You Have Options — And a Deadline. Here's What To Do.

The Lis Pendens is just a public notice recorded at the county that says "this property is involved in a lawsuit." It protects the lender's place in line and warns off buyers/other lenders. It is not a court paper, and there is nothing to fill out or file in response to it.

The Summons and Complaint — usually delivered to you at the same time or in the same packet as the Lis Pendens — is the actual lawsuit. The Summons will state a deadline. This is the document you must respond to, in writing, by that deadline.

If you were personally handed the Summons and Complaint (by a process server, sheriff, or similar), you generally have 20 calendar days from that date to file a written response. (Fla. R. Civ. P. 1.140(a)(1))

If you were served by publication (a legal notice printed in a newspaper because you couldn't be personally located), Florida foreclosure cases specifically give you 30 days from the first date of publication. (Fla. Stat. §49.09)

If you don't respond in writing by the deadline, the lender can ask the court for a default judgment — meaning the court can rule against you without ever hearing your side. Filing something, even a simple template Answer, before the deadline keeps your case alive and preserves your right to be heard.

Fix the heading (the "caption"). At the top, it will say something like "IN THE CIRCUIT COURT OF THE ___ JUDICIAL CIRCUIT IN AND FOR ___ COUNTY, FLORIDA." Copy your county's exact circuit number and county name, case number, and the exact names of the plaintiff (lender) and defendant(s) directly off your own Summons or Complaint — don't guess. (See the county table below for your circuit number.)

Go paragraph by paragraph. The Complaint you were served has numbered paragraphs. For each one, the Answer template asks you to say "Admitted," "Denied," or "Without knowledge, therefore denied" (use this last one for anything you genuinely don't know, like the lender's internal accounting). Match each numbered response in the Answer to the same numbered paragraph in the Complaint.

Leave the "Affirmative Defenses" section blank only if you mean to. This is a separate section where you can raise reasons the case shouldn't go forward even if some of the Complaint is true. Leaving it blank isn't automatically wrong, but a defense you don't write down here can potentially be lost later — this is exactly the kind of judgment call worth a phone call to an attorney before you finalize the form.

Sign and date it. Print your name, address, and phone number under your signature.

Fill out the Certificate of Service. This is your written confirmation that you sent a copy to the lender's attorney (their name and address are on the Summons or Complaint) — regular mail is enough, you don't need certified mail.

In person or by mail, on paper. Every Florida county accepts this — you are not required to file electronically just because you don't have a lawyer. Bring (or mail) your signed original plus 1–2 copies to the Clerk of Court's civil filing counter in your county (addresses are in the table below). The clerk will date-stamp your copy as proof of filing — keep it.

Online, through the state's E-Filing Portal. Florida runs a free portal at myflcourtaccess.com that anyone can register for, including people without a lawyer. If you e-file, the system automatically emails a copy to the lender's attorney for you, which covers the Certificate of Service step above. Once you choose e-filing you generally need the court's permission to switch back to paper, so pick whichever option is easier for you and stick with it.

Florida law specifically prohibits charging a homeowner a fee just to file an Answer (Fla. Stat. §28.241). If anyone asks you to pay simply to file your response, that's a red flag — see the scam warning below.

In counties that offer foreclosure mediation, asking for it is a separate step from answering the Complaint — requesting mediation does not extend or replace your deadline to file an Answer. Do both if both are relevant to you.