Our office will be CLOSED on FRIDAY, APRIL 18, in observance of the spring holidays. Happy Easter! Happy Passover!

THE PROPERTY APPRAISER DOES NOT SEND TAX BILLS.
THE PROPERTY APPRAISER DOES NOT SET OR COLLECT TAXES.
Contact the Tax Collector directly: revenue@broward.org

YOU CAN FILE NOW FOR A 2014 HOMESTEAD EXEMPTION!

You can file today for 2014 exemptions. This includes homestead, disability, widow/widower, granny flat, portability, deployed military and non-profit exemptions. If you miss the March 3, 2014, deadline to timely file to any exemptions, Florida law allows you to "late file" for 2014 exemptions until September 17, 2014. Note: Per Section 196.011(8), Florida Statutes, we cannot accept any exemption late applications once "late filing" deadline closes. To apply for a 2014 homestead, simply click here to use our online Homestead Application system. To apply for other exemptions, visit our Download Forms page to find the appropriate application. Questions? Please contact our Customer Service & Exemptions Division at 954.357.6830. Note: Due to a quirk in state law, pre-filing before January 1, 2014, is not permitted for the low-income senior 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!

NEED HELP TO AVOID FORECLOSURE ON YOUR HOME?
Click these links to learn more about Broward County's Foreclosure Prevention Program and the IRS's Info Page: Help for Financially Distressed Taxpayers.

DO YOU HAVE QUESTIONS FOR US?
You can probably find the answers to many of your concerns on our Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) page.

WHAT HAPPENED TO THE "YEAR BUILT" INFO ON THE PROPERTY PAGES?

When you click on the link on a property record page to see the Year Built info, you will now see the responsive year answer displayed on a plain white "generic" screen. Why? Click here to learn more.

PORTABILITY OF HOMESTEADED SAVINGS.

Florida's "Portability" law allows property owners to transfer their “Save Our Homes” benefit earned on a previous Florida homesteaded property to a new Florida homesteaded property.  If you are applying for a new homestead exemption AND you held a homestead exemption on a previous property within the last 2 tax-years anywhere in Florida, you should also submit a Portability application with your Homestead application. Note:  a Portability application transfers any tax savings you have earned, but it does NOT transfer your Homestead exemption from one property to another.  You MUST first apply for a Homestead exemption in order to be eligible for Portability. Click here to begin the online Homestead application process and you will automatically be prompted to print and complete a Portability application if your application information indicates you held an eligible Homestead exemption on a previous Florida property.

WE ARE REDUCING ASSESSMENTS FOR HOMES WITH CHINESE DRYWALL PROBLEMS.

As has been extensively reported in the news, some homes constructed in Broward within the past few years contain contaminated Chinese drywall. This drywall -- over time -- emits sulfur odors and seemingly causes visible corrosion to copper pipes and air conditioner evaporator coils. However, until a homeowner contacts our office to notify us, we have no way of independently identifying which homes contain contaminated Chinese drywall. These drywall problems seriously impact the value of these homes. To ensure fair assessments for these damaged properties, Florida Statute Section 193.1552 instructs our office to reduce the building value portion to $0 "if the building cannot be used for its intended purpose without remediation or repair" -- subject to the owners providing us with sufficient documentation of the condition. Additionally, the law only applies if "the purchaser was unaware of the [contaminated] drywall at the time of purchase" -- so we examine the real estate listings to see if the condition was disclosed prior to the most recent sale. To request this reduction, please contact Deputy Appraiser Larry Singh or at 954.357.7216 to notify us if your home has documented Chinese drywall issues. Note: You do not need to resubmit this documentation to us for this year if you previously submitted it in a prior year. Click here to read more if you have contaminated drywall issues.

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 are 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 would like to have someone from our office meet with taxpayers at an upcoming meeting of your condo/homeowners or civic association, please contact Customer Service & Exemptions Manager Kelly Brown at 954.357.6035 or .

WE ARE 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