Page 8 - Jupiter West - September '20

Page 8, Jupiter West
Palm Beach County Property Appraiser’s Office

Taxpayers: After The Hearing
As we h e a d i n t o The VAB must issue all final decisions within 20 calendar
September, my office days of the last day it was in session. You may file a lawsuit
continues to implement in circuit court if you do not agree with the VAB’s decision.
measures to ensure the For more information about the VAB in Palm Beach
health and safety of our staff, County, visit their website at www.mypalmbeachclerk.com/
while also maintaining the public-funds/value-adjustment-board-vab or email them at
highest level of safe service vab@mypalmbeachclerk.com, or call them at (561) 355-6289.
to the taxpayers of Palm
Beach County during the Property Appraiser’s Office Receives Award
COVID-19 pandemic. From International Professional Association
Our office is open to the
public however we encourage you to contact us via phone: The Palm Beach County
(561) 355-3230, email: PAO@pbcgov.org or utilize our Property Appraiser’s Office
online services at our website: www.pbcgov.org/PAPA. has been named recipient of
By now, all property owners in Palm Beach County have the 2020 Public Information
received their 2020 Notice of Proposed Property Taxes and Program Award from the
Assessments from my office. Remember this not a bill, but International Association of
rather an estimate of your taxes based on the proposed tax Assessing Officers (IAAO).
rates, your property value and exemptions. The award is presented
The next stage in the tax roll process is the petition annually, to an assessment
filing period. Property owners have the option to appeal jurisdiction that has developed
their property’s assessment or denial of portability before and implemented an effective
the county’s Value Adjustment Board (VAB), which is system for distributing information to taxpayers and other
administered by the Clerk and Comptroller’s Office. Florida The Hearing stakeholders.
law sets the value petition filing period, which begins when At the VAB hearing, you may represent yourself or seek The video series submitted – Celebrating Women’s
the notices are mailed and ends 25 days later. This year’s assistance from a professional; some examples might be History Month – March 2019, profiled the contributions of
deadline to file a petition is Sept. 14. an attorney, a licensed real estate appraiser or broker, or a some of the longest serving female employees in the property
For questions about petition filing, go to the VAB website: certified public accountant. appraiser’s office.
https://www.mypalmbeachclerk.com/public-funds/value- If someone who is not a licensed professional represents “We selected the Women’s History Month video series
adjustment-board-vab you, you must sign the petition or provide written for consideration in conjunction with the recognition of this
Also highlighted in this month’s newsletter, I am happy authorization or power of attorney for your representative. year’s centennial of the 19th Amendment,” said Palm Beach
to announce our office has been named recipient of the 2020 During the hearing, a special magistrate, usually a licensed County Property Appraiser Dorothy Jacks, CFA, AAS. “The
Public Information Program Award from the International appraiser or attorney will ask you to present your evidence theme honors the confident women in our office who forged a
Association of Assessing Officers. and testimony in support of your petition. A representative path toward equality in their careers just as the brave women
I hope you and your loved ones remain healthy and safe. from our office will then present evidence in support of the who fought to win suffrage rights for women,” she said.
We Value What You Value. property valuation, denied exemption, etc., depending on the “Thank you IAAO for the recognition and a special thanks
Respectfully, issue. You will have another opportunity to comment before to all the outstanding women who participated in the series,”
Dorothy Jacks, CFA, AAS the end of the hearing. said Jacks.
Palm Beach County Property Appraiser Keep in mind, although the decision of the magistrate is To view the series go to: https://www.youtube.com/
binding, the hearing itself is an informal process. The VAB playlist?list=PLww8Y2vJ_bCmeBqhGq5MdXvs1Fh6g5lAc.
The Value Adjustment Board Process will mail you a written copy of its final decision.
In most cases, to win a reduction in appraised value before Office Closed Due To Upcoming Holiday
Property owners who disagree with the property the VAB, you must prove that the county’s appraisal of your
assessment listed on their notice of proposed property taxes property exceeded market value and explain why. The Palm Beach County Property Appraiser’s Office
have two options – contact the Property Appraiser’s Office Regardless of the outcome of your hearing, you must pay (including all of our service centers) will be closed in
for an informal review of the matter or file a petition for all or the required portion of your taxes by April 1 to keep observance of Labor Day on Monday, Sept. 7. We will reopen
adjustment with the Value Adjustment Board (VAB), or both. your petition valid and avoid additional cost and fees. on Tuesday, Sept. 8 at 8:30 a.m.
The VAB is administered by the Palm Beach County
Clerk and Comptroller’s Office, 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 use special magistrates
experienced in property appraisal techniques or legal
matters who 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.
Prior To Filing A Petition
Our office encourages property owners to contact us
to request a (phone) conference regarding their concerns 747-PALM
prior to filing a petition. In preparation for this discussion,
records on your property are available on our website at 747-7256
www.pbcgov.org/PAPA or call us at (561) 355-3230.
If the matter cannot be resolved, you can file a petition
with the VAB.
Filing A Petition “Service is our number one priority”
Florida law sets the deadlines for filing a petition on
or before the 25th day following the mailing of the notice 561-743-0070
from our office. This year’s deadline is Sept. 14. These
deadlines do not change, even if you choose to discuss the www.palmspoolservices.com
issue with our office. The VAB may charge up to $15 for
filing a petition.
Petition forms are available on our website or you
may visit the Clerk and Comptroller’s VAB website:
https://www.mypalmbeachclerk.com/public-funds/value-
adjustment-board-vab for online petition filing.
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 our office with a list and summary
of evidence that you will present at the hearing. You can Expires 9/30/20.
submit your evidence electronically on the clerk’s VAB
website. Seven days before the VAB hearing, our office State Licensed & Insured
is required to provide you with a list and summary of Serving Palm Beach County CPC # 1457468 • LPG#30099
evidence, which will be presented at the hearing.