Amendments to Small Claims Rules.

The Florida Bar's Small Claims Rules Committee has submitted to the Florida Supreme Court a regular-cycle report proposing amendments to rules 7.050 (Commencement of Action; Statement of Claim); 7.080 (Service and Filing of Pleadings and Documents Other Than Statement of Claim); 7.090 (Appearance; Defensive Pleadings; Trial Date); and 7.160 (Failure of Plaintiff or Both Parties to Appear). The court invites all interested persons to comment on the proposed amendments, which are summarized below and reproduced in full below, as well as online at ?www.floridasupremecourt.oig>'decisions/pmposed. shtml. All comments must be filed with the court on or before March 15, with a certificate of service verifying that a copy has been served on committee Chair Andrew J. Daire, P.O. Box 2507, Boca Raton 33427, andrewd@carls-patio.com and on the Bar staff liaison to the committee. Heather Savage Telfer, 651 E. Jefferson Street, Tallahassee 32399-2300, htelfer@flabar.org, as well as a separate request for oral argument if the person filing the comment wishes to participate in oral argument, which may be scheduled in this case. The chair has until April 5 to file a response to any comments filed with the court. If filed by an attorney in good standing with The Florida Bar, the comment must be electronically filed via the Florida Courts E-Filing Portal in accordance with In re Electronic Filing in the Supreme Court of Florida via the Florida Courts E-Filing Portal Fla. Admin. Order No. AOSC 13-7 (Feb. 18.2013). If filed by a nonlawyer or a lawyer not licensed to practice in Florida, the comment must be electronically filed via e-mail in accordance with In re Mandatory Submission of Electronic Copies of Documents, Fla. Admin. Order No. AOSC04-84 (Sept. 13, 2004). Electronically filed documents must be submitted in Microsoft Word 97 or higher. Any person unable to submit a comment electronically must mail or hand-deliver the originally signed comment to the Florida Supreme Court, Office of the Clerk, 500 South Duval Street, Tallahassee 32399-1927; no additional copies are required or will be accepted.

IN THE SUPREME COURT OF FLORIDA IN RE: AMENDMENTS TO THE FLORIDA SMALL CLAIMS RULES, CASE...