What kinds of records are included in the Official Records Books?
Any record involving the sale or purchase, lease or lien of real property in Seminole County. The Official Records also include certain court orders (Orders of Dismissal and Final Judgments) issued in the county, satisfactions of those judgments, tax liens, military service discharges, marriage licenses and petitions of bankruptcy.
How can I find out if a lien has been filed against my property?
Start with your name and the year you bought your property and work forward. The Official Records Books are indexed by year, and by name (last year, 548,950 names were added to the index). If your property is listed on any document or in any action recorded, during the year, it will show up on the index for that year, along with the book and page number the specific document is assigned.
Landlord and Tenant Disputes
A lease is an agreement to rent property. It may be written or oral. Most are written, however, because oral agreements can be subject to misunderstandings. A written lease can be in the form of a formal contract or simply a copy of a letter that states the rights and obligations of both tenant and landlord. Florida law requires that most notices to and from a landlord must be in writing, even if the rental agreement is oral. In cases where there is no written lease, the term of your rental payment schedule (monthly, weekly, biweekly) will determine the length of the agreement in the eyes of the law.
What rights do I have as a tenant?
Your rights as a tenant or as a landlord are spelled out in Florida Statutes. The following is a series of citations for your use and information:
What rights do I have for access to the premises?
Florida Statutes 83.53 (1)(2)(3);
What is my landlord's obligation to maintain the premises?
Florida Statutes 83.51;
What are my obligations to maintain the premises?
Florida Statutes 83.52;
What do I do if the landlord does not comply?
Florida Statutes 83.56 (1)(a)(b);
What happens if I don't comply?
Florida Statutes 83.56 (2)(a);
What happens if I fail to meet any or all other lease obligations?
Florida Statutes 83.56 (2)(b);
What happens if I don't make my rent payments?
Florida Statutes 83.56 (3)(4)(5);
Can my landlord throw me out of my home?
Florida Statutes 83.67 (1)(2)(3);
How long is my lease in force?
Florida Statutes 83.46;
Either party giving proper written notice may terminate a lease (with a specific end date), as follows:
Tenancy Written Notice:
- A year-to-year lease no less than 3 months notice;
- A three-month lease no less than 45 days notice;
- A monthly lease no less than 15 days notice;
- A weekly lease no less than seven days notice
What else should I know?
- If you have a written rental agreement, read it thoroughly before signing;
- If there are any changes to the written rental agreement get it in writing;
- Keep receipts/records;
- Conduct a "walk through" with the landlord before entering or vacating the premises;
- Take pictures of any questionable conditions;
- If you have a problem, it needs to be in writing and in proper form, see Florida Statutes 83.60.
