Rule 1.961 Notes surrendered

Before a court clerk can officially record a judgment that's based on a note or written promise to pay money, the person must first turn in that original document to the clerk. The clerk then cancels it, usually by marking or stamping it, so it can't be used again to collect the same debt.

This rule exists to prevent someone from collecting on the same debt twice. If you win a court case because someone owes you money based on a signed note, you need to hand over that original note to the clerk before the judgment gets recorded. Once it's cancelled, it can't be sold, transferred, or used to demand payment somewhere else.

The only exception is if a judge gives special permission to skip this step. Without that kind of court order, the clerk cannot record the judgment until the original note is filed and cancelled.