HIGHLAND BEACH

Comment

Comment by Mary Kate Leming on August 27, 2010 at 4:01pm

CLERK & COMPTROLLER’S OFFICE ACCEPTING PROPERTY APPRAISAL PETITIONS

Deadline for Taxpayers to Petition the Value Adjustment Board is Approaching

WEST PALM BEACH, FL (August 27, 2010) – Palm Beach County taxpayers have until Sept. 16 to challenge their property’s market value, classification, or an exemption by petitioning the Value Adjustment Board, or VAB.

Taxpayers set a record for VAB petitions last year, with more than 19,000 people challenging the assessed value or classification of their property in 2009—a 44 percent increase over 2008. This year, the Clerk & Comptroller’s office, which facilitates the VAB process, is expecting a volume of petitions similar to 2009.

Hearings for 2010 petitions will begin in mid-October, and are expected to continue through next summer.

Taxpayers have three options to file VAB petitions: online at www.mypalmbeachclerk.com using myVAB ; in person at the Clerk’s Governmental Center or branch locations; or by mail to 301 North Olive Avenue, Room 203, West Palm Beach, FL 33401.

Petition forms, for those who choose not to use the online myVAB option, are available from the Clerk’s office , the Property Appraiser , or the Florida Department of Revenue’s website . All VAB petitions must be submitted with a $15 filing fee.

About 35 percent of the petitioners, or 6,741, received adjustments to their property appraisals during the 2009 appeals process.

The Property Appraiser notified taxpayers of their property’s assessed and market values in a Truth in Millage (TRIM) notice mailed on August 23. VAB, which consists of two county commissioners, one school board member and two citizen members, approves and hires special magistrates to settle any disputes between the property owner and Property Appraiser. It is an independent entity that is not affiliated with the Property Appraiser or Tax Collector.

As Clerk to the VAB, the Clerk’s office receives and processes petitions, schedules and coordinates hearings, clerks and records the hearings, and more. For more information on myVAB, the Value Adjustment Board or the Clerk & Comptroller’s office, visit www.mypalmbeachclerk.com or call (561) 355-6289.

The Florida Constitution established the independent office of the Clerk & Comptroller as a public trustee, responsible for safeguarding public records and public funds. Clerk Sharon Bock is directly elected by and accountable to Palm Beach County residents. In addition to the roles of Clerk of the Circuit Court, County Recorder and Clerk of the Board of County Commissioners, the Clerk & Comptroller is the Chief Financial Officer, Treasurer and Auditor for Palm Beach County.

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