Florida Statutes Title XL. Real and Personal Property § 695.16. When mortgage or lien is destroyed

Whenever any mortgage or other lien required by law to be recorded, to be good and effectual against creditors or subsequent purchasers for a valuable consideration and without notice, has been heretofore recorded, and the record thereof has been destroyed by fire prior to May 30, 1901, such mortgage or other lien or a certified copy thereof, as aforesaid, shall be rerecorded within 9 months from said date, or such mortgage or other lien shall not be good or effectual in law or equity against a creditor or subsequent purchaser for valuable consideration and without notice; provided, however, that if the original instrument of mortgage or other lien has been lost or destroyed, the foregoing provision of this section shall not apply thereto, but such mortgage or other lien shall not be good or effectual in law or equity against creditors, or subsequent purchasers for a valuable consideration and without notice, unless legal proceedings to reestablish the same were begun in the proper court prior to March 3, 1902.