Privacy Notice & Disclaimer

General

Welcome to the website of the Lake County, Florida Clerk of the Circuit Court and Comptroller (the “Clerk”). This website, and the supporting and connected infrastructure, and information and data found therein (the “System”), is available to you, the user (“User”), conditioned on the acceptance of the terms, conditions, and notices contained herein, without modification.  This System is provided as a public service.  Access to and use of this System constitutes acceptance of these terms and conditions (this “Agreement”).  Users not wishing to consent to the terms, conditions, and notice contained herein should exit this System now.

Users may use the System to review and retrieve publicly available information.  User agrees to use the System as permitted by applicable local, state, and federal laws and rules.  User agrees, therefore, not to: 1) knowingly and without authorization, alter, damage, or destroy the Clerk’s or another user’s computer system, network, software, program, documentation or data contained therein; 2) use this service to conduct or attempt to conduct any business or activity or solicit the performance of any activity that is prohibited by law or rule; or, 3) take any action which results in blocking access to the System by other users.

User understands that any changes made to User’s personal computer or systems based on recommendations provided by the Clerk’s Office or any affiliates/partners are made at the User’s own risk and may affect the performance or operation of other programs or of the User’s entire system.  Users should confer with their technical support professional or advisor before making changes to assure that such changes are in compliance with their policies, and that such changes will not adversely affect computer performance.

User expressly consents to administrative monitoring at all times.  Users are further advised that System administrators may provide evidence of possible criminal activity identified during such monitoring to appropriate law enforcement officials.  Users not wishing to consent to monitoring should exit the System now.

Privacy Policy

Article I, Section 24 of the Constitution of the State of Florida provides that governmental records received as part of official business, and that are not exempt or confidential, are open for public inspection. Article I, Section 23 of the Florida Constitution also recognizes the right of every natural person to be free from unauthorized governmental intrusion into the person’s private life.  Laws of the State of Florida and the Florida Rules of Court have implemented these rules.  In recognition of these provisions, the Clerk has established this Internet Privacy Policy.  When you use the System, you are acknowledging that personal information you provide is subject to disclosure as may be required or limited by the Constitution, laws, and rules of the State.  You do not have to provide personal information to visit our website, download our publications, use our e-mail communications, or use any other feature of the System.  We collect no personal information about you when you use the System, unless you choose to provide this information to us.  We may use the information that you voluntarily provide to us to notify you of selected content changes or new publications.  We may also use it to conduct statistical analyses of user activities in order to measure user interest in the information we provide and how we provide it.  However, we do collect and store some non-personal information automatically.

What We Collect and Store Automatically:

1. Name of the domain from which you access the Internet (for example, xcompany.com, if you use a private Internet access account, or your school.edu if you connect from an educational institution’s domain);
2. The page from which you came and the pages that you access;
3. The date and time you access the System;
4. The Internet address of the website from which you linked directly to our System;
5. Your system’s IP (Internet Protocol) address; and,
6. The type of browser and operating system you used to access our System.

We use this information to count the number of and types of visitors to the different pages on our website, and other parts of our System, to help us make our website more useful to visitors like you.

Privacy of Information in Public Records

Information under the stewardship of the Clerk is public and is governed by the Florida Constitution, Florida Statutes, Florida Rules of Court, as well as Supreme Court orders and court orders in individual court cases.

Official Records

All Official Records are available at the Lake County Courthouse located at 550 West Main Street, Tavares, Florida. Additionally, all Official Records which are allowed to be shown online are available here.

Certain images in the Official Records may contain social security numbers. Section 119.0714, Florida Statutes, prohibits persons from filing documents containing certain information, such as social security numbers, but does not prohibit the Clerk from recording such documents when presented to the Clerk’s Office.

Pursuant to Chapter 119, Florida Statutes, any person has the right to request the Clerk to redact their social security number from an image or copy of an Official Record that has been placed on the Clerk’s publicly available Internet website. The request must be legibly written, signed, and delivered in person or by mail, facsimile, or electronic transmission to the Clerk. The request must specify the identification page number that contains the social security number. Forms for making these requests are available in our office or by downloading the form by following the link below. No fee is charged for this service.

Download/Open the request form: Request Form for Social Security or Account Number Removal.

Additionally, Section 28.2221 provides that images of the following types of documents may not be placed on a “publicly available Internet website for general public display:”

1. Military Discharges;
2. Death Certificates; and
3. Court files, records, or papers relating to matters or cases governed by,
   1. The Florida Rules of Family Law,
   2. The Florida Rules of Juvenile Procedure, and
   3. The Florida Probate Rules.

Any affected person may request that the Clerk remove an image of one of the above-listed documents from a publicly available Internet website for general public display. This request must be in writing and may be delivered in person, by mail, e-mail, or facsimile. The request must specify the identification page number of the document to be removed. Request forms are available in our office and by following the link below. No fee is charged for this service.

Download/Open the request form: Request Form for Image Removal.

Florida law requires that images and copies of the above-listed documents remain on file and available to the public upon request in the office of the Clerk.

Court Records

Court records and the images thereof dating back to 2003 are generally available online through a court record search feature. Earlier court records may also be available through this same service, although the images of those records, if not previously destroyed, must be retrieved for anyone desiring to view them. A list of the records which have dockets in our database is as follows:

For court records prior to the dates shown above, a Court Records Search Request Form should be sent to [email protected]. The charge for a search of court records is $2 per year, per name searched.

Pursuant to Florida Rule of Judicial Administration 2.420, images of court records are subject to redaction prior to release in order to protect confidential information which may be contained therein. Many court records can be viewed online using the Lake County Clerk’s Case Maintenance System. Requests for paper copies of court records must be in writing, and can be made in-person at the Lake County Courthouse located at 550 West Main Street, East Wing, First Floor, Tavares, or by completing a Court Records Search Request Form, and emailing it to [email protected]. There is a fee of $1 per printed court record page, and an additional fee of $2 to certify any document. A records search request for court records may incur additional fees. The writing requirement is satisfied by using any of the request methods described above.

Administrative Records

Administrative records are available by directing a request therefor to [email protected], or by visiting the Records Storage Facility located at 313 S. Bloxham Ave., Tavares.

Board of County Commissioners’ Minutes

Minutes of the proceedings of the Board of County Commissioners are available online.

Site Security

When you use a credit card, debit card, or on-line checks to do business on the Clerk’s System, we strive to protest the integrity and privacy of your account information with advanced technologies. However, even with advanced technologies, it is not always possible to prevent unauthorized access or unauthorized disclosure. The Clerk makes no representation and assumes no responsibility or liability concerning the protection of the information provided by, or for any loss which might result to, the user due to the use of the System. Please be aware that even in the event unauthorized access, unauthorized disclosure, third party intervention, or loss causes errors, omissions, or inaccurate information being displayed by the System, the Clerk reserves the right to recover any unpaid fees for the use of the System.

Disclaimer

In preparation of the website pages, every effort has been made to offer the most current, correct, and clearly expressed information possible. Nevertheless, errors in information may occur. The Clerk makes no representation regarding the completeness, accuracy, or timeliness of such information and data, or that such information and data will be error-free. In the event that the information on the Clerk’s official printed documents differs from the information contained within the System, the information on the Clerk’s official printed documents will take precedence. The information, data, and materials may change over time without notice. Further, the Clerk makes no commitment to update the information, data, or materials contained herein. Users should take the appropriate precautions to verify all information by reviewing the official version of all documents upon which they plan to rely. Please be aware that even in the event an error or omission occurs, the Clerk reserves the right to recover any unpaid fees for the use of the System.

In particular, but without limiting anything herein, the Clerk disclaims any responsibility for typographical errors and accuracy of the information that may be contained on the website pages or within the System. The services, information, and data made available through the Clerk’s website and System are provided “as is” without warranties of any kind. The Clerk makes no representations or warranties whatsoever regarding the quality, content, completeness, adequacy, sequence, accuracy, or timeliness of information and data, nor about the condition or functionality of the data’s suitability for use, or that access to this website or the System will be uninterrupted or error-free. The information and data included on the Clerk’s servers have been compiled from a variety of sources, and are subject to change without notice to User. The entire risk as to the results and use of any information obtained from the Clerk’s website or System is entirely assumed by User. Any person who uses any information available from the Clerk’s website or System AGREES THAT THERE ARE NO REMEDIES FOR BREACH OF WARRANTY OR CONTRACT INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, CONSEQUENTIAL, INDIRECT, PUNITIVE OR INCIDENTAL DAMAGES.

Indemnity

As a condition of use of the Clerk’s website and System, User agrees to indemnify the Clerk, its officers, employees and agents against any and all liability, expenses (including attorney’s fees) and damages arising out of claims, regardless of whether the facts supporting those claims, if true, would constitute a breach by User of these terms and conditions.

Assumption of Risk

By using the Clerk’s website or System, the User assumes all risks associated with such use, including any risk of damage to User’s computer, software, or data by any virus, software, or any other file which might be transmitted or activated via the Clerk’s website or System or User’s access to them. The Clerk shall not in any event be liable for any direct, indirect, punitive, special, incidental, or consequential damages, including, without limitation, lost revenues, or lost profits, arising out of or in any way connected with the use or misuse of the information or lack of information on the Clerk’s website or within the System, or with the delay or inability to use the Clerk’s website or the System, or from any information, documents, services, software, or other material obtained through this website or the System, or otherwise arising out of the use of this website or the System, whether based on contract, tort, strict liability or otherwise, even if the Clerk’s Office or any of its employees, affiliates, contractors, or vendors have been advised of the possibility of damages. The Clerk shall not be liable for any loss or injury caused in whole, or in part, by its actions or omissions, or by contingencies beyond its control, including procuring, compiling, or delivering the information or data, or arising out of any errors, omissions, or inaccuracies in the information or data regardless of how caused, or arising out of any User’s decision, or action taken or not taken in reliance upon information or data furnished.

Disclaimer of Association with User

User acknowledges that no joint venture, partnership, employment, or agency relationship exists between User and the Clerk as a result of the use of this website or the System. User agrees not to hold himself, herself, or itself out as a representative, agent, or employee of the Clerk. Further, the Clerk shall not be liable for any representation, act or omission of User.

External Social Media Terms of Use

The purpose of providing social media communications is to coordinate communication between the Lake County Clerk’s Office and citizens, business owners and visitors regarding services, goals, objectives, events and accomplishments. The Lake County Clerk’s official social media pages are as follows:

1. Facebook – www.facebook.com/lakeclerk
2. LinkedIn – www.linkedin.com/company/lakeclerk
3. YouTube – www.youtube.com/user/LakeCountyFLClerk
4. X – www.x.com/lakeclerk

People who follow or “like” these pages may expect regular posts covering some or all of the following:

1. News releases and links to stories about the Lake County Clerk’s Office;
2. Information about special events and upcoming meetings;
3. Alerts, announcements and time-sensitive updates;
4. Shared content from organizations that partner with the Lake County Clerk’s Office, offering resources for the convenience of users, or that may be of interest to our followers; and,
5. Job postings and vendor bid announcements.

Comment Policy:

The Lake County Clerk’s Office welcomes followers to share their thoughts and feedback in a responsible and courteous manner.

While it is the goal to share ideas and information with as many people as possible, the Lake County Clerk’s Office reserves the right to hide or remove prohibited content in any posts or comments, and ban any user who violates the Lake County Clerk’s Office’s social media terms of use.

The Lake County Clerk Office’s terms of use are in place to encourage open discussion and civil discourse, and to prevent users from disrupting dialog in a way that impedes the purpose of these social media sites.

The following types of comments may be hidden or removed. Comments that:

1. Contain obscene, indecent, vulgar or profane language or content;
2. Contain hate speech or promote, foster or perpetuate discrimination;
3. Intend to defame any person, group or organization;
4. Contain sexual or violent content, or bully, intimidate, threaten, personally attack or harass any person;
5. Make or publish false, vicious or malicious statements concerning any employee, the office or its operations;
6. Promote or endorse services or products, or advertise services or products;
7. Suggest, conduct or encourage illegal activity;
8. May compromise the safety or security of the public or public systems;
9. Disclose confidential, sensitive or proprietary information;
10. Are multiple, repetitive, or off-topic (“spam”);
11. Violate a legal ownership interest of any other party such as copyrights or trademarks;
12. Promote or oppose particular services or products;
13. Promote or endorse political issues, groups or individuals, organizations, or candidates; or,
14. Link to or embed links to other internet sites.

All of the above guidelines also apply to comments which include links to external sites, videos, photos, memes, animations, or animated gifs. Posting prohibited content will be cause for banning a user from participating on any Lake County Clerk-hosted social media sites.

Comments posted to any of the Lake County Clerk’s Office’s social media pages do not represent official statements or opinions by the Lake County Clerk’s Office, nor does the Lake County Clerk’s Office endorse or support any comment or user participating on its social media pages. Retweets, links, shares, likes, favorites, and follows made by the Lake County Clerk’s Office do not constitute endorsements.

Comments or any other posting made on the Lake County Clerk’s Office’s social media pages are not considered official communications with the Lake County Clerk’s Office. Not all comments or postings may warrant a response from a representative of the Lake County Clerk’s Office. To contact the Lake County Clerk’s Office with general inquiries, email [email protected]. To request a public record, email [email protected].

Comments or posts that are considered a violation of the Lake County Clerk’s Office’s External Social Media Terms of Use will be subject to an internal review process before being removed.

All content is subject to Florida Public Records Law.

Availability and Frequency:

The Lake County Clerk’s Office’s social media pages are not managed 24 hours per day, nor 7 days per week, and should not be used for the purpose of official communication. Because social media servers and connectivity are hosted by a third party, the Lake County Clerk’s Office accepts no responsibility for its social media pages becoming unresponsive or unavailable at any time.

Links to Third Parties

There are links and pointers to third party Internet websites (hyperlinks) on the Clerk’s website. The websites reached by these hyperlinks are not under the Clerk’s control. The Clerk does not assume any responsibility or liability for any information, communications, or materials available at such linked websites, or at any link contained in a linked website. The Clerk does not intend these third party links to be referrals or endorsements of the linked entities by the Clerk’s Office; they are provided for convenience only. The Clerk makes no warranty, or guarantee, or promise, express or implied, that the information, data, or material accessible via the hyperlinks on the Clerk’s Office website is either accurate, complete, up to date, or fit for any use whatsoever, nor represents or implies that its use will not infringe privately held rights. Furthermore, any person who accesses information, data, or material via hyperlink text on the Clerk’s Office’s website assumes all risk and agrees that there are no remedies for breach of warranty or contract including, but not limited to, indirect, consequential, punitive, or incidental damages.

Use of Bulletin Board

To the extent that this website contains or may in the future contain bulletin boards, discussion webs, chat rooms, or other message, interactive, or communication facilities involving the Clerk and other users (“Forums”), User agrees to use such forums only to send and receive messages and material that are proper and related to the particular forum. By way of example, and not as a limitation, User agrees that when using a Forum, User shall not:

1. Defame, abuse, harass, stalk, threaten or otherwise violate the legal rights (such as rights of privacy and publicity) of others;
2. Publish, post, distribute, or disseminate any defamatory, infringing, obscene, indecent, or unlawful material or information;
3. Upload or download files;
4. Introduce viruses, corrupted files or any other similar software or programs that may damage, alter or destroy this website, the System, or the operation of another’s computer system, network, software, program, documentation or data;
5. Access or attempt to access or use the System or any part thereof, including this website, for the purpose of devising or executing any scheme or artifice to defraud, obtain money property or services     by means of false or fraudulent pretenses, representations or promises, or commit theft, including, but not limited to, theft of proprietary information.

User agrees to only send and receive electronic mail, engage in conferences and chats, and otherwise use this website and the System as permitted by these terms and conditions, any additional policies or procedures published on this website or the System from time to time by the Clerk, and applicable law.

The Clerk reserves the right to remove any contents of this website received from users for violations of the Clerk’s Office’s use policies and other applicable regulations and law, including violations of others’ constitutional rights. The Clerk reserves the right to edit any notices or postings for length if and when such length interferes with other users’ access to and use of this website.

User acknowledges that chats, conferences, bulletin boards, discussion webs and any other such interactive or communications forums hosted by this website are public and not private communications. Further, User acknowledges that chats, posting conferences, discussion webs and other communications by other Users are not endorsed by the Clerk, and such communications shall not be considered reviewed, screened, or approved by the Clerk.

Cookies

In order to process some transactions (or in the future to customize content specific to users’ geographic area or interests), we use cookie technology. A cookie is data that is stored on your computer’s hard drive or is stored temporarily by our System. This data allows your browser to communicate with our Web servers. We use the cookie to track your journey only through the Clerk’s website, consistent with federal guidelines for federal agencies. When your transaction is completed, the cookie is saved on your PC. The cookies on this website do not track web users when they visit other websites, nor remember the users when they return to this website. You may choose to reject all cookies by modifying your browser preferences. However, if you do not accept cookies, you will not be able to use some of our functions that require their use.

Email Addresses

Florida Law has a very broad Public Records Law. Most written communications to or from State and Local Officials regarding State and Local business are public records available to the public upon request. Your email communications, including your e-mail address, may therefore be subject to public disclosure. If you do not want your email address released in response to a public-records request, do not send electronic mail to us. Instead, contact the Clerk’s office by phone or mail.

Jurisdiction

This Agreement is governed by the laws of the State of Florida, USA. User consents to the exclusive jurisdiction and venue of courts in Lake County, Florida, USA, in all disputes arising out of or relating to the use of this website or System. Use of this website or System is unauthorized in any jurisdiction that does not give effect to all provisions of these terms and conditions, including without limitation this paragraph.

The Clerk’s performance of this Agreement is subject to existing laws and legal process and nothing contained in this Agreement is in derogation of the Clerk’s right to comply with law enforcement requests or requirements relating to User’s use of this website or the System, or information provided to or gathered by the Clerk with respect to such use.

Severability

If any part of this Agreement is determined to be invalid or unenforceable pursuant to applicable law including, but not limited to, the warranty disclaimers and liability limitation set forth above, then the invalid or unenforceable provision will be deemed superseded by a valid, enforceable provision that most closely matches the intent of the original provision, and the remainder of the Agreement shall continue in effect.

Entire Agreement

This Agreement constitutes the entire agreement between User and the Clerk with respect to this website and the System and it supersedes all prior or contemporaneous communications, proposals, and agreements, whether electronic, oral, or written, between User and the Clerk with respect to this website and the System. This Agreement shall be deemed to include all other notices, policies, disclaimers and other terms contained on or within this website and the System; provided, however, that in the event of a conflict between such other terms and the terms of this Agreement, the terms of this Agreement shall control. A printed version of this Agreement and of any notice given in electronic form will be admissible in judicial or administrative proceedings based upon or relating to this Agreement to the same extent and subject to the same conditions as other business documents and records originally generated and maintained in printed form. Any rights not expressly claimed or granted herein are reserved.