Florida Statute of Limitations on a Judgment Lasts 20 Years. Until recently, there has been some debate on this litigation question caused by the interpretation of some Courts that a Florida judgment is subject to a five year statute of limitations. However, the Florida Supreme Court, in Salinas v.
The sheriff's department can seize: Personal property: movable things (e.g., cars, horses, boats, furniture, jewelry) owned by the debtor. Real property: land and buildings owned by the debtor.
The lien is good for 10 years, but the creditor can renew the judgment before it expires for another 10 years, meaning the lien will survive for a maximum of 20 years. The good news is that because of Florida's homestead protections, a judgment lien cannot attach to homestead property.
The Florida homestead is the most protected asset in the entire country. The purpose of Florida homestead laws is to shield the primary residence of Florida residents so that they do not lose their homes due to unpaid debts.
Florida is considered one of the best states for asset protection because of its generous creditor exemption laws. Florida law protects an unlimited amount of homestead equity, tenants by entireties property, head of household wages, retirement accounts, annuities, life insurance, and disability insurance.
Homestead property in Florida is exempt from judgment creditors by the homestead provision of the Florida Constitution. This means that a creditor cannot place a lien against or force the sale of one's homestead to satisfy an obligation or monetary judgment.
Judgements can become a first lien against a property. Lenders generally want to be first lien when it comes to mortgages. So yes, it will be deal breaker for most mortgage companies. I've seen mortgages get denied because of a $6000 judgement.