Quick summary: The Third Judicial Circuit covers Columbia, Dixie, Hamilton, Lafayette, Madison, Suwannee and Taylor Counties, in North Central Florida. 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 Third Circuit
| County | Main courthouse | Clerk |
|---|---|---|
| Columbia | Columbia County Courthouse 173 NE Hernando Ave., Lake City, FL 32055 | Columbia Clerk of Court |
| Dixie | Dixie County Courthouse 214 NE Highway 351, Cross City, FL 32628 | Dixie Clerk of Court |
| Hamilton | Hamilton County Courthouse 207 NE First Street, Jasper, FL 32052 | Hamilton Clerk of Court |
| Lafayette | Lafayette County Courthouse 120 West Main Street, Mayo, FL 32066 | Lafayette Clerk of Court |
| Madison | Madison County Courthouse 125 SW Range Avenue, Madison, FL 32340 | Madison Clerk of Court |
| Suwannee | Suwannee County Courthouse 200 South Ohio Ave., Live Oak, FL 32064 | Suwannee Clerk of Court |
| Taylor | Taylor County Courthouse 108 North Jefferson St., Perry, FL 32347 | Taylor Clerk of Court |
The local economy, county by county
Columbia County
Columbia County’s seat is Lake City, where Interstates 75 and 10 meet. Healthcare, retail, and restaurants and hotels employ many people. Logistics, distribution, and agriculture also matter here, helped by the highway and rail connections.
Manufacturing and aviation businesses cluster at the North Florida Mega Industrial Park and Lake City Gateway Airport, which has aircraft maintenance companies. These businesses tend to hold equipment, inventory, and industrial property. Farms hold land, livestock, and equipment.
Dixie County
Dixie County sits on Florida’s Gulf coast. Cross City is the county seat, and Horseshoe Beach, Old Town, and Suwannee are other key communities.
Manufacturing is the largest employer, led by lumber, cypress mulch, wood veneer, and metal building materials. Public administration, retail, healthcare, farming, forestry, fishing, and tourism tied to rivers and springs are also important. Most businesses are small and locally owned. They tend to hold machinery, tools, vehicles, and commercial real estate along U.S. 19.
Hamilton County
Hamilton County’s key industries are agriculture, transportation and warehousing, and manufacturing. Phosphate mining near White Springs has long been a major part of the economy. Jasper is the county seat, and Interstates 75 and 10 both run through the county.
Businesses here tend to hold farmland, manufacturing plants, warehouses, and farm and trucking equipment. Many also carry receivables from sales to other businesses.
The circuit’s official site is the Third Judicial Circuit. Appeals go to the First District Court of Appeal.
What creditors should know here
- Every civil case is assigned to a complex, general, or streamlined track within 120 days of filing under the circuit’s case management order.
- Seven mostly rural counties make up this circuit. Knowing each small clerk’s office and its practices matters more here than in the big metro circuits.
- 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 Third 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
Frequently asked questions
Which counties are in Florida’s Third Judicial Circuit?
Columbia, Dixie, Hamilton, Lafayette, Madison, Suwannee and Taylor Counties.
Where do I file a collection lawsuit in the Third 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 Third Circuit go?
To the First 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 Third Circuit, contact us or call (813) 229-0900. We’ll tell you whether the file is worth chasing before you spend on it.