LABOR DAY HOLIDAY

Our office will be closed on Monday, September 6, in celebration of the Labor Day federal holiday. We will reopen for business at 7 a.m. on Tuesday, September 7.

SPECIAL SATURDAY OFFICE HOURS DURING TRIM SEASON

Our office mails out the TRIM Notices of Proposed 2010 Property Taxes between August 13-20. The deadline to file a petition to appeal your proposed assessment is September 20. 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 7-20.

SPECIAL WEEKEND HOURS: Both of our offices will also be open on two Saturdays -- August 28 (8:30 am to 5 pm) and September 11 (8 am to 6 pm) -- to better serve your busy work week schedules.

YOU MAY LATE FILE FOR 2010 HOMESTEAD EXEMPTIONS UNTIL SEPTEMBER 20 ... OR PRE-FILE NOW FOR 2011 EXEMPTIONS.

File today for 2010 and 2011 exemptions! This includes homestead, disability, widow/widower, granny flat, portability, and non-profits. To be eligible for a 2010 exemption, you must be on the title and make the property your permanent residence as of January 1, 2010 -- and must submit a complete application by the statutory September 20, 2010, late filing deadline. No 2010 applications will be accepted after September 20th. To file for a 2010 or 2011 homestead, simply click here to use our online Homestead Application system. To file 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.

WE'RE 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 our Residential Department Manager Bob Zbikowski or at 954.357.5880 to notify us if your home has documented Chinese drywall issues. Note: You do not need to resubmit this documentation to us for 2010 if you previously submitted it in 2009.

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 Info Page: Help for Financially Distressed Taxpayers.

FIRST-TIME HOME BUYER?
If you are a first-time homebuyer who purchased a primary residence during 2009-10, you may be entitled to claim an $8,000 credit from the federal government. Some other primary home purchasers may also be eligible for a tax credit, too. No strings attached. Click here to learn more.

PAYING PROPERTY TAXES.
The County Revenue Collection Division -- not part of our office -- mails out the annual tax bills during the first week of November each year. Tax bills become delinquent if not paid in full by April 1 of the following year. Discounts are available for early payments. Also, you may make partial payments of your current year taxes until the March 30 statutory payment deadline. After that date, any taxes still owing become delinquent. 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.

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.

Portability allows property owners to transfer their “Save Our Homes” benefit earned on a previous Homestead property to their new Homestead 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 it does NOT transfer your Homestead exemption from one property to another.  You MUST first apply for a Homestead exemption in order to be eligibile 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.

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