applicable). This process allows an individual to recover property which another person refuses to return. Before filing a complaint, a person must know where the property is located. For a small fee, you may obtain the forms for filing a replevin from the Clerk's office. There are no forms available from the Clerk's office for amounts greater than $50,000. You may pick up the packet in person or you may have it mailed to you. There is an instruction sheet attached with information on the filing process and the associated filing fees.

• Why do I have to put money in the registry of the court at the time of filing an emergency replevin?
  

  This type of replevin is considered a prejudgment writ of replevin. Section 78.068(3), Florida Statutes, requires that the Petitioner post a bond in the amount of twice the value of the goods subject to the writ or twice the balance remaining due and owing, whichever is less as determined by the Court, as security for the payment of damages the defendant may sustain when the writ is obtained wrongfully.

 

NOTICE: Under Florida law, email addresses are public records. If you do not want your email address released in response to public records requests, do not send electronic mail to the Clerk’s Office; instead, contact this office by phone or in writing.