Senate Bill sb1194

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    Florida Senate - 2007                                  SB 1194

    By Senator Fasano





    11-1585-07

  1                      A bill to be entitled

  2         An act relating to ad valorem tax exemptions

  3         for certain disabled veterans; amending s.

  4         196.011, F.S.; authorizing the governing body

  5         of a county to waive the requirement that an

  6         annual application be made for a veteran's

  7         disability discount; requiring a veteran who

  8         receives such a discount to notify the property

  9         appraiser of any changes in the use of the

10         property or in his or her degree of disability;

11         providing penalties for noncompliance;

12         providing an effective date.

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14  Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:

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16         Section 1.  Subsection (9) of section 196.011, Florida

17  Statutes, is amended to read:

18         196.011  Annual application required for exemption.--

19         (9)(a)  A county may, at the request of the property

20  appraiser and by a majority vote of its governing body, waive

21  the requirement that an annual application or statement be

22  made for exemption of property within the county after an

23  initial application is made and the exemption granted. The

24  waiver under this subsection of the annual application or

25  statement requirement applies to all exemptions under this

26  chapter except the exemption under s. 196.1995.

27  Notwithstanding such waiver, refiling of an application or

28  statement shall be required when any property granted an

29  exemption is sold or otherwise disposed of, when the ownership

30  changes in any manner, when the applicant for homestead

31  exemption ceases to use the property as his or her homestead,

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    Florida Senate - 2007                                  SB 1194
    11-1585-07




 1  or when the status of the owner changes so as to change the

 2  exempt status of the property. In its deliberations on whether

 3  to waive the annual application or statement requirement, the

 4  governing body shall consider the possibility of fraudulent

 5  exemption claims which may occur due to the waiver of the

 6  annual application requirement. It is the duty of the owner of

 7  any property granted an exemption who is not required to file

 8  an annual application or statement to notify the property

 9  appraiser promptly whenever the use of the property or the

10  status or condition of the owner changes so as to change the

11  exempt status of the property. If any property owner fails to

12  so notify the property appraiser and the property appraiser

13  determines that for any year within the prior 10 years the

14  owner was not entitled to receive such exemption, the owner of

15  the property is subject to the taxes exempted as a result of

16  such failure plus 15 percent interest per annum and a penalty

17  of 50 percent of the taxes exempted. Except for homestead

18  exemptions controlled by s. 196.161, it is the duty of the

19  property appraiser making such determination to record in the

20  public records of the county a notice of tax lien against any

21  property owned by that person or entity in the county, and

22  such property must be identified in the notice of tax lien.

23  Such property is subject to the payment of all taxes and

24  penalties. Such lien when filed shall attach to any property,

25  identified in the notice of tax lien, owned by the person who

26  illegally or improperly received the exemption. Should such

27  person no longer own property in that county, but own property

28  in some other county or counties in the state, it shall be the

29  duty of the property appraiser to record a notice of tax lien

30  in such other county or counties, identifying the property

31  owned by such person or entity in such county or counties, and

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    Florida Senate - 2007                                  SB 1194
    11-1585-07




 1  it shall become a lien against such property in such county or

 2  counties.

 3         (b)  A county may, at the request of the property

 4  appraiser and by a majority vote of its governing body, waive

 5  the requirement that an annual application be made for the

 6  veteran's disability discount granted pursuant to s. 6(g),

 7  Art. VII of the State Constitution after an initial

 8  application is made and the discount granted. It is the duty

 9  of the disabled veteran receiving a discount for which annual

10  application has been waived to notify the property appraiser

11  promptly whenever the use of the property or the percentage of

12  disability to which the veteran is entitled changes. If a

13  disabled veteran fails to notify the property appraiser and

14  the property appraiser determines that for any year within the

15  prior 10 years the veteran was not entitled to receive all or

16  a portion of such discount, the penalties and processes in

17  paragraph (a) relating to the failure to notify the property

18  appraiser of ineligibility for an exemption shall apply.

19         (c)(b)  For any exemption under s. 196.101(2), the

20  statement concerning gross income must be filed with the

21  property appraiser not later than March 1 of every year.

22         (d)(c)  If an exemption for which the annual

23  application is waived pursuant to this subsection will be

24  denied by the property appraiser in the absence of the

25  refiling of the application, notification of an intent to deny

26  the exemption shall be mailed to the owner of the property

27  prior to February 1.  If the property appraiser fails to

28  timely mail such notice, the application deadline for such

29  property owner pursuant to subsection (1) shall be extended to

30  28 days after the date on which the property appraiser mails

31  such notice.

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    Florida Senate - 2007                                  SB 1194
    11-1585-07




 1         Section 2.  This act shall take effect January 1, 2008.

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 4                          SENATE SUMMARY

 5    Allows a county to waive the requirement that an annual
      application be made for a veteran's disability discount.
 6    Requires a veteran who receives such a discount to notify
      the property appraiser of any changes in the property or
 7    in his or her degree of disability. Provides penalties
      for noncompliance.
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