The Clerk of the Courts assesses filing fees based on the amount the Plaintiff is suing for. The…read moreClerk of the Courts does not include court filing fees, cost of summons, process service fees or attorney fees in determining the amount to be assessed. The cost for filing a suit under $500.00 is $80.00. The cost for filing a suit over $500.00 is $174.00. I filed a small claims case with the Leon County Clerk of the Courts. Paragraph 11 in the complaint states "Defendant owes Plaintiffs $407.60 ($707.60 less $300.00 security deposit not returned), plus $75.00 collection fees and $150.00 small claims court related costs." The paragraph further states "The costs are shown below as follows ..." and shows 8 lines of detail listing my claim and including 3 lines showing court related costs, which are not to be considered in calculating the cost of the filing fee. The total of our claim, upon which a filing fee would be assessed, was $482.60. After filing our case, the Leon County Clerk of the Court sent a letter assessing an additional $94.00 claiming the case was over $500.00, which it was not. I contacted the Leon County Clerk of Court on several occasions attempting to discuss the incorrect assessment. Basically, I was told this is how we see it, you owe the additional $94.00. I sent a letter to the Clerk requesting an explanation such as laws, rules of court, etc., as to how in their opinion I should have properly presented the amount that I was claiming in the complaint which I filed. Additionally, I included a number of suggestions that would help non-attorney individuals have easier access to the Leon County Clerk of Court and the court system based on my experience. Access for the non-attorney individual is a major component of the small claims process. Judges typically work with individuals differently than they would attorneys, as the small claims court is more of a "people's court" for individuals to present their claim. I received a very short response thanking me for the suggestions, but absolutely no mention of the $94.00 that the Leon County Clerk had demanded I pay. I think it is fair to say they have chosen not to discuss it because there probably aren't any laws, rules of court, or other legal areas that say how the claimed amount should be presented in a case. I paid the $94.00, under protest, rather than be sent to collections; however, the Leon County Clerk of the Court still has not reimbursed me $94.00 for their over assessment of the amount of the claim for calculating the filing fee. The case has been resolved; and it is a matter of court record that the case was settled for less than $500.00, thereby reinforcing my claim that this case was not over $500.00. In summary, I believe I was ripped off by the Leon County Clerk of Courts; thus, I am publishing this complaint in the hope that other individuals will be provided better consideration rather than having their complaint aired on the web or elsewhere.

We have been fortunate to have a well run Supervisor of Elections office for many years now. The…read moreproblems you see on the news just don't happen here. We didn't have any "hanging chads" here in 2000. Tuesday we had another successful election even with a strong thunderstorm that knocked out power for a little bit and blew over the tent covering the curbside drop off for absentee/mail-in ballots. Heck, one precinct even had to briefly deal with a naked man in front of the precinct. I know y'all all saw that "Florida man" story. 67% of us voting by mail and early voting probably helped Tuesday be mostly uneventful. Supervisor of Elections is normally a job for as long as you want it as long as you don't mess up. Wilma Sullivan was Supervisor for forever when I was younger. Her son worked for years with her and probably would have been the next Supervisor because of his experience but evidently they didn't trust the electorate to pick the most experienced candidate so on the last day of qualifying Wilma announced her retirement and her son became the only candidate to qualify before the deadline. That caused quite an uproar so a write in candidate won the job. He didn't avoid messing up so Ion Sancho got the job and kept things smooth for many years right past the 2000 Florida election debacle. He did such a good job that he became something of an election expert on the national level. Mark Earley, the most experienced employee in Ion's office, won the election after Ion's retirement and has kept things running smooth since. I suspect he will be in the job as long as he wants it.

Located inside the Leon county government annex building. Walk in and it's immediately on your…read moreright. Parking: street parking is the cheapest but there are garages located near by. It was not busy and very organized. Someone called me up immediately and took my form. Within 5min he put the changes directly into the computer and told me he would mail my updated card in the mail. http://dos.myflorida.com/media/693757/dsde39.pdf I printed my form at home and filled it out prior to arriving. I saw forms available at the office to fill out if you don't have printer. Forms are for new voter registration, change of party, or address change.

You definitely will not miss the Jefferson County Courthouse as you headed to Monticello, Florida…read more The architecture is definitely impressive and eye catching They have a monument to the Fallen Soldiers in the back, as well. I love stumbling across these cool little items when I am on the back roads traveling for business.

I visited Monticello Florida quite a few times but i would not live there you have a property tax…read moreand a county tax very expensive to live there. No jobs plenty of small business family owned. I have a feeling that the city government does not want no businesses keeping it low key

The historic court house is in downtown Valdosta, the seat of Lowndes County. This is the 7th…read morecourthouse in the county's history, the first several were destroyed by fire. Oddly, none of the destructions during the Civil War. The previous one had been a two story red brick structure but it was demolished in 1904 and this one, the current building, was completed the following year. The building is no longer active as a courthouse as the functions moved up the street to the Lowndes County Judicial Complex. Pretty to look through the windows though the building was secured. It is in the Neoclassical Revival style, designed by noted architect Frank Pierce Milburn (1868-1926) who is responsible for a number of other courthouses around the USA as well as the South Carolina State Capitol in Columbia. I reviewed his work in the Lake City Florida Columbia County Courthouse, https://www.yelp.com/biz/columbia-county-courthouse-lake-city?hrid=0CRpbrjx8o5QW99Z4YaigQ. There are several monuments on the courthouse grounds including the Civil War Memorial, a 9/11 memorial and a "Veterans of All Wars." Street parking is all around though has a two hour limit. [Review 1041 of 2024 - 710 in Georgia - 22069 overall]

Kind of weird to write a review of a courthouse, but why not?…read more This is a large and impressive building in Tallahassee. Inside it is modern and sleek. It's a very nice courthouse, and more impressive, even, than the new First District Court of Appeals down in Southwood. If you have business inside, be aware that these are the feds - this is the big time! That means security is tight. The good thing, in my experience, is that security is security is provided by the US Marshal's Service and is professional, courteous, and efficient. This is much more pleasant than the abuse/disrespect citizens must endure at the hands of the private security that control the front desks of all the agency buildings in town, and also generally better than going to the local trial court. My advice to you is don't take ANYTHING in that you don't need. They are very strict, especially about cell phones. Seriously. Just leave it in the car. Other than that, enjoy your trip to federal court ... depending on the circumstances.