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Quick summary: The Thirteenth Judicial Circuit covers Hillsborough County. Here’s where its courthouses are, which clerk takes your filing, and what a creditor should know before suing or collecting a judgment here.
Courts and clerks in the Thirteenth Circuit
| County | Main courthouse | Clerk |
|---|---|---|
| Hillsborough | George E. Edgecomb Courthouse 800 E. Twiggs Street, Tampa, FL 33602 | Hillsborough Clerk of Court |
The local economy, county by county
Hillsborough County
Hillsborough County is on Florida’s west-central coast. Tampa is the county seat and the region’s main business center. Temple Terrace and Plant City are the county’s other incorporated cities.
The economy does not depend on one industry. Major sectors include financial and professional services, information technology, healthcare and life sciences, defense, manufacturing, and distribution. MacDill Air Force Base anchors the defense sector. Port Tampa Bay, the airport, and I-4, I-75, and I-275 support a large base of warehouses and distribution centers. Businesses cluster downtown, in Westshore, in Ybor City, and in industrial areas across the county. Assets include office and industrial real estate, equipment, inventory, and receivables from services, healthcare, and freight.
The circuit’s official site is the Thirteenth Judicial Circuit. Appeals go to the Second District Court of Appeal.
What creditors should know here
- General Civil Division L is Hillsborough’s Business Court. Certain business cases must be filed there, including non-consumer UCC transactions, purchases and sales of businesses, and franchise disputes. The civil cover sheet has a Business Court box and an addendum.
- This is our home circuit. Our office on N. Marion Street is close to the Edgecomb Courthouse in downtown Tampa.
- Florida sends a money claim to court by size. Small claims cover up to $8,000. County court handles claims up to $50,000. Circuit court takes claims over $50,000. Filing is electronic through the statewide Florida Courts E-Filing Portal.
How Kass Shuler handles collection matters in the Thirteenth Circuit
We represent creditors and businesses in courts across Florida from our Tampa office, and have since 1978. In this circuit, that includes:
- Pre-suit demand and resolution
- Collection litigation
- Judgment enforcement and garnishment
- Domesticating out-of-state judgments
- Skip tracing and asset investigations
- Mortgage default and foreclosure
- Creditors’ rights in bankruptcy
City guide: Tampa.
Frequently asked questions
Which counties are in Florida’s Thirteenth Judicial Circuit?
Hillsborough County.
Where do I file a collection lawsuit in the Thirteenth Circuit?
With the Clerk of Court in the county where the case belongs, usually where the debtor lives, where the contract was made or broken, or where the property is. Small claims and cases up to $50,000 go to county court, and larger claims go to circuit court.
Where do appeals from the Thirteenth Circuit go?
To the Second District Court of Appeal.
Can I enforce a judgment from another Florida county or another state here?
Yes. A Florida judgment can be recorded as a lien in any county. An out-of-state judgment first has to be domesticated in Florida. See domestication of foreign judgments.
Bottom line: If your debtor or your dispute is in the Thirteenth Circuit, contact us or call (813) 229-0900. We’ll tell you whether the file is worth chasing before you spend on it.