Post-Judgment Asset Search in Florida: Turning a Judgment Into a Collection Plan

Practical brief for Florida collections, commercial and business litigation counsel.

A money judgment is a starting point. Collection depends on knowing what the debtor owns, where it sits and which Florida remedy reaches it. A post-judgment asset search in Florida gives counsel that map, so writs, liens and discovery are aimed at real targets instead of guesses.

This guide explains what a licensed investigator can lawfully find, how those findings line up with Florida’s enforcement tools, and where exemptions and federal privacy law set limits.

Florida’s enforcement tools, and the facts each one needs

Each remedy depends on a specific fact. The asset search is about finding those facts.

• Judgment lien on real property. Under section 55.10, Florida Statutes, recording a certified copy of the judgment, with the required address information, in the official records of a county creates a lien on the debtor’s real property in that county. Counsel needs to know which counties to record in.
• Judgment lien certificate on personal property. Sections 55.201 through 55.209 allow a judgment lien on certain personal property by filing a judgment lien certificate with the Florida Department of State. Knowing that the debtor holds business assets, equipment or inventory in Florida helps counsel judge the value of the filing.
• Garnishment. Chapter 77 garnishment reaches debts owed to the debtor and property held by third parties, such as a bank or a customer of the debtor’s business. Counsel needs the name of the likely garnishee.
• Execution and levy. A writ of execution allows the sheriff to levy on nonexempt property. Vehicles, vessels and business equipment are typical targets, and location matters.
• Discovery in aid of execution. Florida Rule of Civil Procedure 1.560 allows discovery in aid of a judgment, and Form 1.977, the fact information sheet, requires the debtor to disclose financial information. Independent research lets counsel test those answers.
• Proceedings supplementary and transfers. Section 56.29 proceedings supplementary and Florida’s Uniform Fraudulent Transfer Act (Chapter 726) address property moved to others. Dated transfer records give counsel something concrete to evaluate.

What a post-judgment asset search can lawfully find

Real property in Florida and other states

Deeds, mortgages, satisfactions and transfers in county official records, plus property appraiser data. We note homestead exemption filings because they matter for collectibility, and we look for recent transfers to relatives, trusts or new entities.

Business interests and related entities

Florida Division of Corporations (Sunbiz) filings show the debtor’s roles as officer, manager, member or registered agent, along with addresses and filing histories. Linking those details often reveals operating companies, holding companies and affiliated entities that were never mentioned.

Vehicles, vessels and aircraft

Vessel registrations, federal vessel documentation and the FAA aircraft registry are researchable. Motor vehicle record information is protected by the federal Driver’s Privacy Protection Act and is used only for a permissible purpose, such as enforcement of a judgment in connection with a court proceeding.

UCC filings, liens and litigation

UCC financing statements identify lenders and collateral, which can point to equipment, receivables or the debtor’s banking relationships. Other judgments, liens, lis pendens, bankruptcy filings and lawsuits show who else is pursuing the debtor and where money may be owed to the debtor.

Income sources and business activity

Professional licenses, business websites, public social media, vendor relationships, public contracts and field observation of an operating business can identify income streams and likely garnishees. These are leads that counsel confirms through the court process.

Where the legal lines are

• Bank account details come through the court. The Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act (15 U.S.C. § 6821) prohibits obtaining customer financial information from a financial institution by pretexting. We do not sell or obtain balances or account numbers. We help counsel identify which institutions to address through garnishment or discovery.
• Exemptions shape the strategy. Florida’s constitutional homestead exemption (Article X, Section 4) and statutory exemptions, including the head-of-family wage exemption in section 222.11 and the exemptions in Chapter 222, can put property out of reach. We flag likely exempt assets so counsel can focus on what is collectible.
• No recording without consent. Florida’s Chapter 934 requires all-party consent to record private conversations. Any interviews are conducted lawfully and as counsel directs.
• Supervision under Bar rules. Counsel remains responsible for investigators under Florida Bar Rule 4-5.3. See our guide to Rule 4-5.3 and investigators.

Signs a judgment debtor is hiding assets

• Property deeded to a spouse, relative or new LLC shortly before or after suit.
• A business that keeps operating while the debtor reports no income.
• New entities formed with the same address, agent or managers as the old one.
• Vessels or vehicles registered to entities or family members but used by the debtor.
• Fact information sheet answers that do not match recorded documents.

How findings turn into a collection plan

We organize the report around remedies, not just a list of records. A typical deliverable groups findings by real property (with county and recording details), business interests and related entities, titled property, likely garnishees, transfers worth evaluating, and likely exempt assets. Each item carries its source so counsel can obtain certified copies or follow up in discovery.

Sometimes the honest answer is that the debtor has little that is collectible today. That is useful too. It lets the client decide whether to record liens, renew efforts later or stop spending money.

When to run the search

Right after judgment, while transfers are recent, is often the most useful time. A refresh before a debtor examination or before a judgment lien certificate lapses can also pay off. If you are still deciding whether to file suit, a pre-suit collectibility check answers a different question: is this defendant worth suing? We can scope either. See our asset searches and business litigation investigations pages, and our guide to public records research for commercial litigation.

Working with MAYN Investigations

MAYN Investigations is a Florida private investigation agency licensed under Chapter 493 (agency license A3400126), working statewide for law firms and businesses. A post-judgment assignment typically starts with a call to confirm the judgment, debtor identifiers, known entities and counties, then moves through records research, entity and link analysis, optional field verification of an operating business or titled property, and a written report for counsel. We support collection work for firms in West Palm Beach, Tampa, Orlando and across Florida.

FAQ: post-judgment asset searches in Florida

Can you find the debtor’s bank account?

Not by pretexting the bank, which federal law prohibits. We often identify likely banking relationships through UCC filings, recorded mortgages, entity records and business activity, so counsel can pursue garnishment or discovery against the right institution.

Does the asset search work for corporate debtors?

Yes. For a business debtor we focus on operating locations, equipment, receivables and customers, related entities, and principals’ roles, which can support garnishment and transfer analysis.

Can you search outside Florida?

Yes. Property, entity and court records in other states are researchable, and debtors often hold assets just across a state line.

How is this different from the fact information sheet?

Form 1.977 is the debtor’s own disclosure. An independent search tests it against public records and often gives counsel specific follow-up questions.

What do you need to start?

A copy of the judgment, the debtor’s full name or entity name, date of birth or identifiers if known, last known addresses, known businesses and any discovery responses received so far.

This article is general information for attorneys and legal professionals. It is not legal advice, and decisions about discovery, admissibility and compliance belong to counsel.