After I was arrested in front of my home and taken to jail for having broadcasted radio programs that exposed government wrongdoing, I was then taken to jail.  I was told that the only way I could get out of jail was to agree to the government's seizure of my home if I did not cooperate with the plan to prosecute me in court.  Since private homes in Florida are exempt from forced sale under court process I was also required to sign a contract allowing the Florida Constitution to be violated. -Lonnie Kobres

CONSTITUTION OF THE STATE OF FLORIDA

ARTICLE X

MISCELLANEOUS

SECTION 4. Homestead; exemptions.--

  1. There shall be exempt from forced sale under process of any court, and no judgment, decree or execution shall be a lien thereon, except for the payment of taxes and assessments thereon, obligations contracted for the purchase, improvement or repair thereof, or obligations contracted for house, field or other labor performed on the realty, the following property owned by a natural person:
  1. a homestead, if located outside a municipality, to the extent of one hundred sixty acres of contiguous land and improvements thereon, which shall not be reduced without the owner's consent by reason of subsequent inclusion in a municipality; or if located within a municipality, to the extent of one-half acre of contiguous land, upon which the exemption shall be limited to the residence of the owner or his family;
  1. personal property to the value of one thousand dollars.
  1. These exemptions shall inure to the surviving spouse or heirs of the owner.
  1. The homestead shall not be subject to devise if the owner is survived by spouse or minor child, except the homestead may be devised to the owner's spouse if there be no minor child. The owner of homestead real estate, joined by the spouse if married, may alienate the homestead by mortgage, sale or gift and, if married, may by deed transfer the title to an estate by the entirety with the spouse. If the owner or spouse is incompetent, the method of alienation or encumbrance shall be as provided by law.

History.--Am. H.J.R. 4324, 1972; adopted 1972; Am. H.J.R. 40, 1983; adopted 1984.

 

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