News for Broward Taxpayers
Summer-Fall 2010

Act Now to Protect Your Rights as a Property Owner

Step 1: Carefully Read Your Proposed Property Tax Notice.

Many property owners ignore their Truth in Millage Notice (“TRIM Notice”) of proposed property taxes until it is too late to challenge an assessment or question the proposed tax rates. If you wait until you receive your bill in November to complain about your taxes, you will lose your right to file an appeal. The first thing to know is that your taxes are calculated using this formula: TAXABLE VALUE x TAX MILLAGE RATES + SPECIAL ASSESSMENTS = TAX BILL. The Property Appraiser determines the market value of your property. The Property Appraiser does NOT set any tax rates. Your tax millage rates and non-ad valorem fees are set by the various governmental taxing authorities (School Board, County Commission, City Commission, hospital district board, water management district, and so on) listed on your TRIM Notice.

Step 2: Speak Out About Proposed Tax Rate Hikes & Higher Fees.

Your TRIM Notice contains proposed TAX RATES set by the named taxing authorities (i.e., School Board, County/City Commission, etc.). Properties in Broward dropped in taxable value this year by 11.7% on average countywide. It is the biggest single-year percentage decline in Broward property values since the 1920s. Nearly all neighborhoods saw values decline. Due to these economic problems, several taxing authorities in Broward are proposing tax rate increases. If you want to question your proposed tax rates, the non-ad valorem fees and special assessments, or services being cut from local budgets, you should contact your elected officials who serve on those taxing authorities and attend the public hearings in September. Your TRIM Notice lists the hearing dates, locations and contact phone numbers for each taxing authority.

Step 3: Challenging Your Proposed Assessment.

Your TRIM Notice reflects our office’s ASSESSMENT of your property as of January 1, 2010, as required by Florida law. Your new assessment does not -- and by law is not supposed to -- reflect your market value today as of mid-2010. For nearly all non-homesteaded property, the assessed value is identical to the property’s market value. For homesteaded property, your assessed value is your “Save Our Homes” value. The market values (just values) by law are determined a year in arrears using a mass-appraisal process largely based upon sales of comparable properties during 2009. BOTTOM LINE: If you believe the market value of your property printed on the TRIM Notice is not what a buyer would have reasonably paid for your property on January 1, 2010, you must contact or visit our office or file a value petition by the September 20, 2010 deadline. Click here for our contact phone numbers and email addresses.

Why Some Homesteaded Owners Won’t See Taxes Drop As Values Drop

Under Florida law, a homestead "recapture" rule may cause some taxable values to rise even when the overall market value dropped from last year. If you are Homesteaded and your "Save Our Homes" (SOH) value is less than the market value as of January 1, Florida Administrative Code Rule 12D-8.0062(5) explicitly orders our office to increase your overall assessed value each year (up to the 3% annual cap level) until it eventually reaches the same amount as the market value. Although the Department of Revenue set this year’s SOH cap rate at 0.1% (1/10th of 1%) -- meaning your Homesteaded assessed value will be almost unchanged from last year -- you will likely not experience any noticeable decline in taxes even though your market value dropped. Roughly 177,000 Broward homeowners will experience the recapture effects of this law -- nearly all of whom are either owners who purchased and homesteaded their properties before 2001 or newer purchasers who recently used portability to move SOH savings to a new home.

Property Values vs. Millage (Tax) Rates

If you don’t like what you see in your TRIM Notice, who should you call?

VALUES & EXEMPTIONS - The Property Appraiser is responsible for determining market values, assessed values, and applying exemptions and special classifications (non-profits and agricultural). If the VALUE is more than you believe a buyer would pay for your property -- or you applied for an EXEMPTION but it wasn’t printed on the TRIM Notice -- call the Property Appraiser’s office.

TAX RATES & SPECIAL ASSESSMENTS - If you think the amount of TAXES is too much, the MILLAGE RATE is too high, or the non-ad valorem FEES are too costly, you need to contact the taxing authorities (City Commission, County Commission, School Board, hospital district, etc.) listed on your notice. The Property Appraiser does NOT set your tax rates nor collect the taxes.

Extended Hours for the 2010 TRIM Season

To speak in person with one of our appraisers about your assessment, please visit our Main Office at 115 South Andrews Avenue, Room 111, in downtown Fort Lauderdale (just south of Broward Boulevard). Our Main Office is always open weekdays from 7 am until 6 pm -- and we will stay open until 7 pm weekdays during September 13-20. Our West Broward Branch Office on 1 North University Drive, Room 111-A, in Plantation, is open weekdays from 8 am to 5 pm. IMPORTANT: Due to significant budget cuts, we will permanently close our Plantation Branch Office on September 24, 2010.

SPECIAL WEEKEND HOURS: Both of our offices will also be open on two Saturdays -- August 28 (8:30 am to 5:00 pm) and September 11 (8 am - 6 pm) -- to better assist working families.

Did You Forget to File for a 2010 Exemption or Portability?

You still have time to file if you forgot to file for a 2010 Homestead Exemption, Widow/Widower Exemption, Disability Exemption, Portability, or other exemption for which you were eligible as of January 1, 2010. Simply visit our office by the September 20, 2010 deadline and file for the appropriate exemption(s). For Homestead, you may instead use our online filing system before the deadline. It’s fast, it’s easy, and it cuts your tax bill. Also, please contact us if you already applied for a 2010 exemption or portability transfer and it is not shown on your TRIM Notice. Please note: Due to a new change in Florida law, the September 20 deadline is now the absolute cut-off date -- no exceptions -- for late filing for a 2010 exemption.

"How Can I Challenge My Appraised Value?"

If you think the market value for your property is wrong, the first thing you should do is call our office. One of our appraisers will be happy to speak with you, listen to your concerns, and discuss the data we used to reach the value. If there was a mistake, we'll correct it. If -- after speaking with us -- you still believe our value is inaccurate, we’ll explain the easy steps you can take to file an appeal with the Broward County Value Adjustment Board (VAB), an independent and quasi-judicial review board. You can also avoid the "TRIM Season" crowds entirely by filing your VAB petition online (and paying the $15 filing fee) by the September 20 deadline on the VAB's special petition website at: http://bcvab.broward.org/axiaweb2010. You may also contact the VAB directly or by telephone at 954.357.7292 or by visiting their office at 115 South Andrews Avenue, Room 120, Fort Lauderdale.

Understanding the $50,000 Homestead Exemption

The 2008 constitutional amendment which doubled the Homestead Exemption to $50,000 is rather complex. By law the additional $25,000 of exemped value ONLY applies to the third $25,000 of assessed value, and doesn’t apply to the school portion of your tax bill. If a Homesteaded property has a Save Our Homes assessment under $50,000, it does not receive any added benefit from the additional $25,000 exemption. Assessments below $75,000 only get a portion of the new savings. For example, a Homesteaded property assessed at $60,000 will receive only a $10,000 additional exemption as it is the only portion over $50,000.

Temporarily Away? New Mailing Address?

Please notify our office in advance if you place a postal forwarding order on a Homesteaded property so we can help protect your exemptions and avoid an accidental cancellation. Also, whenever your mailing address changes, please notify us so we can ensure you will always receive the vital assessment and tax notices you need.

Please Follow Our Office on Facebook and Twitter

Our office now uses the popular online social networking sites Facebook and Twitter to help keep you updated on important news you need to know. Simply visit www.facebook.com/PropertyAppraiser and -- once you log-in -- click the "Like" button to get out online news updates and tax tips delivered to you via Facebook. To follow us on Twitter, please visit www.twitter.com/loriparrish, login, and click the “Follow” button.

Report Homestead Fraud

If you believe you have reliable information about someone engaging in fraud relating to exemptions or special property classifications, please call our Fraud Investigation Section at 954.357.6900 and we’ll check it out. Our office's investigators have already successfully added more than $1 billion in assessed value to Broward's tax roll because of your helpful tips!