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Florida · Fla. Stat. §627.7073Florida sinkhole claim disclosure: what the seller must tell the buyer

Florida Statutes §627.7073(2)(c) says that the seller of real property on which the seller made a sinkhole claim that the insurer paid must disclose to the buyer, before closing, that a claim has been paid and whether or not the full amount of the proceeds was used to repair the sinkhole damage. Paid sinkhole claims also leave a public record: the insurer files the engineer's or geologist's report and certification, the neutral evaluator's report if any, any stabilization certification and the amount paid with the county clerk, who records them; after repairs, the engineer's report on the stabilization or foundation work is recorded too (§627.7073(2), (3)). The recording is not a lien or title defect and does not create a claim against the seller's title warranties or the title insurer.

The rules (§627.7073)

  1. Seller's disclosure

    Before closing: a sinkhole claim was paid, and whether the full proceeds were used for repairs.

  2. Public record

    The insurer records the report, certification and amount paid with the county clerk.

  3. Repairs

    The monitoring engineer's report certifying the repairs is recorded too.

  4. Title

    Recording is not a lien or title defect and creates no claim on title warranties.

What the TC does

  • Ask the listing side early whether a sinkhole claim was ever paid on the property.
  • If yes, get the written disclosure – including whether the full proceeds went to repairs – before closing.
  • Search the county records for recorded sinkhole reports and repair certifications, and share them with the buyer's agent.

Questions buyers and sellers ask

Does a Florida seller have to disclose a sinkhole?

If the seller made a sinkhole claim that the insurer paid, the seller must disclose before closing that the claim was paid and whether the full proceeds were used to repair the damage (Fla. Stat. §627.7073(2)(c)).

Are sinkhole reports public in Florida?

For paid claims, the insurer files the report, certification and payment amount with the county clerk, who records them (§627.7073(2)).

Is a recorded sinkhole report a title defect?

No. The statute says recording is not a lien, encumbrance or title defect and does not create liability under title warranties or for the title insurer.

Related guides

Add the sinkhole disclosure to a Florida deal in ClosingCode as a document and request it from the listing side by link.

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Source: Florida Statutes §627.7073 (leg.state.fl.us, read October 25, 2026).

General information, not legal advice. Florida contracts and local practice add their own forms. ClosingCode is software; it is not a law firm and is not a substitute for the advice or services of an attorney. This guide is not a substitute for the advice or services of an attorney.