The Simplified Accounting of Guardian of Property is a court form, published by the Orange County Clerk of Courts, on which a guardian of a ward's property reports the ward's depository accounts for an annual accounting period. It is captioned for the Circuit Court for Orange County, Florida, Probate/Mental Health Division. You can fill out the form online on FillingPDF and download or print the completed PDF; the original PDF is published by the Clerk at the official link on this page.
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What is Simplified Accounting of Guardian of Property – Orange County, FL?
The Simplified Accounting of Guardian of Property is a short annual accounting form, captioned for the Circuit Court for Orange County, Florida, Probate/Mental Health Division, in which a guardian of the property states that the ward's assets are held in designated depositories and that only limited transactions occurred.
The form is filed in a guardianship case: it carries the heading "IN RE: GUARDIANSHIP OF" and a file number beginning 48-. The guardian identifies the reporting period ("Annual Accounting for the period commencing … through …") and states that he or she is the duly qualified and acting guardian of the property of the ward.
A table lists each depository: institution, account number, balance and fiscal year end. The form refers to the order of the court and to Sec. 69.031, Florida Statutes, for the designated depositories. Original or certified copies of the account statements are attached.
The form is "simplified" because it covers only one situation: the only transactions in the account(s) are interest accrual, deposits pursuant to settlement, or financial institution charges. The guardian then declares, under penalties of perjury, that the accounting is true and correct and that he or she has custody and control of the ward's property as shown on the attached statements.
Despite the word "property" in its title, this is not a county property tax form. It reports the ward's financial accounts and says nothing about property tax.
Who needs to file Simplified Accounting of Guardian of Property – Orange County, FL?
The main user is a guardian of the property of a ward in a guardianship case in the Circuit Court for Orange County, Florida, Probate/Mental Health Division, who must give the court an annual accounting. The form is written for a guardian, and it has a signature line for a co-guardian when there is one.
The form fits only a limited situation. Its statement says that the only transactions that have occurred in the account(s) are interest accrual, deposits pursuant to settlement, or financial institution charges, and that all assets of the ward are in the designated depositories under Sec. 69.031, Florida Statutes, pursuant to court order. A guardian whose accounts show other transactions cannot truthfully make that statement on this form.
The form does not say who may sign on a guardian's behalf, and it does not describe any other representative. Questions about whether the simplified accounting is allowed in a particular case belong with the court or the Orange County Clerk of Courts.
When to file Simplified Accounting of Guardian of Property – Orange County, FL
The form is an annual accounting, so it is completed for each yearly reporting period: you enter the period "commencing" and "through" dates at the top. No due date is printed on the form itself.
The attached statements must match the period. The form calls for the December statement(s) and the statement(s) for the fiscal month ending for the period being reported. Gather these from each financial institution before you complete the table, so the balances you enter agree with them.
Because the form is signed under penalties of perjury, complete it close to the date you sign ("Executed on the … day of …"). For the date the court expects the accounting in your case, check the court's order or ask the Orange County Clerk of Courts.
Documents you need
- Original or certified copies of the statement(s) of the ward's account(s) from each financial institution listed in the depository table, attached to the accounting.
- The December statement(s) for each listed account, as part of those attached statements.
- The statement(s) for the fiscal month ending for the period being reported, for each listed account.
How to fill out Simplified Accounting of Guardian of Property – Orange County, FL
Enter the case file number
At the top, complete "File No. 48-" and the name after "IN RE: GUARDIANSHIP OF" so the form matches your guardianship case in the Probate/Mental Health Division.
Enter the accounting period
On the line "Annual Accounting for the period commencing … through …", write the start date, the end date and the year of the period you are reporting.
Name the guardian
After "The undersigned", write the guardian's name (and the co-guardian's, if any), the person who alleges the statements that follow.
Name the ward
Enter the ward's name on the line for the guardian of the property of, identifying whose property the accounting covers.
List the depository accounts
In the table, enter for each account the institution, account number, balance and fiscal year end. All assets of the ward are to be in these depositories under Sec. 69.031, Florida Statutes.
Complete the statement dates
In the paragraph about attached statements, fill in the fiscal month ending for the period being reported, and gather the December statement(s) and the statement(s) for that month.
Confirm the transaction statement
Check that the only transactions in the account(s) were interest accrual, deposits pursuant to settlement, or financial institution charges, since the guardian declares this on the form.
Date the execution line
On "Executed on the … day of …", enter the day, month and year you sign, after reading the declaration made under penalties of perjury.
Sign as guardian and co-guardian
The guardian signs on the (Guardian) line, and a co-guardian, if one serves, signs on the (Co-Guardian) line.
Review, attach and download the PDF
Check names, dates and balances against the statements, then download or print the completed PDF from FillingPDF and attach the original or certified account statements.
How to submit Simplified Accounting of Guardian of Property – Orange County, FL
The form prints no mailing address, portal, e-filing instruction or office hours, so its submission channel is not stated on the form. It is captioned for the Circuit Court for Orange County, Florida, Probate/Mental Health Division, with a file number beginning 48-, which identifies the guardianship case to which it belongs.
What the form does require:
- Signature: the guardian signs, and a co-guardian signs too when there is one, on the "Executed on the … day of …" line.
- Attachments: original or certified copies of the ward's account statement(s) from the financial institution(s), consisting of the December statement(s) and the statement(s) for the fiscal month ending for the period being reported.
To learn how and where the Clerk accepts the completed accounting in your case, contact the Orange County Clerk of Courts, which publishes the form at the official link on this page. FillingPDF lets you fill out and download the PDF; submission follows the Clerk's and the court's channels.
Common mistakes to avoid
- Using the simplified form when the account(s) show transactions other than interest accrual, deposits pursuant to settlement, or financial institution charges.
- Attaching plain copies instead of the original or certified copies of the ward's account statement(s) that the form calls for.
- Attaching only one statement: the form calls for both the December statement(s) and the statement(s) for the fiscal month ending for the period reported.
- Entering balances in the depository table that do not match the attached statements, which the guardian declares under penalties of perjury.
- Leaving the accounting period blank ("commencing" and "through" dates) or the file number, which begins 48-, unfilled.
- Omitting the institution, account number, balance or fiscal year end for an account in the table, or leaving out an account that holds the ward's assets.
- Submitting the form without the guardian's signature, or without the co-guardian's signature when a co-guardian serves.
- Treating this as a county property tax form because of the word "property" in its title.
Frequently asked questions
Is this the Orange County Florida property tax form?
No. Despite "property" in its title, this form is a guardianship accounting filed in the Circuit Court for Orange County, Florida, Probate/Mental Health Division. It reports a ward's depository accounts and says nothing about county property tax.
What is the Simplified Accounting of Guardian of Property?
It is an annual accounting form in which a guardian of a ward's property lists the ward's depository accounts, attaches the account statements and declares, under penalties of perjury, that the accounting is true and correct and that the guardian has custody and control of the property.
When can a guardian use the simplified accounting?
The form states that the only transactions in the account(s) were interest accrual, deposits pursuant to settlement, or financial institution charges. If other transactions occurred, the form's statement would not be accurate, so ask the court or the Clerk what applies.
What do I attach to the simplified accounting?
Attach original or certified copies of the ward's account statement(s) from the financial institution(s): the December statement(s) and the statement(s) for the fiscal month ending for the period being reported.
Who signs the Simplified Accounting of Guardian of Property?
The guardian signs on the (Guardian) line, and a co-guardian signs on the (Co-Guardian) line when there is one. The signature is made under penalties of perjury, so confirm each balance against the statements first.
Can I fill out this guardianship accounting form online?
You can fill out the PDF online on FillingPDF and download or print it. FillingPDF is independent of the Orange County Clerk of Courts and does not file the accounting; submission follows the Clerk's and the court's channels.
Where do I file the completed accounting?
The form prints no address or portal. It belongs in your guardianship case in the Circuit Court for Orange County, Florida, Probate/Mental Health Division (file no. 48-), so ask the Orange County Clerk of Courts how it accepts the filing.
What is Sec. 69.031, Florida Statutes on this form?
The form cites it for the depositories: pursuant to order of the court, all assets of the ward are in the designated depositories listed in the table under Sec. 69.031, Florida Statutes. The form says nothing more about the statute.
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