Financing qualifying improvements to commercial property.

(1) COMMERCIAL PROPERTY PROGRAM AUTHORIZATION.—

(a) A program administrator may only offer a program for financing qualifying improvements to commercial property within the jurisdiction of a county or municipality if the county or municipality has authorized by ordinance or resolution the program administrator to administer the program for financing qualifying improvements to commercial property. The authorized program must, at a minimum, meet the requirements of this section.

(b) Pursuant to this section or as otherwise provided by law or pursuant to a county’s or municipality’s home rule power, a county or municipality may enter into an interlocal agreement providing for a partnership between one or more counties or municipalities for the purpose of facilitating a program for financing qualifying improvements to commercial property located within the jurisdiction of the counties or municipalities that are party to the agreement.

(c) A county or municipality may deauthorize a program administrator through repeal of the ordinance or resolution adopted pursuant to paragraph (a) or other action. Any recorded financing agreements at the time of deauthorization shall continue, except any financing agreement for which the provisions of s. 163.086 apply.

(d) A program administrator may contract with one or more third-party administrators to implement the program as provided in s. 163.084.

(e) An authorized program administrator may levy non-ad valorem assessments to facilitate repayment of financing or refinancing qualifying improvements. Costs incurred by the program administrator for such purpose may be collected as a non-ad valorem assessment. A non-ad valorem assessment shall be collected pursuant to s. 197.3632 and, notwithstanding s. 197.3632(8)(a), is not subject to discount for early payment. However, the notice and adoption requirements of s. 197.3632(4) do not apply if this section is used and complied with, and the intent resolution, publication of notice, and mailed notices to the property appraiser, tax collector, and Department of Revenue required by s. 197.3632(3)(a) may be provided on or before August 15 of each year in conjunction with any non-ad valorem assessment authorized by this section, if the property appraiser, tax collector, and program administrator agree. The program administrator shall only compensate the tax collector for the actual cost of collecting non-ad valorem assessments, not to exceed 2 percent of the amount collected and remitted.

(f) A program administrator may incur debt for the purpose of providing financing for qualifying improvements, which debt is payable from revenues received from the improved property or any other available revenue source authorized by law.

(2) APPLICATION.—The owner of record of the commercial property within the jurisdiction of the authorized program may apply to the program administrator to finance a qualifying improvement and enter into a financing agreement with the program administrator to make such improvement. The program administrator may only enter into a financing agreement with a property owner.

(3) CONSENT OF LIENHOLDERS AND SERVICERS.—The program administrator must receive the written consent of the current holders or loan servicers of any mortgage that encumbers or is otherwise secured by the commercial property or that will otherwise be secured by the property before a financing agreement may be executed.

(4) FINANCING AGREEMENTS.—

(a) A program administrator offering a program for financing qualifying improvements to commercial property must maintain underwriting criteria sufficient to determine the financial feasibility of entering into a financing agreement. To enter into a financing agreement, the program administrator must, at a minimum, make each of the following findings based on a review of public records derived from a commercially accepted source and the statements, records, and credit reports of the commercial property owner:

1. There are sufficient resources to complete the project.

2. All property taxes and any other assessments, including non-ad valorem assessments, levied on the same bill as the property taxes are current.

3. There are no involuntary liens greater than $5,000, including, but not limited to, construction liens on the commercial property.

4. No notices of default or other evidence of property-based debt delinquency have been recorded and not been released during the preceding 3 years or the property owner’s period of ownership, whichever is less.

5. The property owner is current on all mortgage debt on the commercial property.

6. The term of the financing agreement does not exceed the weighted average useful life of the qualified improvements to which the greatest portion of funds disbursed under the assessment contract is attributable, not to exceed 30 years. The program administrator shall determine the useful life of a qualifying improvement using established standards, including certification criteria from government agencies or nationally recognized standards and testing organizations.

7. The property owner is not currently the subject of a bankruptcy proceeding.

(b) Before entering into a financing agreement, the program administrator shall determine if there are any current financing agreements on the commercial property and whether the property owner has obtained or sought to obtain additional qualifying improvements on the same property which have not yet been recorded. The existence of a prior qualifying improvement non-ad valorem assessment or a prior financing agreement is not evidence that the financing agreement under consideration is affordable or meets other program requirements.

(c) The program administrator shall document and retain findings satisfying paragraphs (a) and (b), including supporting evidence relied upon, which were made prior to the financing agreement being approved and recorded, for the duration of the financing agreement.

(d) A property owner and the program administrator may agree to include in the financing agreement provisions for allowing change orders necessary to complete the qualifying improvement. Any financing agreement or contract for qualifying improvements which includes such provisions must meet the requirements of this paragraph. If a proposed change order on a qualifying improvement will increase the original cost of the qualifying improvement by 20 percent or more or will expand the scope of the qualifying improvement by 20 percent or more, before the change order may be executed which would result in an increase in the amount financed through the program administrator for the qualifying improvement, the program administrator must notify the property owner, provide an updated written disclosure form as described in subsection (5) to the property owner, and obtain written approval of the change from the property owner.

(e) A financing agreement may not be entered into if the total cost of the qualifying improvement, including program fees and interest, is less than $2,500.

(5) DISCLOSURES.—In addition to the requirements imposed in subsection (4), a financing agreement may not be executed unless the program administrator provides, whether on a separate document or included with other disclosures or forms, a financing estimate and disclosure to the property owner which includes all of the following:

(a) The estimated total amount to be financed, including the total and itemized cost of the qualifying improvement, program fees, and capitalized interest;

(b) The estimated annual non-ad valorem assessment;

(c) The term of the financing agreement and the schedule for the non-ad valorem assessments;

(d) The interest charged and estimated annual percentage rate;

(e) A description of the qualifying improvement;

(f) The total estimated annual costs that will be required to be paid under the assessment contract, including program fees;

(g) The estimated due date of the first payment that includes the non-ad valorem assessment; and

(h) A disclosure of any prepayment penalties, fees, or fines as set forth in the financing agreement.

(6) RECORDING.—Any financing agreement executed pursuant to this section or a summary memorandum of such agreement must be submitted for recording in the public records of the county within which the commercial property is located by the program administrator within 10 business days after execution of the agreement. The recorded agreement must provide constructive notice that the non-ad valorem assessment to be levied on the property constitutes a lien of equal dignity to county taxes and assessments from the date of recordation. A notice of lien for the full amount of the financing may be recorded in the public records of the county where the property is located. Such lien is not enforceable in a manner that results in the acceleration of the remaining nondelinquent unpaid balance under the assessment financing agreement.

(7) SALE OF COMMERCIAL PROPERTY.—At or before the time a seller executes a contract for the sale of any commercial property for which a non-ad valorem assessment has been levied under this section and has an unpaid balance due, the seller shall give the prospective purchaser a written disclosure statement in the following form, which must be set forth in the contract or in a separate writing:

QUALIFYING IMPROVEMENTS.—The property being purchased is subject to an assessment on the property pursuant to s. 163.082, Florida Statutes. The assessment is for a qualifying improvement to the property and is not based on the value of the property. You are encouraged to contact the property appraiser’s office to learn more about this and other assessments that may be provided for by law.

(8) COMPLETION CERTIFICATE.—Upon disbursement of all financing and completion of installation of qualifying improvements financed, the program administrator shall retain a certificate that the qualifying improvements have been installed and are in good working order.

(9) CONSTRUCTION.—This section is additional and supplemental to county and municipal home rule authority and not in derogation of such authority or a limitation upon such authority.