Page 26 - Abacoa Community News - September '24

Page 26, Abacoa BW
Palm Beach County Property Appraiser

Dear Taxpayer: The Hearing Regardless of the outcome of your hearing, you must pay all
By now, all property At the VAB hearing, you may represent yourself or seek or the required portion of your taxes by April 1 to keep your
owners in Palm Beach County assistance from a professional. Some examples of professional petition valid and avoid additional cost and fees.
have received their 2024 representation might include an attorney, a licensed real estate After The Hearing
Notice of Proposed Property appraiser or broker, or a certified public accountant. If someone The VAB must issue all final decisions within 20 calendar
Taxes and Assessments from who is not a licensed professional represents you, you must sign days of the last day it was in session. Although the decision of
my office. You can always the petition or provide written authorization or power of attorney the magistrate is binding, you may file a lawsuit in circuit court
access this information by for your representative. if you do not agree with the VAB’s decision.
searching your property at During the hearing, a special magistrate hired by the VAB For more information about the VAB in Palm Beach County,
pbcpao.gov, and then selecting will ask you to present your evidence and testimony in support email vab@mypalmbeachclerk.com or call them at (561) 355-
“2024 Proposed Notice” at the of your petition. In most cases, to win a reduction in appraised 6289.
top of your Property Detail value before the VAB, you must prove that the county’s appraisal
page. of your property exceeded market value and explain why. Holiday Office Closure
The Notice of Proposed Property Taxes is not a bill, but rather A representative from our office will then present evidence
an estimate of your taxes based on the proposed tax rates, your in support of the property valuation, denied exemption, etc., The Palm Beach County Property Appraiser’s Office
property value, and exemptions. depending on the issue. You will have another opportunity to (including all of our Service Centers) will be closed in
comment before the end of the hearing. observance of Labor Day on Monday, September 2.
The VAB will mail you a written copy of its final decision.

The next stage in the tax roll process is the petition filing
period. Property owners have the option to appeal their Feeling like you paid too
property’s assessment or denial of portability before the county’s much in taxes this year?
Value Adjustment Board (VAB), which is administered by the
Clerk of the Circuit Court and Comptroller. Florida law sets
the value petition filing period, which begins when the notices Learn about investment strategies
are mailed and ends 25 days later. This year’s deadline to file a that could potentially lower next year’s
petition is September 16, 2024. tax bill. Contact your financial advisor
This month’s newsletter examines the VAB process. I hope today to learn how.
you find this information helpful.
Respectfully,
Dorothy Jacks, CFA, FIAAO, AAS,
Palm Beach County Property Appraiser Sally S Stahl, CFP®, AAMS™
Financial Advisor
The Value Adjustment Board Process
1851 W Indiantown Rd Ste 106
If you feel that the Jupiter, FL 33458
market value of your 561-748-7600
property is inaccurate
or does not reflect
fair market value as
of January 1, 2024,
or you are entitled
to an exemption or
classification that is not
reflected on the 2024
Notice of Proposed
Property Taxes, contact
our office for an John D. Enck, CMS, CFE, Director
informal review. Call of GIS/Ownership Services, at a
(561) 355-3230 or email virtual VAB hearing in 2021
myhouse@pbcpao.gov
and we will connect you with an appraiser or exemption
specialist to discuss your concerns. If we are unable to resolve
the matter, you have the right to file a petition for adjustment
with the VAB.
The VAB is administered by Palm Beach County’s Clerk
of the Circuit Court and Comptroller, which is independent of
the Property Appraiser’s Office. The Board is made up of five
individuals: two from the county’s board of commissioners, one
from the county’s school board, and two citizen members. They
approve and hire special magistrates who are experienced in
property appraisal techniques or legal matters to conduct hearings
and recommend decisions to the VAB for final approval. Special
Magistrates will review property valuation, denials of portability,
deferrals, and change of ownership or control determinations. All
final rulings are determined by the VAB.
Filing A Petition
Florida law sets the deadlines for filing a petition on or before
the 25th day following the mailing of the notice from our office.
This year’s deadline is September 16, 2024. These deadlines
do not change, even if you choose to discuss the issue with our
office. The VAB may charge $15-plus for filing a petition.
PDF petition forms are available on our website or online
petition filing is available through the Clerk of the Circuit Court
and Comptroller.
Once a petition is filed, you will receive a notice with the
date, time, and location of your hearing at least 25 days before
your hearing date. You can reschedule your hearing once for
good cause. If your hearing is rescheduled, the clerk will send
notice at least 15 days before the rescheduled hearing.
Fifteen days prior to the scheduled petition hearing, you
are required to provide a list and summary of evidence that
you will present at the hearing. You can submit your evidence
electronically through the Clerk of the Circuit Court and
Comptroller. Seven days before the VAB hearing, our office is
required to provide you with a list and summary of evidence,
which will be presented at the hearing.