Florida Statutes
Chapter 78 - Replevin
78.19 - Judgment for Plaintiff When Goods Retained by or Redelivered to Defendant.


(1) If it appears that the property was retained by, or redelivered to, defendant on his or her forthcoming bond, plaintiff shall take judgment for the property and against defendant and the surety on the forthcoming bond for the value of the property, but when plaintiff’s interest in the property is based on a claim of lien or some special interest therein, the judgment shall be only for the amount of the lien or the value of such special interest and costs, and the judgment shall be satisfied by the recovery of the property or the amount adjudged against defendant and defendant’s surety.
(2) After rendition of judgment, plaintiff at his or her option may have a writ of possession for the property and execution for plaintiff’s costs or have execution against defendant and defendant’s surety for the amount recovered and costs. If plaintiff elects to have a writ of possession for the property and the officer returns that he or she is unable to find it or any of it, plaintiff may immediately have execution against defendant and defendant’s surety for the whole amount recovered against them or for the amount recovered less the value of the property found by the officer. If he or she has execution for the whole amount, the officer shall release all property taken under the writ of possession.
(3) In any proceeding to ascertain the value of the property so that judgment for the value may be entered, the value of each article shall be found but it is not necessary to ascertain the value of each article of a lot of goods, wares, and merchandise when it has been replevied, but it is sufficient to ascertain the total value of the entire lot found.
History.—s. 1, ch. 3133, 1879; RS 1724; s. 1, ch. 5159, 1903; GS 2188; RGS 3493; s. 1, ch. 9320, 1923; CGL 5346, 5348; s. 28, ch. 67-254; s. 1, ch. 73-20; s. 410, ch. 95-147.