Legal Question in Civil Litigation in Florida

The debt was made in Virginia? Did he pay you anything on that debt while in Florida? Does the note provide for attorney's fees for its pursuit? I would start by hiring a local attorney to write a demand letter and see what happens from there. You can get an attorney to handle on a contingency basis down here if he has assets that can be pursued. A local attorney should be able to guide you in the right direction.

Where was the note signed? Where was the money lent? Does the note specify where payment is to be made? Depending upon these and other facts you may be able to establish jurisdiction in Florida and sue him in Small Claims Court here without an attorney. HOWEVER, a practical problem is that, in order to collect the judgment, you will probably have to go to where he has asserts and that will probably be Virginia. Most States have a procedure under the Uniform Foreign Judgments Act to register an out of state judgment in another state and then enforce it under their law. It may be simpler to just sue him in Virginia.