Assessment notice; objections to assessments.

(1) Each taxpayer whose property is subject to real or tangible personal ad valorem taxes shall be notified of the assessment of each taxable item of such property, as provided in s. 200.069.

(2) Any taxpayer who objects to the assessment placed on any property taxable to him or her, including the assessment of homestead property at less than just value under s. 193.155(8), may request the property appraiser to informally confer with the taxpayer. Upon receiving the request, the property appraiser, or a member of his or her staff, shall confer with the taxpayer regarding the correctness of the assessment. At this informal conference, the taxpayer shall present those facts considered by the taxpayer to be supportive of the taxpayer’s claim for a change in the assessment of the property appraiser. The property appraiser or his or her representative at this conference shall present those facts considered by the property appraiser to be supportive of the correctness of the assessment. However, nothing herein shall be construed to be a prerequisite to administrative or judicial review of property assessments.

(3) A petition to the value adjustment board must be in substantially the form prescribed by the department. Notwithstanding s. 195.022, a county officer may not refuse to accept a form provided by the department for this purpose if the taxpayer chooses to use it. A petition to the value adjustment board must be signed by the taxpayer or be accompanied at the time of filing by the taxpayer’s written authorization or power of attorney, unless the person filing the petition is listed in s. 194.034(1)(a). A person listed in s. 194.034(1)(a) may file a petition with a value adjustment board without the taxpayer’s signature or written authorization by certifying under penalty of perjury that he or she has authorization to file the petition on behalf of the taxpayer. If a taxpayer notifies the value adjustment board that a petition has been filed for the taxpayer’s property without his or her consent, the value adjustment board may require the person filing the petition to provide written authorization from the taxpayer authorizing the person to proceed with the appeal before a hearing is held. If the value adjustment board finds that a person listed in s. 194.034(1)(a) willfully and knowingly filed a petition that was not authorized by the taxpayer, the value adjustment board shall require such person to provide the taxpayer’s written authorization for representation to the value adjustment board clerk before any petition filed by that person is heard, for 1 year after imposition of such requirement by the value adjustment board. A power of attorney or written authorization is valid for 1 assessment year, and a new power of attorney or written authorization by the taxpayer is required for each subsequent assessment year. A petition shall also describe the property by parcel number and shall be filed as follows:

(a) The clerk of the value adjustment board and the property appraiser shall have available and shall distribute forms prescribed by the Department of Revenue on which the petition shall be made. Such petition shall be sworn to by the petitioner.

(b) The completed petition shall be filed with the clerk of the value adjustment board of the county, who shall acknowledge receipt thereof and promptly furnish a copy thereof to the property appraiser.

(c) The petition shall state the approximate time anticipated by the taxpayer to present and argue his or her petition before the board.

(d) The petition may be filed, as to valuation issues, at any time during the taxable year on or before the 25th day following the mailing of notice by the property appraiser as provided in subsection (1). With respect to an issue involving the denial of an exemption, an agricultural or high-water recharge classification application, an application for classification as historic property used for commercial or certain nonprofit purposes, or a deferral, the petition must be filed at any time during the taxable year on or before the 30th day following the mailing of the notice by the property appraiser under s. 193.461, s. 193.503, s. 193.625, s. 196.173, or s. 196.193 or notice by the tax collector under s. 197.2425.

(e)1. A condominium association as defined in s. 718.103, a cooperative association as defined in s. 719.103, or any homeowners’ association as defined in s. 723.075, with approval of its board of administration or directors, may file with the value adjustment board a single joint petition on behalf of any association members who own units or parcels of property which the property appraiser determines are substantially similar with respect to location, proximity to amenities, number of rooms, living area, and condition. The condominium association, cooperative association, or homeowners’ association as defined in s. 723.075 shall provide the unit or parcel owners with notice of its intent to petition the value adjustment board. The notice must include a statement that by not opting out of the petition, the unit or parcel owner agrees that the association shall also represent the unit or parcel owner in any related proceedings, without the unit or parcel owners being named or joined as parties. Such notice must be hand delivered or sent by certified mail, return receipt requested, except that such notice may be electronically transmitted to a unit or parcel owner who has expressly consented in writing to receiving such notices by electronic transmission. If the association is a condominium association or cooperative association, the notice must also be posted conspicuously on the condominium or cooperative property in the same manner as notices of board meetings under ss. 718.112(2) and 719.106(1). Such notice must provide at least 14 days for a unit or parcel owner to elect, in writing, that his or her unit or parcel not be included in the petition.

2. A condominium association as defined in s. 718.103 or a cooperative association as defined in s. 719.103 which has filed a single joint petition under this subsection has the right to seek judicial review or appeal a decision on the single joint petition and continue to represent the unit or parcel owners throughout any related proceedings. If the property appraiser seeks judicial review or appeals a decision on the single joint petition, the association shall defend the unit or parcel owners throughout any such related proceedings. The property appraiser is not required to name the individual unit or parcel owners as defendants in such proceedings. This subparagraph is intended to clarify existing law and applies to cases pending on July 1, 2021.

(f) An owner of contiguous, undeveloped parcels may file with the value adjustment board a single joint petition if the property appraiser determines such parcels are substantially similar in nature.

(g) An owner of multiple tangible personal property accounts may file with the value adjustment board a single joint petition if the property appraiser determines that the tangible personal property accounts are substantially similar in nature.

(h) The individual, agent, or legal entity that signs the petition becomes an agent of the taxpayer for the purpose of serving process to obtain personal jurisdiction over the taxpayer for the entire value adjustment board proceedings, including any appeals of a board decision by the property appraiser pursuant to s. 194.036. This paragraph does not authorize the individual, agent, or legal entity to receive or access the taxpayer’s confidential information without written authorization from the taxpayer.

(4)(a) At least 15 days before the hearing the petitioner shall provide to the property appraiser a list of evidence to be presented at the hearing, together with copies of all documentation to be considered by the value adjustment board and a summary of evidence to be presented by witnesses.

(b) At least 15 days before the hearing, the property appraiser shall provide to the petitioner a list of evidence to be presented at the hearing, together with copies of all documentation to be considered by the value adjustment board and a summary of evidence to be presented by witnesses. The evidence list must contain the property appraiser’s property record card. Failure of the property appraiser to timely comply with the requirements of this paragraph shall result in a rescheduling of the hearing.

(5)(a) The department shall by rule prescribe uniform procedures for hearings before the value adjustment board which include requiring:

1. Procedures for the exchange of information and evidence by the property appraiser and the petitioner consistent with subsection (4) and s. 194.032.

2. That the value adjustment board hold an organizational meeting for the purpose of making these procedures available to petitioners.

(b) The department shall develop a uniform policies and procedures manual that shall be used by value adjustment boards, special magistrates, and taxpayers in proceedings before value adjustment boards. The manual shall be made available, at a minimum, on the department’s website and on the existing websites of the clerks of circuit courts.

(6) The following provisions apply to petitions to the value adjustment board concerning the assessment of homestead property at less than just value under s. 193.155(8):

(a) If the taxpayer does not agree with the amount of the assessment limitation difference for which the taxpayer qualifies as stated by the property appraiser in the county where the previous homestead property was located, or if the property appraiser in that county has not stated that the taxpayer qualifies to transfer any assessment limitation difference, upon the taxpayer filing a petition to the value adjustment board in the county where the new homestead property is located, the value adjustment board in that county shall, upon receiving the appeal, send a notice to the value adjustment board in the county where the previous homestead was located, which shall reconvene if it has already adjourned.

(b) Such notice operates as a petition in, and creates an appeal to, the value adjustment board in the county where the previous homestead was located of all issues surrounding the previous assessment differential for the taxpayer involved. However, the taxpayer may not petition to have the just, assessed, or taxable value of the previous homestead changed.

(c) The value adjustment board in the county where the previous homestead was located shall set the petition for hearing and notify the taxpayer, the property appraiser in the county where the previous homestead was located, the property appraiser in the county where the new homestead is located, and the value adjustment board in that county, and shall hear the appeal. Such appeal shall be heard by an attorney special magistrate if the value adjustment board in the county where the previous homestead was located uses special magistrates. The taxpayer may attend such hearing and present evidence, but need not do so. The value adjustment board in the county where the previous homestead was located shall issue a decision and send a copy of the decision to the value adjustment board in the county where the new homestead is located.

(d) In hearing the appeal in the county where the new homestead is located, that value adjustment board shall consider the decision of the value adjustment board in the county where the previous homestead was located on the issues pertaining to the previous homestead and on the amount of any assessment reduction for which the taxpayer qualifies. The value adjustment board in the county where the new homestead is located may not hold its hearing until it has received the decision from the value adjustment board in the county where the previous homestead was located.

(e) In any circuit court proceeding to review the decision of the value adjustment board in the county where the new homestead is located, the court may also review the decision of the value adjustment board in the county where the previous homestead was located.