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Property Taxes Frequently Asked Questions Delinquent Real Estate Tax FAQ's Q. When do Real Estate taxes become delinquent? A. Taxes become delinquent as of April 1st each year following the year of assessment. If your real estate taxes are not paid, a tax certificate will be sold on or before June 1 in accordance with Florida Statutes. Q. How can I pay my delinquent Real Estate taxes? A. Delinquent real estate taxes may be paid with cash, cashier's check or money order made payable to Broward County Tax Collector either in person or by mail to Tax Collector, 115 S. Andrews Avenue, Room A-100, Fort Lauderdale, FL 33301. Wire transfers are also accepted. For wire transfer instructions, please e-mail revenue@broward.org. For delinquent taxes, we do not accept personal, electronic, business, trust account or escrow checks. Q. Can I make payment arrangements? A. Statutes prohibit partial payments. However, future year's current taxes may be prepaid by applying for installment payments. Click here to download or fill-in an application (pdf form). Partial payments may be made for current taxes as follows: 5 payments maximum. The first 4 payments must be more than $100 and the final payment must be the balance due. Each payment must include a $10 processing fee allowable by Florida Statute. There is no discount allowed and final payment must be made by March 31st to avoid delinquency. Q. I owe both current and delinquent taxes. Which should be paid first? A. The oldest tax year should always be paid first. Q. How do I obtain the amount due at this time? A. Since the amount may increase the first day of each month, please visit us online or contact our office for the amount due and the deadline date, prior to submitting your payment. You may call 954-831-4000. Q. If I have declared personal bankruptcy, am I still responsible for my property taxes? A. In many situations, as long as you still own the property and you did not surrender the property to the Trustee or the Court you would be responsible for the taxes. However, consult your Bankruptcy Attorney to find out how this applies to your situation. Q. If I cannot come to your office in person, where can I mail my payment? A. Please submit your delinquent tax notice, property identification number and/or Tax Deed number with your payment. Q. Do you honor the postmark for delinquent payments? A. No. Statutes mandate that delinquent real estate tax payments must be in our office and validated by the last working day of the month for which interest is being paid (Florida Department of Revenue Property Tax Rule 12D-13.002). Q. Why did the County sell a certificate on my property? Is the County allowed to do that? A. Florida Statute 197.432 requires that the Tax Collector sell tax certificates on properties with unpaid taxes on or before June 1st. A tax certificate (lien) is a public auction for investors to earn interest on paying other people's property taxes. A certificate is auctioned off to the bidder who is willing to accept the lowest interest rate. If there are no bids on a particular certificate, it would be "struck off" to the County at 18%; the highest interest rate allowed by Florida Statutes. Q. Someone bought a certificate on my property, does that mean they now own it? A. No. The certificate holder has no claim on the property. However, on April 1st, two years after the Certificate is sold, the certificate holder can place a Tax Deed Application on your property. (Example - 2008 unpaid taxes which had a certificate sold by June 1st of 2009, can have a Tax Deed Application made on it beginning on April 1st, 2011). Soon after a tax deed is made, the actual property itself will be sold to the highest bidder. If that happens, you have lost any claim or ownership on it. Q. There is a Tax Deed Application on my property. Are the payment requirements different? A. Yes. There may be multiple years of delinquent taxes included in the Tax Deed Application. All of the taxes included in the application must be paid by a cashier's check in one lump sum. If you need to mail your redemption, please allow enough time for us to receive it prior to the sale date. Amounts are subject to change as interest and additional fees are added. We advise you to pay the amount owed in person to insure that your payment is received timely. To receive updated information and payment confirmation, we strongly suggest you contact the Delinquent Real Estate Tax office immediately at (954) 831-4000. Q. There is a Tax Deed Application on my property, how long do I have before my property is sold? A. A. There is no way to know without looking up your account. Please contact our office immediately to obtain the sale date and payment visit us online or contact our office for the amount. The number is (954)831-4000. |
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