Our offices will be closed Friday, July 3rd for the Independence Day weekend. We will reopen for business on Monday, July 6th. Wishing you and your loved ones a safe and happy holiday!

IMPORTANT: The new 2009 assessments are now online. If you want to appeal your proposed assessment before the Value Adjustment Board (VAB), you may do so under Florida law by submitting a timely petition to the VAB by the September 18, 2009 filing deadline. Taxpayers may also contact our office directly between now and September 18 to informally discuss concerns about proposed assessments. Please see our PHONE DIRECTORY (in the website menu at left) to contact the appropriate department.

SOMETHING NEW ABOUT OUR 2009 REAL PROPERTY ASSESSMENTS.

Starting with the new 2009 real property assessments, our residential land values and improvement (building) values are correctly apportioned. In the past -- because of the antiquated tax roll system this office had used for decades -- we were only able to set correct amounts for the total Just Value of a property, but the internal division of value between the land and the improvements was entirely arbitrary. Using mass-appraisal methods, we equalized land values this year by neighborhood -- not just by subdivision within a neighborhood. This means the square-foot land value for dry lots in a neighborhood should be the same as for other comparable dry lots in the same area ... lots along a golf course will be valued the same as other lots along the same golf course ... waterfront lots will be valued the same as other similar waterfront lots (and point lots valued the same as other nearby point lots) ... and so on. If you believe we incorrectly paired your lot (versus your neighbor's land value), please contact .

NEED HELP TO AVOID FORECLOSURE ON YOUR HOME?
Then click these links to learn more about Broward County's Foreclosure Prevention Program and the IRS's Tax Relief for Struggling Homeowners (PDF brochure).

FIRST-TIME HOME BUYER?
If you are a first-time homebuyer who purchased a primary residence during 2009, you may be entitled to claim an $8,000 credit from the federal government. No strings attached. Click here to learn more (PDF brochure).

PAYING PROPERTY TAXES.
If you have questions about your tax bill or making tax payments, please visit the Revenue Collector's website, or contact Revenue by email at revenue@broward.org or by phone at 954.831.4000. The Property Appraiser does NOT set your tax rate nor collect the taxes. The Property Appraiser is responsible for ensuring the fair assessment (value) of all properties and applying all exemptions. Your County Commission, School Board, City Commission, Water District, and other boards set your tax rates.

HAVE QUESTIONS FOR US?
You can probably find the answer on our Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) page.

SPECIAL SATURDAY HOURS FOR 2009.

Our offices are again open this year on six Saturdays during the key periods to better serve working families. Our 2009 Saturday openings: January 24, February 28, May 2, August 22, August 29 and September 12.

SHORT SALES, FORECLOSURES, ASSESSMENTS AND YOUR TAXES.

If you purchase a property in a foreclosure, your actual purchase price may not reflect the just (market) value used for determining your taxes. Although the Florida Department of Revenue (DOR) issued an advisory opinion that foreclosures generally should not be used for assessment purposes, DOR wrote that Property Appraisers may qualify a foreclosure sale if the property was listed for sale on the MLS open market and the property is in normal/good condition. Tax Year 2009 is the first time in which DOR is allowing foreclosure sales to be qualified in determining assessments. We believe -- and DOR agrees -- those MLS-listed foreclosure sales are arm's length "normal market condition" sales under the current recessionary economic conditions and reflect market values. We also qualify short sales, using the same criteria as we do for foreclosures. Regardless of your purchase price, assessments in Florida are done a year in arrears. This means your 2009 assessment will be based on the sales in your neighborhood (excluding non-arm's length transactions and other "disqualified" transfers) between January 2, 2008 and January 1, 2009.

DID YOU MISS THE MARCH 2nd DEADLINE TO FILE FOR A 2009 HOMESTEAD?

Don't worry. Florida law allows for late filing with good cause for Tax Year-2009 through September 18, 2009. Our office accepts late applications for Homestead, other exemptions, and portability until the late filing deadline. To claim a 2009 Homestead, you must have purchased, be named on the title, and moved onto the property on or before January 1, 2009, and meet certain other residency qualifications of having a Florida driver's license/ID card and a voter card (or recorded Declaration of Domicile) showing the address. To learn more about filing for a valuable Homestead Exemption, please click here or use our online homestead filing system. And, FYI, if you purchased and moved into your home after January 1, 2009, you can pre-file online now for your 2010 homestead exemption.

Bring your children when you
file for Homestead ... we've even
got a place for them to
play when you visit
our Main Office!

PORTABILITY OF HOMESTEADED SAVINGS IS NOW AVAILABLE TO FLORIDIANS.

Florida voters overwhelmingly approved a new constitutional amendment in January 2008 which grants added tax relief to property owners. The amendment gives homesteaded owners the "portability" right to move Save Our Homes benefits to a new homesteaded property. The Florida Department of Revenue (DOR) has drafted the forms, guidelines and administrative rules to implement the rest of these new benefits. Click here to visit the DOR website tracking these ongoing developments. If you had homestead on one Florida property in 2007 or 2008 and are now seeking to move your homestead to a new location for 2008 or 2009:

** Click here to download the portability application **

Please return the completed portability form to our office by mail (Property Appraiser's Office, 115 South Andrews Avenue, Room 111, Fort Lauderdale, Florida 33301); or (attach in PDF format); or by fax (954.357.8474).

BRINGING CUSTOMER SERVICE TO OUR CUSTOMERS.

Did you know we hold a community outreach session every Wednesday at 11:30 am in Representative Gwen Clarke-Reed's office at Pompano Beach City Hall? Property Appraiser Lori Parrish is enhancing our office's community outreach efforts. We're constantly adding new customer service outreach events at condos, city halls, businesses, and other community locations throughout Broward to our online calendar of upcoming events. If you'd like to have someone from our office meet with taxpayers at an upcoming meeting of your condo/homeowners or civic association, please contact Community Outreach Coordinator Kelly Brown at 954.357.6035 or .

WE'RE VISITING NEIGHBORHOODS AROUND BROWARD!

By state law, we must personally view each property in Broward County at least once every five years. That is why our residential appraisers are busy these days inspecting, measuring and photographing the exteriors of properties throughout Broward. Our appraisers are easy to recognize: all of them wear official shirts and bright orange vests clearly identifying them as BCPA staff, and each carries a BCPA photo identification card and badge. Feel free to ask to see an ID if you have any concerns. Important Note: Our appraisers will NEVER ask to enter your home, and we will NEVER enter locked backyards. If you have questions about these inspections, please contact our office at 954.357.6831.

If you have any suggestions for improving our office, .

Sincerely,

LORI PARRISH, CFA
Broward County Property Appraiser