Can Judgment be Collected Against a Defendant When There is a Misnomer?

Imagine winning a judgment against a defendant but the defendant’s name was incorrect. Instead
of suing “The Company Group, LLC” you have sued “The Company, LLC.” Is the judgment
entered invalid? Can it be amended? Is it still possible to collect the judgment against the correct
defendant?

What is a misnomer?
A misnomer is defined as the misdescription of a party in a lawsuit. Ferro v. ECI Telecom, Inc.,
314 So. 3d 711, 713 (Fla. 3d DCA 2021) (quoting G.B. Holdings, Inc. v. Steinhauser, 862 So. 2d
97, 99 (Fla. 4th DCA 2004)). Misnomer’s can result from mere scrivener’s errors, which are
unintentional typos and misspellings. A misnomer can also arise when there are ambiguities in
identity of a party.

Can a misnomer be fixed?
When the misdescription is merely a misnomer or defect in the characterization of the party,
amendments are allowed to correct the error. Barone v. Scandinavian World Cruises (Bahamas),
Ltd., 531 So. 2d 1036, 1040 (Fla. 3d DCA 1988).

When is a Court likely to allow for a post-judgment amendment of a misnomer?
There are certain circumstances in which a Florida Court is more likely to find a misnomer and
allow for a post judgement amendment. These include:

  • If the entity initially sued and the intended entity to be sued are related companies functioning through the same management structure. G.B. Holdings, 862 So. 2d at 99.
  • When the intended defendant is improperly sued under its fictitious name and defends the suit in that fictitious name. Id.
  • Clerical mistakes in judgments, decrees, or other parts of the record arising from oversight or omission can be corrected by the court at any time on its own initiative or upon the motion of any party, with proper notice. Fla. R. Civ. P. 1.540(a).
  • When the misdescribed defendant is known by the real defendant to be nonexistent, and the real defendant is thus incapable of being misled by the misdescription, amendments should be permitted. Barone, 531. So. 2d at 1040.

When there is a scrivener’s error in the legal description or name of company. See Baker
v. Courts at Bayshore Condominium Association, Inc., 279 So. 3d 799 (Fla. 3d DCA
2019).

EPGD Business Law is located in beautiful Coral Gables. Call us at (786) 837-6787, or contact us through the website to schedule a consultation.

*Disclaimer: this blog post is not intended to be legal advice. We highly recommend speaking to an attorney if you have any legal concerns. Contacting us through our website does not establish an attorney-client relationship.*

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Eric Gros-Dubois

Founding partner Eric Gros-Dubois established EPGD Business Law in 2013. With over a decade of experience expanding the firm and leading it to its current success, Eric now primarily manages the corporate division of EPGD. Given Eric’s educational background, holding both a JD and MBA, combined with his own unique experience of starting a business from scratch and growing it to a multi-million dollar firm, he brings a specialized and invaluable perspective to those seeking legal assistance for themselves and their businesses. Having now instilled his same values in our team of skilled corporate associates, Eric leads a firm that is always ready, willing, and equipped to handle any and every legal matter that a business owner may have.

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