Access County Clerk services even when the office is closed

St. Johns County Clerk of the Circuit Court and Comptroller Brandon J. Patty reminds Historic City News subscribers that many Clerk services are available online even when physical offices are closed.

The following resources from the Office of the St. Johns County Clerk are easily accessible through a computer or smartphone, according to an announcement sent in advance of this year’s Christmas and New Years’ closings.

• Online payment for traffic tickets: The Clerk’s office offers convenient ways to pay traffic citations, including online. Visit us at stjohnsclerk.com/courts/traffic-parking/ to learn more about how to make a timely payment, even after business hours.
• Property fraud alerts: Property and mortgage fraud is among the fastest growing white-collar crimes in the United States. Property fraud is when someone illegally uses your property for financial gain — for example, if someone records a fraudulent deed and/or lien against your property in St. Johns County’s Official Records. St. Johns County property owners can register for free property fraud alerts, an electronic notification service that alerts you via email any time an Official Record document is recorded in your name with Clerk’s office. Subscribe at stjohnsclerk.com/recording-activity/.
• Unclaimed funds: The Clerk’s office provides the public with online access to unclaimed funds. You can check and claim unclaimed monies on your own and free of charge at stjohnsclerk.com/clerk-unclaimed-funds. In addition, the Clerk’s office turns over unclaimed funds annually to the state of Florida so you also will want to check fltreasurehunt.gov.
• nCourt: This technology provides payment solutions and services that help with meeting court-ordered financial obligations. You can pay criminal and non-criminal citations online through nCourt if you do not have a pending court date or the case has not been sent to collections. Pay at stjohnsclerk.com/courts/ncourt-online-payment/.
• E-Certify: Certified records — such as wills, marriage licenses, divorce decrees — are available electronically for purchase 24 hours a day through the Clerk’s website. Visit stjohnsclerk.com/ecertify/.
• E-Filing: E-Filing is a way to electronically transmit legal documents from an attorney or even a self-represented litigant to a court. Legal documents can also go from the court to the attorney or from one attorney (or party) to another. Governed by the Florida Courts E-Filing Authority, the Florida Courts E-Filing Portal serves as a single, statewide access point connecting thousands of users to Florida’s court system. Details are available at stjohnsclerk.com/courts/efile/.
• E-Recording: The most cost-effective, efficient and secure method for recording your documents to the county’s official record books is E-Recording. With E-Recording, you scan your document and use a vendor application to upload the document and associated data. No special equipment is required, just a computer with high-speed internet access and a scanner. Original documents never leave your possession. Funds are transferred using Automated Clearing House (ACH) for transfer taxes, recoding fees, and a nominal fee that is paid to the vendor for processing. Visit stjohnsclerk.com/erecording-vendor/ to use one of our E-recording vendors.
• E-Notify: E-Notify is an electronic notification system for criminal cases. Developed through a collaborative effort between the Florida State Courts System, the Florida Court Clerks and Comptrollers (FCCC), and the Florida Legislature, E-Notify can help you stay informed about court events and hearings via email and/or text messages. Only adult criminal traffic, adult misdemeanors and adult felony cases are eligible for E-notifications. E-Notify alerts are not intended to be an official notification or to replace any other Clerk of Court notification processes. Sign up for E-notifications at enotify.flcourts.org/.
• E-Response: To respond to a jury summons, update contact information or receive reminders about jury service, visit E-Response at stjohnsclerk.com/courts/jury-duty/. You can also watch a brief slideshow video on what to expect when asked to serve.
• Real-time search of court records, Official Records and Board of County Commission records: Visit stjohnsclerk.com/online-research/ for easy access to the public records retained by the Clerk’s office.