Title: In Re: Amendments to the Florida Rules of Civil Procedure, Florida Small Claims Rules, and Florida Rules of Appellate Procedure â€“ Jurisdiction

State: florida

Issuer: Florida Supreme Court

Document:

Supreme Court of Florida 
 
 
____________ 
 
No. SC19-1354 
____________ 
 
 
IN RE: AMENDMENTS TO THE FLORIDA RULES OF CIVIL 
PROCEDURE, FLORIDA SMALL CLAIMS RULES, AND FLORIDA 
RULES OF APPELLATE PROCEDURE—JURISDICTION. 
 
August 13, 2020 
 
PER CURIAM. 
 
The Court has for consideration comments on the amendments to Florida 
Rule of Civil Procedure Form 1.997 (Civil Cover Sheet) previously adopted in this 
case and the Civil Procedure Rule Committee’s (Committee) response to the 
comments and suggested additional amendments to the civil cover sheet form and 
instructions.  The Court has jurisdiction1 and further amends the civil cover sheet 
form and instructions as suggested by the Committee. 
Background 
As relevant here, in the November 14, 2019, opinion in this case, the Court 
amended the civil cover sheet form and instructions to (1) collect information on 
 
 
1.  Art. V, § 2(a), Fla. Const. 
 
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the amount in controversy in civil circuit and non-small-claims county court cases 
to be used to evaluate the need for future adjustments to the county court 
jurisdictional limit, and (2) implement statutory changes that increased the county 
court jurisdictional limit to $30,000 effective January 1, 2020, and require the 
Office of the State Courts Administrator (OSCA) to include the claim value of 
county court and circuit court filings in the reports making county court 
jurisdiction adjustment recommendations that OSCA must submit to various 
officials by February 1, 2021.2  See In re Amends. to Fla. Rules of Civ. Pro., Fla. 
Small Claims Rules, & Fla. Rules of App. Pro.—Jurisdiction, 283 So. 3d 802, 803-
04 (Fla. Nov. 14, 2019).  The Court modified the Committee’s proposed 
amendments to remove “Real property/Mortgage foreclosure” from the “County 
Civil” case types listed under section III (Type of Case) in the form and 
instructions.  Id. at 803.  Because the amendments were not published prior to their 
adoption, the Court published the amendments for comment.  Id. at 803-04. 
Seven comments and one supplemental comment have been filed.  One of 
the comments was filed by the Committee questioning the Court’s removal of 
“Real property/Mortgage foreclosure” from the County Civil case types.  See 
Alexdex Corp. v. Nachon Enterprises, Inc., 641 So. 2d 858 (Fla. 1994) (holding 
 
2.  See ch. 2019-58, § 9, Laws of Fla. (amending § 34.01, Fla. Stat. (2018)). 
 
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that circuit courts and county courts within the county courts’ statutory monetary 
jurisdictional limit have concurrent jurisdiction over matters of equity, including 
foreclosure actions).  One of the comments urges the Court to further amend the 
civil cover sheet form to “distinguish between residential and non-residential 
evictions” in County Civil case types in order to make that data available to those 
studying residential evictions.  The remainder of comments primarily contend that 
(1) new section II (Amount of Claim) of the form, which asks for the estimated 
dollar amount of the claim, is inconsistent with section 768.042(1), Florida Statutes 
(2019), which prohibits the amount of general damages sought from being stated in 
a complaint in a personal injury or wrongful death action, and (2) the specific 
estimated dollar claim amount provided in the cover sheet could be used by the 
opposing party in the case for tactical reasons. 
In its response to the comments, the Committee offers several amendments 
to the civil cover sheet form and instructions to address the various issues raised in 
the comments.  According to the response, the Committee gave the commenters in 
this case and several other entities3 the opportunity to provide feedback on the 
suggested amendments; but no feedback was offered.  The Executive Committee 
 
 
3.  The Committee sought feedback from the Appellate Court Rules 
Committee, the Small Claims Rules Committee, the Florida Courts Technology 
Commission, OSCA, the E-Filing Portal Authority Board, the Conference of 
Circuit Court Judges, and the Conference of County Court Judges. 
 
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of the Board of Governors of The Florida Bar unanimously approved the suggested 
amendments. 
After reviewing the comments and the Committee’s response, and 
determining that the suggested amendments adequately resolve the issues raised in 
the comments, the Court further amends the civil cover sheet form and instructions 
as suggested by the Committee. 
Amendments 
First, the Court amends section II (Amount of Claim) of the form to replace 
the dollar sign and space where the estimated dollar amount of the claim is to be 
inserted with six claim amount range options, from “$8,000 or less” to “over 
$100,000.00.”  Two new sentences also are added to section II of the form 
explaining that “The estimated amount of the claim is requested for data collection 
and clerical processing purposes only.  The amount of the claim shall not be used 
for any other purpose.”  Similar explanatory language is added to the instructions 
to section II of the form. 
Next, the Court adds “Real property/Mortgage foreclosure” to the County 
Civil case types in section III (Type of Case) in the form and instructions.  The 
new instruction, lettered (AO), explains that the “Real property/Mortgage 
foreclosure” case type includes “all matters involving claims up to $30,000 relating 
to the possession, title, or boundaries of real property” and ‘[a]ll matters involving 
 
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foreclosures or sales of real property up to $30,000, including foreclosures 
associated with condominium associations or condominium units.”  The County 
Civil case types instructions currently lettered (AO) through (AQ) are relettered 
(AP) through (AR), respectively.  Finally, section III of the form is further 
amended to add “Residential Evictions” and “Non-residential Evictions,” as 
subcategories of the “Evictions” County Civil case type. 
Accordingly, the Florida Rules of Civil Procedure are amended as reflected 
in the appendix to this opinion.  New language is indicated by underscoring; 
deletions are indicated by struck-through type.  The amendments shall become 
effective immediately upon the release of this opinion. 
It is so ordered. 
CANADY, C.J., and POLSTON, LABARGA, LAWSON, MUÑIZ, and 
COURIEL, JJ., concur. 
 
THE FILING OF A MOTION FOR REHEARING SHALL NOT ALTER THE 
EFFECTIVE DATE OF THESE AMENDMENTS. 
 
Original Proceeding – Florida Rules of Civil Procedure, Florida Rules of Small 
Claims, and Florida Rules of Appellate Procedure – Jurisdiction  
 
Ceci Culpepper Berman, Chair, Tampa, Florida, and Ardith Michelle Bronson, 
Past Chair, Civil Procedure Rules Committee, Miami, Florida; Hon. Olga Maria 
Gonzalez-Levine, Chair, Plantation, Florida, and Maureen B. Walsh, Past Chair, 
Small Claims Rules Committee, Jacksonville, Florida; Hon. Stephanie Williams 
Ray, Chair, and Thomas D. Hall, Past Chair, Appellate Court Rules Committee, 
Tallahassee, Florida; and Joshua E. Doyle, Executive Director, Mikalla Andies 
Davis and Krys Godwin, Staff Liaisons, The Florida Bar, Tallahassee, Florida, 
 
for Petitioners 
 
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G.C. Murray II, Chair, Code and Rules of Evidence Committee, Florida Justice 
Association, Tallahassee, Florida; William T. Cotterall and Andrew A. Harris of 
Burlington & Rockenbach, P.A., on behalf of Florida Justice Association, Inc., 
Tallahassee, Florida, and Palm Beach County Justice Association, West Palm 
Beach, Florida; Alexander M. Clem, Andrew Parker Felix, and Steven E. Nauman, 
Morgan & Morgan, P.A., Orlando, Florida; John Wayne Hogan, Jacksonville, 
Florida; Ceci Culpepper Berman, Chair, Tampa, Florida, and Ardith Michelle 
Bronson, Past Chair, Civil Procedure Rules Committee, Miami, Florida; Thomas S. 
Edwards, Jr. of Edwards & Ragatz, P.A., Jacksonville, Florida; Jeffrey M. Hearne, 
Legal Services of Greater Miami, Inc., Tenants’ Rights Clinic, Miami, Florida, and 
Natalie N. Maxwell of Three Rivers Legal Services, on behalf of Housing 
Umbrella Group, Gainesville, Florida, 
 
Responding with comments 
 
 
 
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APPENDIX 
FORM 1.997. 
CIVIL COVER SHEET 
The civil cover sheet and the information contained in it neither replace nor supplement the filing 
and service of pleadings or other documents as required by law. This form must be filed by the 
plaintiff or petitioner with the Clerk of Court for the purpose of reporting uniform data pursuant 
to section 25.075, Florida Statutes. (See instructions for completion.) 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
I. 
CASE STYLE 
 
 
 
 
 
(Name of Court) 
 
 
 
. 
Plaintiff  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Case #  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Judge   
 
 
 
 
vs.  
 
Defendant 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
II. 
AMOUNT OF CLAIM 
Please indicate the estimated amount of the claim, rounded to the nearest dollar. The 
estimated amount of the claim is requested for data collection and clerical processing 
purposes only. The amount of the claim shall not be used for any other purpose. $   
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
$8,000 or less 
 
$8,001 - $30,000 
 
$30,001- $50,000 
 
$50,001- $75,000 
 
$75,001 - $100,000 
 
over $100,000.00 
 
III. 
TYPE OF CASE 
(If the case fits more than one type of case,  select the most 
definitive category.) If the most descriptive label is a subcategory (is indented under a broader 
category), place an x on both the main category and subcategory lines. 
 
 
 
 
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CIRCUIT CIVIL 
 
 Condominium 
 
 Contracts and indebtedness 
 
 Eminent domain 
 
 Auto negligence 
 
 Negligence—other 
 
 
 Business governance 
 
 
 Business torts 
 
 
 Environmental/Toxic tort 
 
 
 Third party indemnification 
 
 
 Construction defect 
 
 
 Mass tort 
 
 
 Negligent security 
 
 
 Nursing home negligence 
 
 
Premises liability—commercial 
 
 
 Premises liability—residential 
 
 Products liability 
___ Real property/Mortgage foreclosure 
_____ Commercial foreclosure  
_____ Homestead residential foreclosure  
_____ Non-homestead residential foreclosure  
_____ Other real property actions  
 
 Professional malpractice 
 
 
 Malpractice—business   
 
 
 Malpractice—medical   
 
 
 Malpractice—other professional 
 
 Other 
 
 
 Antitrust/Trade regulation 
 
 
 Business transactions 
 
 
 Constitutional challenge—statute or ordinance 
 
 
 Constitutional challenge—proposed amendment 
 
 
 Corporate trusts 
 
 
 Discrimination—employment or other   
 
 
 Insurance claims 
 
 
 Intellectual property 
 
 
 Libel/Slander 
 
 
 Shareholder derivative action 
 
 
 Securities litigation 
 
 
 Trade secrets   
 
 
 Trust litigation 
 
 
 
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COUNTY CIVIL 
 
 Civil 
 
 Real property/Mortgage foreclosure 
 
 Replevins 
 
 Evictions 
 
 
Residential Evictions 
 
 
Non-residential Evictions 
 
 Other civil (non-monetary) 
 
 
 
IV. 
REMEDIES SOUGHT (check all that apply): 
 
 
 Monetary; 
 
 
 Nonmonetary declaratory or injunctive relief; 
 
 
 Punitive 
 
 
V. 
NUMBER OF CAUSES OF ACTION: [   ] 
 
(Specify)  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
VI. 
IS THIS CASE A CLASS ACTION LAWSUIT? 
 
 
 
 yes 
 
 
 
 no 
 
 
VII. 
HAS NOTICE OF ANY KNOWN RELATED CASE BEEN FILED? 
 
 
 
 no 
 
 
__ yes If “yes,” list all related cases by name, case number, and court. 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
VIII. IS JURY TRIAL DEMANDED IN COMPLAINT?   
 
 
 
 yes 
 
 
 
 no 
 
I CERTIFY that the information I have provided in this cover sheet is accurate to the best of my 
knowledge and belief, and that I have read and will comply with the requirements  
of Florida 
Rule of Judicial Administration 2.425. 
 
Signature  
 
 
 
 
 
 Fla. Bar #  
 
 
 
 
 
 
Attorney or party  
 
 
 
 
(Bar # if attorney) 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
(type or print name)  
 
 
 Date  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
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FORM 1.997. 
INSTRUCTIONS FOR ATTORNEYS COMPLETING CIVIL 
COVER SHEET 
Plaintiff must file this cover sheet with the first document filed in the action or proceeding 
(except small claims cases, probate, or family cases). Domestic and juvenile cases should be 
accompanied by a completed Florida Family Law Rules of Procedure Form 12.928, Cover Sheet 
for Family Court Cases. Failure to file a civil cover sheet in any civil case other than those 
excepted above may result in sanctions. 
 
I. 
Case Style. Enter the name of the court, the appropriate case number assigned at the time 
of filing of the original complaint or petition, the name of the judge assigned (if applicable), and 
the name (last, first, middle initial) of plaintiff(s) and defendant(s). 
 
II. 
Amount of Claim. Enter the estimated amount of the claim, rounded to the nearest 
dollar.  The estimated amount of the claim is requested for data collection and clerical processing 
purposes only and is not considered dispositive of the claim. The amount of the claim shall not 
be used for any other purpose.  
III. 
Type of Case. Place an “X” on the appropriate line. If the cause fits more than one type 
of case, select the most definitive. If the most definitive label is a subcategory (indented under a 
broader category label), place an “X” on the category and subcategory lines. Definitions of the 
cases are provided below in the order they appear on the form. 
 
Circuit Civil 
 
 
(A) 
Condominium—all civil lawsuits pursuant to Chapter 718, Florida Statutes, in 
which a condominium association is a party. 
 
(B) 
Contracts and indebtedness—all contract actions relating to promissory notes and 
other debts, including those arising from the sale of goods, but excluding contract disputes 
involving condominium associations. 
 
(C) 
Eminent domain—all matters relating to the taking of private property for public 
use, including inverse condemnation by state agencies, political subdivisions, or public service 
corporations. 
 
(D) 
Auto negligence—all matters arising out of a party’s allegedly negligent operation 
of a motor vehicle. 
 
(E) 
Negligence—other—all actions sounding in negligence, including statutory 
claims for relief on account of death or injury, that are not included in other main categories. 
 
(F) 
Business governance—all matters relating to the management, administration, or 
control of a company. 
 
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(G) 
Business torts—all matters relating to liability for economic loss allegedly caused 
by interference with economic or business relationships. 
 
(H) 
Environmental/Toxic tort—all matters relating to claims that violations of 
environmental regulatory provisions or exposure to a chemical caused injury or disease. 
 
(I) 
Third party indemnification—all matters relating to liability transferred to a third 
party in a financial relationship. 
 
(J) 
Construction defect—all civil lawsuits in which damage or injury was allegedly 
caused by defects in the construction of a structure. 
 
(K) 
Mass tort—all matters relating to a civil action involving numerous plaintiffs 
against one or more defendants. 
 
(L) 
Negligent security—all matters involving injury to a person or property allegedly 
resulting from insufficient security. 
 
(M) 
Nursing home negligence—all matters involving injury to a nursing home 
resident resulting from negligence of nursing home staff or facilities. 
 
(N) 
Premises liability—commercial—all matters involving injury to a person or 
property allegedly resulting from a defect on the premises of a commercial property. 
 
(O) 
Premises liability—residential—all matters involving injury to a person or 
property allegedly resulting from a defect on the premises of a residential property. 
 
(P) 
Products liability—all matters involving injury to a person or property allegedly 
resulting from the manufacture or sale of a defective product or from a failure to warn. 
 
(Q) 
Real property/Mortgage foreclosure—all matters relating to the possession, title, 
or boundaries of real property. All matters involving foreclosures or sales of real property, 
including foreclosures associated with condominium associations or condominium units. (The 
amount of claim specified in Section II. of the form determines the filing fee pursuant to section 
28.241, Florida Statutes.) 
 
(R) 
Commercial foreclosure—all matters relating to the termination of a business 
owner’s interest in commercial property by a lender to gain title or force a sale to satisfy the 
unpaid debt secured by the property.  
 
(S) 
Homestead residential foreclosure—all matters relating to the termination of a 
residential property owner’s interest by a lender to gain title or force a sale to satisfy the unpaid 
debt secured by the property where the property has been granted a homestead exemption.  
 
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(T) 
Nonhomestead residential foreclosure—all matters relating to the termination of a 
residential property owner’s interest by a lender to gain title or force a sale to satisfy the unpaid 
debt secured by the property where the property has not been granted a homestead exemption.  
 
(U) 
Other real property actions—all matters relating to land, land improvements, or 
property rights not involving commercial or residential foreclosure.  
 
(V) 
Professional malpractice—all professional malpractice lawsuits. 
 
(W) Malpractice—business—all matters relating to a business’s or business person’s 
failure to exercise the degree of care and skill that someone in the same line of work would use 
under similar circumstances. 
 
(X) 
Malpractice—medical—all matters relating to a doctor’s failure to exercise the 
degree of care and skill that a physician or surgeon of the same medical specialty would use 
under similar circumstances.   
 
(Y) 
Malpractice—other professional—all matters relating to negligence of those other 
than medical or business professionals. 
 
(Z) 
Other—all civil matters not included in other categories. 
 
(AA) Antitrust/Trade regulation—all matters relating to unfair methods of competition 
or unfair or deceptive business acts or practices. 
 
(AB) Business transactions—all matters relating to actions that affect financial or 
economic interests. 
 
(AC) Constitutional challenge—statute or ordinance—a challenge to a statute or 
ordinance, citing a violation of the Florida Constitution.   
 
(AD) Constitutional challenge—proposed amendment—a challenge to a legislatively 
initiated proposed constitutional amendment, but excluding challenges to a citizen-initiated 
proposed constitutional amendment because the Florida Supreme Court has direct jurisdiction of 
such challenges.   
 
(AE) Corporate trusts—all matters relating to the business activities of financial 
services companies or banks acting in a fiduciary capacity for investors. 
 
(AF) 
Discrimination—employment or other—all matters relating to discrimination, 
including employment, sex, race, age, handicap, harassment, retaliation, or wages.  
 
(AG) Insurance claims—all matters relating to claims filed with an insurance company.   
 
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(AH) Intellectual property—all matters relating to intangible rights protecting 
commercially valuable products of the human intellect. 
 
(AI) 
Libel/Slander—all matters relating to written, visual, oral, or aural defamation of 
character.   
 
(AJ) 
Shareholder derivative action—all matters relating to actions by a corporation’s 
shareholders to protect and benefit all shareholders against corporate management for improper 
management. 
 
(AK) Securities litigation—all matters relating to the financial interest or instruments of 
a company or corporation. 
 
(AL) Trade secrets—all matters relating to a formula, process, device, or other business 
information that is kept confidential to maintain an advantage over competitors. 
 
(AM) Trust litigation—all civil matters involving guardianships, estates, or trusts and 
not appropriately filed in probate proceedings. 
County Civil 
(AN) Civil – all matters involving claims ranging from $8,001 through $30,000 in 
damages, exclusive of interest, costs, and attorney fees.  
(AO) Real property/Mortgage foreclosure—all matters involving claims up to $30,000 
relating to the possession, title, or boundaries of real property.  All matters involving 
foreclosures or sales of real property up to $30,000, including foreclosures associated with 
condominium associations or condominium units. 
(AP) 
Replevins—all lawsuits pursuant to Chapter 78, Florida Statutes, involving claims 
up to $30,000. 
(APQ) Evictions—all matters involving the recovery of possession of leased land or 
rental property by process of law. 
(AQR) Other civil (non-monetary)—includes all other non-monetary county civil matters 
that were not described in other county civil categories. 
IV. 
Remedies Sought. Place an “X” on the appropriate line.  If more than one remedy is 
sought in the complaint or petition, check all that apply. 
 
V. 
Number of Causes of Action. If the complaint or petition alleges more than one cause of 
action, note the number and the name of the cause of action. 
 
VI. 
Class Action. Place an “X” on the appropriate line. 
 
VII. 
Related Cases. Place an “X” on the appropriate line. 
 
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VIII. Is Jury Trial Demanded In Complaint? Check the appropriate line to indicate whether 
a jury trial is being demanded in the complaint. 
 
ATTORNEY OR PARTY SIGNATURE. Sign the civil cover sheet.  Print legibly the name of 
the person signing the civil cover sheet.  Attorneys must include a Florida Bar number.  Insert 
the date the civil cover sheet is signed.  Signature is a certification that the filer has provided 
accurate information on the civil cover sheet, and has read and complied with the 
requirements of Florida Rule of Judicial Administration 2.425.