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County Civil Cases (Damages up to $50,000)

County Civil Court has jurisdiction over claims up to and including $50,000. A County Civil case is any civil matter that falls within the jurisdiction of County Court. Detail may be found in Chapter 34, Florida Statutes.

Fees

Registry fees are collected at time of deposit. Payable only by certified funds – cash, cashier’s check, or money order.

First $500: 3%
Each additional $100: 1.5%

Filing a Complaint

When filing a complaint, please be specific in the amount of damages you are claiming (i.e., damages are greater than $2,500, but less than $8,000 or damages are greater than $8,000, but no more than $50,000). This will assist the clerk in determining whether to file the claim as a Small Claim, in which a pre-trial date will be included as part of the Small Claims Summons, or a Civil Action, in which a standard 20-day summons will be issued.

It is important to include your name, address and telephone number on every document you file with the court.

Confidential Information Within Court Filing

All filers of circuit civil, county civil and small claims court documents are solely responsible for ensuring that confidential information is redacted or is identified for redaction.

Any court filings made in a Florida court that contain confidential information that has not been redacted must be accompanied by a Notice of Confidential Information – a form that lists exemptions to public records laws, including adoption records, Social Security or bank account numbers, HIV test results or information identifying victims of sexual offenses. Learn more.

Users of the Florida Courts E-Filing Portal will be required to designate whether case-initiating documents contain confidential information when filing in Circuit Civil, County Civil and Small Claims cases.

Publication

The Clerk’s office does not forward Notices of Action and Notices to Creditors for non-indigent parties to a newspaper for publication. Once the Clerk issues your Notice of Action, you are responsible for arranging service with a newspaper of general circulation in Palm Beach County.

The newspaper must have a print circulation. Once you receive the proof of publication from the newspaper, you must file the proof with the Clerk’s office in order for your case to proceed.

Civil Differentiated Case Management

The Fifteenth Judicial Circuit has implemented Differentiated Case Management plans. Visit the Fifteenth Judicial Circuit's website for more information, forms, and administrative orders related to Differentiated Case Management.

Pay Mediation Fees for County Cases

Mandatory mediation fees for county cases may be paid online, by mail or in-person at any one of our four courthouse locations.

Learn more about paying mediation fees for county cases.

Suggestion of Bankruptcy

When filing a Suggestion of Bankruptcy over the counter, a Notice of Filing must be included.

Contact

(561) 355-2500
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Free Toolbox

Landlord Tenant (Eviction): Get helpful resources.

Fees & Costs

County Civil Court Fees

FAQs

Who can file a residential landlord or tenant action?

A landlord (the owner or lessor of a dwelling) or a tenant (a person entitled to occupy a dwelling unit under a rental agreement) may file a Residential Landlord or Tenant Action. If you have a commercial, agricultural or personal property lease, you should consult an attorney for the proper procedures to resolve disputes.
Do I need an attorney?

It is recommended that you consult with an attorney to obtain advice and to familiarize yourself with the procedures for enforcing your rights under your lease. The residential landlord/tenant relationship is controlled by the terms of your lease and by Chapter 83 of the Florida Statutes. The procedures for enforcing your rights can be found in section 51.011, Florida Statutes. The public library and County Law Library will have these reference materials. The reference materials are also available online.

The Palm Beach County Bar Association maintains an Attorney Referral Service. >The Clerk of the Circuit Court & Comptroller's can provide you access to an attorney for a nominal charge, for the purpose of providing procedural advice.
What do I have to do to file a residential landlord/tenant action?

Before you can file a landlord action, proper written notice must first be given to the landlord or tenant. The form of the notice will depend on the landlord's or tenant's reason for terminating the lease. Details and forms for such notice can be found in Chapter 83, Florida Statutes.
After I give proper notice, what do I have to do?

Once proper notice has been given, the next steps are to file a complaint for eviction and request that the Clerk issue a Summons. This will then need to be delivered to the Sheriff or process server for service on the Defendant or Defendants.

There are differing requirements and different types of actions against tenants and different types of actions depending on the circumstances. If you have any questions, please consult an attorney. The Palm Beach County Bar maintains an Attorney Referral Service. The Clerk of the Circuit Court & Comptroller's Self Service Center can provide you access to an attorney for a nominal charge, for the purpose of providing procedural advice.

It is important to include your name, address and telephone number on every document you file with the court.
When will I go to court?

The defendant will have a specific period of time to respond as specified in the summons. Depending on the form of action and the issues, the time frame for a court date varies.
May a lease for real estate be oral?

A lease is an agreement to rent property and it may be written or oral. Most are written, however, because oral agreements can be subject to misunderstandings or difficulties of proof.
What if a tenant fails to live up to obligations under the lease?

In order to terminate a tenancy for reasons other than failure to pay rent, Chapter 83 of the Florida Statues requires notice to the Tenant, in writing, of the alleged breach of the lease. The statute also requires that the tenant be afforded seven (7) days to correct the situation.
What if a tenant fails to pay rent?

Chapter 83 of the Florida Statutes provides that the landlord serve the tenant with a written notice allowing three (3) days excluding weekends and legal holidays for the tenant to pay the rent or vacate the premises. If the rent is not paid within the three (3) days, the landlord may begin the eviction process.

The landlord files suit in the office of the Clerk of the County Court, Civil Division, in the county in which the dwelling is situated. The tenant then has five (5) days excluding weekends and legal holidays to respond in writing to the court by filing the response with the Clerk of the County Court Civil Division.

If there is no response from the tenant within the required time, a default judgment is entered against the tenant. If there is a response filed, upon request the court will schedule a trial at which each party has an opportunity to present its case. If after trial the court enters a judgment against the tenant, the Clerk of the County Court will issue a "Writ of Possession" to be served by the sheriff notifying the tenant that the tenant will be evicted in 24 hours.
What is proper notice of termination of tenancy?

This varies depending on the type of tenancy and other facts. Particulars are set forth in Florida Statutes.
What do the terms Count I and Count II eviction mean?
- Count I is an action for eviction only (possession).
- Count II is a claim for damages (such as past due rent or damage to the premises).

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