Page 14 - Hobe Sound Refletions - March '24

Page 14, Hobe Sound

lOcal GOvernMenT

Ruth Pietruszewski, Martin an interest rate return of a flat (non-accruing) 5 percent or primaries. That means only voters who are registered members of

County Tax Collector, your bid, on an APR basis, whichever is greater. Florida’s two major political parties may vote for respective party
candidates. Since the state Democratic Party already selected
Reminds Taxpayers That Warning To Property Owners – Tax Deed its candidate for the party’s nomination for president, only the
Republican Party will hold a statewide presidential primary. Our
Deadline Approaching
Taxes Become Delinquent presidential primary is held on the same day as Arizona, Illinois,
Please be advised that any 2020 taxes that remain unpaid Kansas, and Ohio.
The Same Time Every Year – April 1 from our June 1, 2021 tax certificate sale will be at risk because We have received many questions from voters concerning
they are eligible to go to tax deed on April 1, 2023. Any years the presidential candidates who have dropped out of the race or
Real property taxes prior to 2020 are already eligible for tax deed. Once a tax deed suspended their campaigns. If a candidate did not submit a formal
become delinquent April 1 of is applied for, all taxes and extra fees will be due. withdrawal to the state of Florida before Dec. 12, 2023, their
each year. Please help keep To prevent the tax deed process on 2020 taxes, a full name must remain on the ballot. A vote cast for any candidate
your cost and the cost of your payment must be received by our office no later than March appearing on the ballot will count as a vote cast for the candidate.
government down by paying 31, 2023. Postmark does not apply. All payments must be in As a voter, you need to determine how you wish to vote in
your property taxes on time. the form of a cashier’s check, money order, or cash (if paying this election, if you are eligible. The state of Florida has three
At that time, 3 percent interest in person). Please do not mail cash to our office. ways in which a voter may elect to cast their vote:
and advertising fees are added If a tax certificate holder chooses to take the property to Option No. 1 Vote By Mail
to the gross tax. A list of all real tax deed, it will be sold at public auction if any taxes remain If you need to request a vote-by-mail ballot for the March
estate property with delinquent unpaid. Please remember the deadline for 2020 taxes is March 19 election, you must do so by 5 p.m. on March 9. The request
taxes is advertised once a week 31, 2023 and tax certificates issued prior to June 1, 2019 are may be made by calling the Elections Office at (772) 288-5637
for three consecutive weeks in already eligible for tax deed application. or by visiting us online at MartinVotes.gov.
a local newspaper during the month of May. The advertisement Any questions, please call our Tax Department at (772) Option No. 2 Vote Early
specifies the place, date and time of the tax certificate sale. This 288-5749. Early voting will occur Saturday, March 9 through Saturday,
advertised information is required by Florida law and is not March 16 from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily in three central locations:
intended to be embarrassing or intimidating. The notice serves Presidential Preference • Martin County Elections Center, 135 S.E. Martin Luther
as a reminder to contact this office immediately for payment, if Primary Election King Jr. Blvd., Stuart
your taxes have not been paid for the 2022 tax roll. Current law • Hobe Sound Library, 10595 S.E. Federal Highway,
provides that taxes on these listed properties will be recovered Hobe Sound
through the sale of tax certificates. The Presidential Preference • Elisabeth Lahti Library, 15200 S.W. Thelma Waters
Beginning on or before June 1, the tax collector is required Primary (PPP) will take place Ave., Indiantown
by law to hold a tax certificate sale. The certificates represent on Tuesday, March 19 and will Option No. 3 Election Day
liens on all unpaid real estate properties. The sale allows citizens be for registered Republican March 19 is your last opportunity to cast your vote. Voters
to buy certificates by paying the owed tax debt. The sale is held voters only. For even the most who choose to vote on Election Day must cast their vote in their
online. seasoned voters, the PPP can assigned polling place. Polling precincts will be open from 7
A tax certificate, when purchased, becomes an enforceable be a little mysterious and seem a.m. to 7 p.m. on Election Day. There have been a few polling
first lien against the real estate. The certificate holder is actually to catch voters by surprise. location changes and those voters have been mailed new Voter
paying the taxes for a property owner in exchange for a For starters, it only occurs Information Cards. To confirm your assigned polling location,
competitive bid rate of return on his investment. They make it once every four years, and is visit us online at MartinVotes.gov or call the Elections Office at
possible for the owner(s) of real property to allow ad valorem the first step in which Florida (772) 288-5637.
property taxes to become delinquent and continue to use their voters will begin the process See you at the polls!
property for two years (or more) before actually paying the bill of electing the President of the United States. Vicki Davis,
(plus interest and costs). During this period, investors pay the Florida is one of approximately a dozen states that hold closed Martin County Supervisor of Elections
delinquent tax bills at negotiated rates of interest lending the
delinquent property owners money in order to continue using
their property before paying the bill or surrendering the title to
the property. The payment of property taxes provides the county,
school board, and municipalities the revenue to provide necessary
services for Martin County taxpayers. Tax certificates assist in
funding the government’s expenses in the interim time taxes are
delinquent. The system for collecting delinquent ad valorem
property taxes is defined in great detail in the Florida Statutes,
Attorney General’s Opinions, and Department of Revenue’s rules
and regulations, per F.S. 197.122, F.S. 197.332, F.S. 197.343, F.S.
197.402, F.S. 197.403, F.S. 197.432.
A tax certificate is valid for seven years from the date of
issuance. The holder may apply for a tax deed when two or
more years have elapsed since the date of delinquency. If
the property owner fails to pay the tax debt, the property tax
deed is sold at public auction. In order to remove the lien,
the property owner must pay the tax collector all delinquent
taxes plus accrued interest, penalties and advertising fees.
The tax collector then notifies the certificate holder of any
certificates redeemed and a refund check is then issued to the
certificate holder. Although it is a secure investment in most
cases, there is an element of risk in purchasing tax certificates.
F.S. 197.472(2) states that tax lien certificates are guaranteed

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