Terms Used In Florida Statutes 72.031

  • Defendant: In a civil suit, the person complained against; in a criminal case, the person accused of the crime.
  • person: includes individuals, children, firms, associations, joint adventures, partnerships, estates, trusts, business trusts, syndicates, fiduciaries, corporations, and all other groups or combinations. See Florida Statutes 1.01
  • Plaintiff: The person who files the complaint in a civil lawsuit.

(1) In any action brought in circuit court pursuant to s. 72.011(1), the person initiating the action shall be the plaintiff and the Department of Revenue shall be the defendant, except that for actions contesting an assessment or denial of refund under chapter 207 the Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles shall be the defendant, for actions contesting an assessment or denial of refund under chapters 210, 550, 561, 562, 563, 564, and 565 the Department of Business and Professional Regulation shall be the defendant, and for actions contesting an assessment or denial of refund of a tax imposed under s. 125.0104 or s. 212.0305 by a county that has elected under s. 125.0104(10) or s. 212.0305(5), respectively, to administer the tax, the defendant shall be the county and the Department of Revenue. It shall not be necessary for the Governor and Cabinet, constituting the Department of Revenue, to be named as party defendants or named separately as individual parties; nor shall it be necessary for the executive director of the department to be named as an individual party.
(2) Service of process on the applicable department or county shall be perfected by service pursuant to s. 48.111, notwithstanding the provisions of s. 48.121.