What to Do with the Notice
Immediately open the Notice of Proposed Property Taxes and examine its contents for accuracy. The Notice contains column headings which include:
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Taxing Authority
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Your Property Taxes Last Year
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Last Year’s Adjusted Tax Rate (Millage)
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Your Taxes This Year IF NO Budget Change is Adopted
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Tax Rate This Year IF PROPOSED Budget is Adopted (Millage)
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Your Taxes This Year IF PROPOSED Budget Change is Adopted
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Public Hearing dates on the Property Taxes and Budget
Closely review the second page of the Notice that provides the property’s market value and the ad valorem tax against the property. The Notice should clearly state the assessed value, the value of exemptions and taxable value for both the current and previous tax year.
Accuracy of Market/Assessed Value
The county property appraiser assessed the market value of your property as of January 1, 2017. The value reflected is what the county property appraiser has deemed to be the market value of your property as of that date.
After review of the market value and exemptions, if you believe the market value of your property is unfair, you may attempt to resolve the matter with your county property appraiser and/or challenge the valuation by filing a petition (Appeal) to the Value Adjustment Board. The deadline for filing the petition will be the date specified in the Notice (in September 2017) and it differs from county to county. It is imperative that this deadline not be missed or you will be prohibited from challenging the property appraiser’s valuation through this administrative process. You cannot appeal your tax millage rate through the Value Adjustment Board process; only the assessed value of your property may be appealed through this process.
Accuracy of Property Taxes
If your assessed value looks accurate, but the proposed total property tax appears high, consider attending the public hearings on proposed budget changes.
Roetzel has broad experience in filing petitions for appeal, preparing for, and conducting hearings before the Value Adjustment Board, and has participated in this process in various counties throughout the state of Florida. If you need assistance in the Value Board Adjustment Petition process or simply require an evaluation of your Notice, please do not hesitate to contact either of the attorneys listed or your own Roetzel attorney.
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