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Leon County Clerk of Courts and Comptroller
Leon County
About visiting the probate court
About visiting the probate court
About visiting the probate court
Reviews
Web site doesn't work, but when I called the lady I spoke to was very pleasant and helpful.
The Clerk of the Courts assesses filing fees based on the amount the Plaintiff is suing for. The Clerk 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.
