The 2023 Florida Statutes (including Special Session C)

Title XL
REAL AND PERSONAL PROPERTY

Chapter 695
RECORD OF CONVEYANCES OF REAL ESTATE

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F.S. 695.03

695.03 Acknowledgment and proof; validation of certain acknowledgments; legalization or authentication before foreign officials.—To entitle any instrument concerning real property to be recorded, the execution must be acknowledged by the party executing it, proved by a subscribing witness to it, or legalized or authenticated in one of the following forms:

(1) WITHIN THIS STATE.—An acknowledgment or a proof may be taken, administered, or made within this state by or before a judge, clerk, or deputy clerk of any court; a United States commissioner or magistrate; or any notary public or civil-law notary of this state, and the certificate of acknowledgment or proof must be under the seal of the court or officer, as the case may be.

(2) OUTSIDE THIS STATE BUT WITHIN THE UNITED STATES.—An acknowledgment or a proof taken, administered, or made outside of this state but within the United States may be taken, administered, or made by or before a civil-law notary of this state or a commissioner of deeds appointed by the Governor of this state; a judge or clerk of any court of the United States or of any state, territory, or district; by or before a United States commissioner or magistrate; or by or before any notary public, justice of the peace, master in chancery, or registrar or recorder of deeds of any state, territory, or district having a seal, and the certificate of acknowledgment or proof must be under the seal of the court or officer, as the case may be. If the acknowledgment or proof is taken, administered, or made by or before a notary public who does not affix a seal, it is sufficient for the notary public to type, print, or write by hand on the instrument, “I am a Notary Public of the State of (state) , and my commission expires on (date) .”

(3) OUTSIDE OF THE UNITED STATES OR WITHIN FOREIGN COUNTRIES.—An acknowledgment, an affidavit, an oath, a legalization, an authentication, or a proof taken, administered, or made outside the United States or in a foreign country may be taken, administered, or made by or before a commissioner of deeds appointed by the Governor of this state to act in such country; before a notary public of such foreign country or a civil-law notary of this state or of such foreign country who has an official seal; before an ambassador, envoy extraordinary, minister plenipotentiary, minister, commissioner, charge d’affaires, consul general, consul, vice consul, consular agent, or other diplomatic or consular officer of the United States appointed to reside in such country; or before a military or naval officer authorized by 10 U.S.C. s. 1044a to perform the duties of notary public, and the certificate of acknowledgment, legalization, authentication, or proof must be under the seal of the officer. A certificate legalizing or authenticating the signature of a person executing an instrument concerning real property and to which a civil-law notary or notary public of that country has affixed her or his official seal is sufficient as an acknowledgment. For the purposes of this section, the term “civil-law notary” means a civil-law notary as defined in chapter 118 or an official of a foreign country who has an official seal and who is authorized to make legal or lawful the execution of any document in that jurisdiction, in which jurisdiction the affixing of her or his official seal is deemed proof of the execution of the document or deed in full compliance with the laws of that jurisdiction.

(4) COMPLIANCE AND VALIDATION.—The affixing of the official seal or the electronic equivalent thereof under s. 117.021 or other applicable law, including part II of chapter 117, conclusively establishes that the acknowledgment or proof was taken, administered, or made in full compliance with the laws of this state or, as applicable, the laws of the other state, or of the foreign country governing notarial acts. All affidavits, oaths, acknowledgments, legalizations, authentications, or proofs taken, administered, or made in any manner as set forth in subsections (1), (2), and (3) are validated and upon recording may not be denied to have provided constructive notice based on any alleged failure to have strictly complied with this section, as currently or previously in effect, or the laws governing notarization of instruments. This subsection does not preclude a challenge to the validity or enforceability of an instrument or electronic record based upon fraud, forgery, impersonation, duress, incapacity, undue influence, minority, illegality, unconscionability, or any other basis not related to the notarial act or constructive notice provided by recording.

History.—RS 1973; ch. 5404, 1905; GS 2481; ss. 1, 2, ch. 7849, 1919; RGS 3823; CGL 5699; s. 7, ch. 22858, 1945; s. 1, ch. 28225, 1953; s. 1, ch. 69-79; s. 1, ch. 71-53; s. 26, ch. 73-334; s. 3, ch. 80-173; s. 1, ch. 84-97; s. 763, ch. 97-102; s. 21, ch. 98-246; s. 23, ch. 2019-71.

F.S. 695.03 on Google Scholar

F.S. 695.03 on Casetext

Amendments to 695.03

Arrestable Offenses / Crimes under Fla. Stat. 695.03

Level: Degree
Misdemeanor/Felony: First/Second/Third

Current data shows no reason an arrest or criminal charge should have occurred directly under Florida Statute 695.03.

Annotations, Discussions, Cases:

Cases from cite.case.law:

In AMENDMENTS TO FLORIDA RULES OF CIVIL PROCEDURE, 131 So. 3d 643 (Fla. 2013)

. . . been changed to remove unnecessary language and to include the acknowledanent required bv sections 695.03 . . .

RICE, v. L. RICE,, 499 F. Supp. 2d 1245 (M.D. Fla. 2007)

. . . . §§ 695.03 and 689.01. . . .

AMERICAN BANKERS LIFE ASSURANCE COMPANY OF FLORIDA, v. WEST CORPORATION,, 905 So. 2d 189 (Fla. Dist. Ct. App. 2005)

. . . As section 695.03 of the Florida Statutes observes: “[t]o entitle any instrument concerning real property . . .

ESPRIELLA, v. DELVALLE,, 844 So. 2d 674 (Fla. Dist. Ct. App. 2003)

. . . that the deed “was not executed according to the requirements of Florida Statutes sections 689.01 and 695.03 . . . Section 695.03 provides that instruments concerning real property must be “acknowledged by the party . . . legalized or authenticated by a civil-law notary or notary public who affixes her or his official seal.” § 695.03 . . . public of that country has affixed her or his official seal is sufficient as an acknowledgment.” § 695.03 . . .

BETSY ROSS HOTEL, INC. v. A. G. GLADSTONE ASSOCIATES, INC., 833 So. 2d 211 (Fla. Dist. Ct. App. 2002)

. . . is founded-was not acknowledged, or witnessed, or notarized as required for recordation by section 695.03 . . . [or properly notarized as set forth in § 695.03] These requirements for recording have existed for many . . . By this maneuver Gladstone attempts to circumvent section 695.03. . . .

In HENRY, a k a HENRY, a k a v. FIRST INDIANA BANK,, 200 B.R. 59 (Bankr. M.D. Fla. 1996)

. . . Fla.Stat. ch. 695.03 (1995). . . . affected by the absence of notarization or the other forms of proof of execution permitted by section 695.03 . . .

In SINCLAIR, HOUSEHOLD BANK, F. S. B. v. SINCLAIR,, 191 B.R. 474 (Bankr. M.D. Fla. 1996)

. . . . §§ 695.03 and 695.25, Fla.Stat. See, also, % 117.05(16)(b)-(c).) . . .

In K. BARRIDO B. s, 69 B.R. 316 (Bankr. M.D. Fla. 1987)

. . . Florida Statute § 695.03, which governs the acknowledgment and recordation of real property documents . . . Thus, Fla.Stat. §§ 695.03, 92.50, and 117.07, when read in para materia, provide that if an instrument . . . signature, Gi-bralter urges that the document substantially complies with the requirements of Fla.Stat. §§ 695.03 . . .

E. HARRIS, v. S. WALBRIDGE, H. W., 488 So. 2d 881 (Fla. Dist. Ct. App. 1986)

. . . recorded according to law, since the execution was not acknowledged by the parties as required by section 695.03 . . . affected by the absence of notarization or the other forms of proof of execution permitted by section 695.03 . . .

In CHARTER EXECUTIVE CENTER LTD. CHARTER EXECUTIVE CENTER LTD. v. FEDERAL DEPOSIT INSURANCE CORP. v. CHARTER EXECUTIVE CENTER LTD., 34 B.R. 131 (Bankr. M.D. Fla. 1983)

. . . Charter alleges that the mortgage was not properly recorded in compliance with the requirement of Chap. 695.03 . . . Count II alleges that the mortgage, when recorded, was not properly acknowledged as required by § 695.03 . . . Section 695.03 states in pertinent part as follows: “To entitle any instrument concerning real property . . . Section 695.03(1), Florida Statutes (1981). . . . According to § 695.03, all acknowledgements made in compliance with the statutory requirements are validated . . .

RAYMAR DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION, a v. V. BARBARA, 404 So. 2d 813 (Fla. Dist. Ct. App. 1981)

. . . affected by the absence of notarization or the other forms of proof of execution permitted by section 695.03 . . .

FLORIDA NATIONAL BANK AND TRUST COMPANY, a Co- v. W. HICKEY, a, 263 So. 2d 269 (Fla. Dist. Ct. App. 1972)

. . . and also affirmatively alleged that the notice of amendment was in compliance with Florida Statute 695.03 . . . adopted as the manner required for exercising the power of revocation) are set forth in Florida Statute 695.03 . . . contained a notarial certificate which entitled that instrument to recordation under Florida Statute 695.03 . . .

O. WINDLE, P. P. v. SEBOLD, 241 So. 2d 165 (Fla. Dist. Ct. App. 1970)

. . . Sections 28.22, 701.04 and 695.03, F.S.1967, F.S.A. . . .

STATE TOWLES v. BAUR,, 10 Fla. Supp. 8 (Gadsden Cty. Cir. Ct. 1956)

. . . has no application to acknowledgments taken by notaries public in other states, and because section 695.03 . . .

HOUSE OF LYONS, v. MARCUS, 72 So. 2d 34 (Fla. 1954)

. . . Section 695.03, Florida Statutes 1951, F.S. A. . . . that the certificate on the mortgage involved in this case meets the simple requirement of section 695.03 . . .

COLUMBUS GAS FUEL CO. v. PUBLIC UTILITIES COMMISSION OF OHIO, 292 U.S. 398 (U.S. 1934)

. . . This is slightly less, it is true, than the amount ($88,-695.03) suggested by a witness for the city, . . .