CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.





                                                   HOUSE AMENDMENT

                                                  Bill No. HB 1555

    Amendment No. 01 (for drafter's use only)

                            CHAMBER ACTION
              Senate                               House
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 5                                           ORIGINAL STAMP BELOW

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10                                                                

11  The Committee on Community Affairs offered the following:

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13         Amendment (with title amendment) 

14  Remove from the bill:  Everything after the enacting clause

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16  and insert in lieu thereof:

17         Section 1.  Section 170.07, Florida Statutes, is

18  amended to read:

19         170.07  Publication of preliminary assessment

20  roll.--Upon the completion of said preliminary assessment

21  roll, the governing authority of the municipality shall by

22  resolution fix a time and place at which the owners of the

23  property to be assessed or any other persons interested

24  therein may appear before said governing authority and be

25  heard as to the propriety and advisability of making such

26  improvements, as to the cost thereof, as to the manner of

27  payment therefor, and as to the amount thereof to be assessed

28  against each property so improved. Thirty Ten days' notice in

29  writing of such time and place shall be given to such property

30  owners.  The notice shall include the amount of the assessment

31  and shall be served by mailing a copy to each of such property

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    File original & 9 copies    03/26/98
    hca0012                     10:18 am         01555-ca  -683939




                                                   HOUSE AMENDMENT

                                                  Bill No. HB 1555

    Amendment No. 01 (for drafter's use only)





 1  owners at his or her last known address, the names and

 2  addresses of such property owners to be obtained from the

 3  records of the property appraiser or from such other sources

 4  as the city or town clerk or engineer deems reliable, proof of

 5  such mailing to be made by the affidavit of the clerk or

 6  deputy clerk of said municipality, or by the engineer, said

 7  proof to be filed with the clerk, provided, that failure to

 8  mail said notice or notices shall not invalidate any of the

 9  proceedings hereunder.  Notice of the time and place of such

10  hearing shall also be given by two publications a week apart

11  in a newspaper of general circulation in said municipality,

12  and if there be no newspaper published in said municipality

13  the governing authority of said municipality shall cause said

14  notice to be published in like manner in a newspaper of

15  general circulation published in the county in which said

16  municipality is located; provided that the last publication

17  shall be at least 1 week prior to the date of the hearing.

18  Said notice shall describe the streets or other areas to be

19  improved and advise all persons interested that the

20  description of each property to be assessed and the amount to

21  be assessed to each piece or parcel of property may be

22  ascertained at the office of the clerk of the municipality.

23  Such service by publication shall be verified by the affidavit

24  of the publisher and filed with the clerk of said

25  municipality.

26         Section 2.  Section 194.032, Florida Statutes, is

27  amended to read:

28         194.032  Hearing purposes; timetable.--

29         (1)(a)  The value adjustment board shall meet not

30  earlier than 30 days and not later than 60 45 days after the

31  mailing of the notice provided in s. 194.011(1); however, no

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                                                   HOUSE AMENDMENT

                                                  Bill No. HB 1555

    Amendment No. 01 (for drafter's use only)





 1  board hearing shall be held before approval of all or any part

 2  of the assessment rolls by the Department of Revenue. The

 3  board shall meet for the following purposes:

 4         1.  Hearing petitions relating to assessments filed

 5  pursuant to s. 194.011(3).

 6         2.  Hearing complaints relating to homestead exemptions

 7  as provided for under s. 196.151.

 8         3.  Hearing appeals from exemptions denied, or disputes

 9  arising from exemptions granted, upon the filing of exemption

10  applications under s. 196.011.

11         4.  Hearing appeals concerning ad valorem tax deferrals

12  and classifications.

13         (b)  Notwithstanding the provisions of paragraph (a),

14  the value adjustment board may meet prior to the approval of

15  the assessment rolls by the Department of Revenue, but not

16  earlier than July 1, to hear appeals pertaining to the denial

17  by the property appraiser of exemptions, agricultural and

18  high-water recharge classifications, and deferrals under

19  subparagraphs (a)2., 3., and 4.  In such event, however, the

20  board may not certify any assessments under s. 193.122 until

21  the Department of Revenue has approved the assessments in

22  accordance with s. 193.1142 and all hearings have been held

23  with respect to the particular parcel under appeal.

24         (c)  In no event may a hearing be held pursuant to this

25  subsection relative to valuation issues prior to completion of

26  the hearings required under s. 200.065(2)(c).

27         (2)  The clerk of the governing body of the county

28  shall prepare a schedule of appearances before the board based

29  on petitions timely filed with him or her.  The clerk shall

30  notify each petitioner of the scheduled time of his or her

31  appearance no less than 15 5 calendar days prior to the day of

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                                                   HOUSE AMENDMENT

                                                  Bill No. HB 1555

    Amendment No. 01 (for drafter's use only)





 1  such scheduled appearance.  A copy of the property record card

 2  containing relevant information used in computing the

 3  taxpayer's current assessment shall be included with such

 4  notice, if said card was requested by the taxpayer.  Such

 5  request shall be made by checking an appropriate box on the

 6  petition form.  No petitioner shall be required to wait for

 7  more than 4 hours from the scheduled time; and, if his or her

 8  petition is not heard in that time, the petitioner may, at his

 9  or her option, report to the chairperson of the meeting that

10  he or she intends to leave; and, if he or she is not heard

11  immediately, the petitioner's administrative remedies will be

12  deemed to be exhausted, and he or she may seek further relief

13  as he or she deems appropriate. Failure on three occasions

14  with respect to any single tax year to convene at the

15  scheduled time of meetings of the board shall constitute

16  grounds for removal from office by the Governor for neglect of

17  duties.

18         (3)  The board shall remain in session from day to day

19  until all petitions, complaints, appeals, and disputes are

20  heard. If all or any part of an assessment roll has been

21  disapproved by the department pursuant to s. 193.1142, the

22  board shall reconvene to hear petitions, complaints, or

23  appeals and disputes filed upon the finally approved roll or

24  part of a roll.

25         Section 3.  This act shall take effect January 1, 1999.

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27

28  ================ T I T L E   A M E N D M E N T ===============

29  And the title is amended as follows:

30  remove from the title of the bill:  the entire title

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                                                   HOUSE AMENDMENT

                                                  Bill No. HB 1555

    Amendment No. 01 (for drafter's use only)





 1  and insert in lieu thereof:

 2                  A bill to be entitled

 3         An act relating to public notice requirements;

 4         amending s. 170.07, F.S.; revising the time for

 5         providing written notice of assessment for

 6         municipal improvements to property owners;

 7         amending s. 194.032, F.S.; revising the time

 8         period during which a value adjustment board

 9         hearing may be held; revising the time for

10         notice to a petitioner of the scheduled time of

11         appearance before the board; providing an

12         effective date.

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    File original & 9 copies    03/26/98
    hca0012                     10:18 am         01555-ca  -683939