| 1 | The Committee on Local Government & Veterans' Affairs recommends |
| 2 | the following: |
| 3 |
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| 4 | Committee Substitute |
| 5 | Remove the entire bill and insert: |
| 6 | A bill to be entitled |
| 7 | An act relating to homestead assessments; amending s. |
| 8 | 193.155, F.S.; providing an additional set of |
| 9 | circumstances in which a transfer of title to real |
| 10 | property occurs but there is no concomitant change of |
| 11 | ownership for the purpose of assessing the property value; |
| 12 | providing an effective date. |
| 13 |
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| 14 | Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida: |
| 15 |
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| 16 | Section 1. Subsection (3) of section 193.155, Florida |
| 17 | Statutes, is amended to read: |
| 18 | 193.155 Homestead assessments.--Homestead property shall |
| 19 | be assessed at just value as of January 1, 1994. Property |
| 20 | receiving the homestead exemption after January 1, 1994, shall |
| 21 | be assessed at just value as of January 1 of the year in which |
| 22 | the property receives the exemption. |
| 23 | (3) Except as provided in this subsection, property |
| 24 | assessed under this section shall be assessed at just value as |
| 25 | of January 1 of the year following a change of ownership. |
| 26 | Thereafter, the annual changes in the assessed value of the |
| 27 | property are subject to the limitations in subsections (1) and |
| 28 | (2). For the purpose of this section, a change in ownership |
| 29 | means any sale, foreclosure, or transfer of legal title or |
| 30 | beneficial title in equity to any person, except as provided in |
| 31 | this subsection. There is no change of ownership if: |
| 32 | (a) Subsequent to the change or transfer, the same person |
| 33 | is entitled to the homestead exemption as was previously |
| 34 | entitled and: |
| 35 | 1. The transfer of title is to correct an error; or |
| 36 | 2. The transfer is between legal and equitable title; |
| 37 | (b) The transfer is between husband and wife, including a |
| 38 | transfer to a surviving spouse or a transfer due to a |
| 39 | dissolution of marriage; |
| 40 | (c) The transfer occurs by operation of law under s. |
| 41 | 732.4015; or |
| 42 | (d) Upon the death of the owner, the transfer is between |
| 43 | the owner and another who is a permanent resident and is legally |
| 44 | or naturally dependent upon the owner; or. |
| 45 | (e) The transfer adds new owners to the existing |
| 46 | ownership, the new owners do not apply for or claim homestead |
| 47 | exemption on that property, and the original owner who claimed |
| 48 | the homestead exemption continues to qualify for the exemption. |
| 49 | Section 2. This act shall take effect upon becoming a law. |