Administration

Meet the Clerk
Crystal K. Kinzel, Collier County Clerk of the Circuit Court & Comptroller

In June 2018, Gov. Rick Scott appointed Crystal as the interim Collier County Clerk of the Circuit Court & Comptroller upon the untimely death of Clerk Dwight Brock. Two months later, voters elected her to the position and re-elected her in August 2020.

Crystal has a bachelor’s degree in business administration from George Washington University. She is a Certified Government Financial Manager and a Certified Clerk of Courts and Comptroller. Crystal earned the designation of a Certified Clerk of Court after completing the 240-hour certification program which is designed to promote a mastery of the skills that are necessary to successfully fulfill the constitutional and statutory responsibilities of the office.

Crystal began her career in accounting and finance working for the American Association of Retired Persons (AARP), followed by a position with NASDAQ, Inc.  in Washington D.C.  In 1983 she moved from the D.C. area to Florida and began working for the City of Key West.  At the age 29, Crystal was the youngest person ever to be appointed as Finance Director for the City of Key West.

After moving to Naples in 1988, Sheriff Don Hunter appointed Crystal as Finance Director for the Collier County Sheriff’s Office; a position that she held for 16 years. In 2005 she joined the Office of the Collier County Clerk of Courts, serving as the Director of Internal Audit and Finance and Chief Deputy prior to being elected as the Clerk.

Crystal is currently serving on statewide Clerk committees:

Florida Clerks of Court and Comptroller:

• Bylaws
• Legislative
• Strategic Technology

Clerk of Courts Corporation:

• Budget
• Performance Improvement and Efficiencies
• Legislative

Crystal is a member of the Golden Gate Civic Association, East Naples Civic and Commerce, Inc and Greater Naples Chamber of Commerce.  She is one of five women founders of the Youth Leadership Collier (YLC) (2005-Present).

Known as a tenacious protector of taxpayer dollars, Crystal is committed to safeguarding public funds and providing first-class customer service to the citizens and taxpayers. Crystal and her husband Mike have four adult children and enjoy being grandparents.

Duties and Services of the Clerk of the Circuit Court & Comptroller

The Florida Constitution, which has governed Florida citizens for more than 175 years, established a Clerk & Comptroller as an independently elected public trustee, and established at the county level a system of “checks and balances” to serve citizens and taxpayers by ensuring taxpayer dollars are spent lawfully and prudently.

The Collier County Clerk of the Circuit Court & Comptroller performs a wide range of record keeping, information management, and financial management for the 20th Judicial Circuit of Florida and for Collier County Government.

Some of the more than 1,000 different constitutional and statutory roles and functions performed by Clerk Crystal Kinzel and her dedicated staff include:

Clerk of the Circuit & County Courts:

• File indictments, information, and verdicts
• Process all civil and criminal cases
• Prepare appellate records
• Jury management
• Collect and disburse fines, court costs, forfeitures, fees, and service charges
• Conduct mortgage foreclosure sales
• Maintain custody of all evidence and exhibits entered by the court
• Assist in completing paperwork required to file a Small Claims action
• Assist in completing paperwork required to file petitions for protective injunctions
• Issue process service documents
• Maintain court registry
• Audit guardianship reports
• Audit child support payments

Recorder of Official Records:

• Record and index deeds, mortgages, and descriptions of all county property
• Process tax deed applications and conduct sales
• Record liens and judgments entered by the court, record tax liens and claims against an estate, instruments of conveyance, agreements, contracts, maps and plats of subdivisions and surveys
• Collect and disburse intangible taxes
• Collect and disburse documentary stamp monies

Clerk to the Board of County Commissioners:

• Attend meetings of the Board of County Commissioners
• Produce, record, index and distribute the official minutes of these meetings
• Maintain custody of all county resolutions, ordinances, and contracts
• Process appeals for Value Adjustment Board
• Attestation of the Chairman’s signature

Accountant and Custodian of County Funds:

• Provide accounting services to all departments under the Board of County Commissioners
• Provide an accounting system for all fiscal changes implemented by the Board
• Handle investments of available county funds
• Provide financial reporting to the Board and federal and state agencies
• Process accounts payable
• Process the county payroll

County Auditor:

• Pre-audit all County expenditures before payment
• Review proposed contracts before adoption
• Conduct internal post-audits
• Prepare reports suggesting improvements to management

Other Duties of the Clerk:

• Issue and record marriage license applications
• Compile and provide statistical data for state agencies and the judiciary
• Maintain records storage facilities
• Process passport applications
• Issue home solicitation permits

Civil cases can include but are not limited to mortgage foreclosure, contracts, medical malpractice, negligence and wrongful acts.

Florida Deadlines

Florida has statute of limitations laws that govern time limits for filing lawsuits ranging from two to five years, depending on the procedure. A case for libel or slander must be brought within 2 years of the date of the incident or discovery. A malpractice suit is also 2 years. For injury to a person, fraud, injury to personal property and trespass the limitation is 4 years. If a case is based on a written contract, your deadline for filing is 5 years after the Defendant defaults on the agreement.

References:

Florida Constitution establishes the Office of the Clerk & Comptroller

Article VIII, Section 1, Article V, Section 16

Florida Statutes

Title V, Chapter 28 – Clerk of the Circuit Court
Title X, Chapter 119 – Public Records

History of the Collier County Clerk of the Circuit Court & Comptroller

In its nearly 100-year history, Collier County has seen a multitude of changes.

One thing that has not varied greatly over the decades is the Clerks of the Circuit Court. Only ten people have been elected or appointed to the position since the county was established 99 years ago on May 8, 1923. What is even more interesting is that three of those nine clerks served for more than 70 years of the past 99. Collier’s citizens chose, via the ballot box, to keep the clerks in their position, providing continuity to the important office of the Clerk.

The county’s first clerk was W.B. Lanier, who assumed the office on July 9, 1923, two months after the county formed. He resigned the office only months later, leaving the position on Feb. 6, 1924. His replacement, E.W. Russell, assumed the role on the same date Lanier quit and was formally elected to the job in November of that year. He kept the job until his death on March 16, 1932.

Russell’s son, J. Wyman, stepped into to fill the opening but only stayed on until May 2, 1932, when Ed Scott was appointed by Gov. Charlton.

Edmond Franklin Scott was the longest serving clerk with more than 26 years in the role. He was appointed to the job by Gov. Doyle E. Charlton on May 2, 1932, serving until his death on Jan. 13, 1959.

The third longest serving clerk was Ed Scott’s wife, Margaret, who was appointed to the office on Jan. 14, 1959, a day following her husband’s death. She was formally elected in 1960, holding the job 17 years, winning four elections for the office before retiring in 1976.

When the county seat was relocated from Everglades City to East Naples in 1962, Margaret Scott designed the county seal, featuring a wild turkey. The animal, which were native to the region, was adopted as Collier County’s emblem by the commissioners during their first meeting in 1923.

Following the terms of Ed and Margaret Scott, William J. Reagan was elected to the office on Nov. 2, 1976. He held the position until resigning in 1986 to take another job.

James “Jim” C. Giles was appointed to complete Reagan’s term and was elected thereafter, serving only one term as clerk. Giles was defeated in the Nov. 3, 1992, election by Dwight E. Brock. Dwight (as he preferred to be called) served until his untimely death on June 12, 2018.

Throughout his 26 years in the position, Dwight stood up for strong principles and took to heart the clerk’s watchdog role.

Dwight named Crystal K. Kinzel his Chief Deputy Clerk in 2016. Upon Dwight’s death, she was appointed as the interim Clerk by Gov. Rick Scott in June of 2018, until she successfully ran and won election as Clerk on August 28, 2018. She was re-elected to a 4-year term in 2020.

 

 

 

 

Collier County Centennial

Collier County is celebrating its 100^th-Year Anniversary this May 2023 with community events and programs. As we are getting near this important milestone, it is important for us to look back and gain an appreciation for some of our county’s rich history. Our office has prepared videos, presentations, and stories to share some of the most important events that made Collier into the county that we know at present.

 

The History of the Collier County Clerks	Celebrating the Female Clerks of Collier County
History of the Collier County Courthouse	Collier County’s Most Notorious Court Cases
A Conversation with Lila Zuck	A Conversation with Valerie Wenzel Carson

 

Moments in Collier County’s History

The Luck of the Draw has Changed

What is the significance of July 7th at 2:00 pm?

The Move to East Naples

Office Locations