Posted in Real Estate Law,Tax Law & IRS Defense

The Firm is republishing a September 2013 blog post regarding the ability of Florida property owners to contest or appeal the assessed value of their property.  The republished blog, below, includes updated information for 2014.

Your local Florida property appraiser mails out the Notice of Proposed Property Taxes (Truth in Millage or “TRIM” form) in August of each year.  Property owners or taxpayers who wish to contest or appeal their property value to the Value Adjustment Board must file a petition (one of the DR-86 forms) with the clerk of court within 25 days of the Notice of Proposed Property Taxes.  In St. Johns County for example, the petition for adjustment must be filed no later than September 8, 2014.

Typically as with most legal matters, it’s best to try and resolve the matter prior to filing a petition.  If time permits, it’s advisable to contact your local property appraiser’s office to resolve issues such as market value, classification, or an exemption.  Keep in mind that there are many other issues concerning property taxes in Florida that can be applicable, such as portability, the Save Our Homes cap (currently 1.5% for 2014 per the CI index, which is lower than 3%), joint ownership or adding someone to your deed, inheriting family-owned property, or the transference of property.  More information can be found at the below two Florida Department of Revenue websites.  As always, promptly and timely consult with a qualified tax attorney should the need arise.

http://dor.myflorida.com/dor/property/taxpayers/howdoi.html

http://dor.myflorida.com/dor/property/taxpayers/