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BUYER BEWARE -
CONSUMER ALERT!
Homestead
scams
Many tax jurisdictions give you a 'break' on your property taxes for
the house that you actually live in as opposed to any rental
property you might buy. This is called a homestead 'ad valorem'
(which means according to value) property tax exemption. You have to
file for the homestead tax exemption to get it, but it's a simple
one-page form that you can download off of the Internet from your
state government's website, and it's completely free. Access them HERE.
Scammers will try to get you to pay them to send you the forms, and
to file it for you but they are free to get and file. We do not file
forms for tax exemptions on real property, but we do help and guide
you through the process and we also give alot of
valuable and absolutely free information on the process HERE.
There
are other services who may contact you to file your homestead ad
valorem tax application for you, or who may wish to file your
homestead tax application for a large fee.
We are the only official service in
the state licensed and legally able to do business in Florida. Also,
the county
requires that you appear in person
to file your tax application, and will not accept an application
filed on your behalf. Additionally, the recording of a designation
of homestead refers to the protection from forced sale contained in
Article X of the Constitution of the State of
Florida
. A designation of homestead IS NOT
an application for homestead property tax exemption. The Property
Appraiser does not charge a fee to apply for homestead
exemption.
Florida
The
State's Consumer Affairs Division warns consumers, and we warn our
valued clients, customers, and service agents to be wary if you get
an offer in the mail concerning the filing of a
"homestead." This letter, sent by a company called 'State
Recording Service' allegedly located in Tallahassee, Florida, offers
to provide inferior services similar to those of Florida Homestead
Services, LLC for a large fee.
Although the service offered by this company isn't illegal, the fact
that they have stolen money from unsuspecting consumers, not
followed through with their promised services, elude to being a
state government agency, do not follow the strict regulations set
forth by us, operate under the guise of state government and are not
a valid business entity, is illegal. Also, the letter sent by them
is extremely misleading. The company's name "State Recording
Service", and the letter's Tallahassee return address, gives
the impression that the company is affiliated with the state and a
government agency. Some city Value Adjustment Boards have reported
that consumers who were late filing their homestead ad valorem tax
exemption, have sent money to this bogus company thinking they would
make their ad valorem tax filing deadline, only to discover later
that not only did they not file for homestead tax exemption, they
paid to file for a legally insufficient homestead protection, a
filing that was not relevant to them at all. Consumers have also
reported they thought that doing business with this company was the
same thing as a homestead tax exemption.
We at Florida Homestead Services urge consumers to be aware by not
responding to this bogus or other letters which were
unsolicited. This is unfortunate as this type of scam operation
makes us at FHS and other legitimate business owners look bad and
hurts all consumers. You are paying for a fraud through this
company, as did this
consumer. We at Florida
Homestead Services, LLC provide a service you can you can fully
trust, and you can also be assured that your interests and property
will be protected. We are a state sponsored business and a
legitimate company authorized to do any and all lawful business in
the state. For more information on this issue, consumers may contact
us directly.
Also, we urge consumers that whenever receiving any strange offer
through the mail, always take time to thoroughly read all the
information, including the fine print, and check the source out very
thoroughly. If you should have any questions regarding the
legitimacy of our offers, call our Consumer Affairs Division at
866-382-5383. If you suspect consumer fraud, contact the Office of
the Attorney General.
###
Broward
County: Based on the Broward County Property Appraiser's website they
state that; "An
out-of-state company is encouraging people to file a
'Homestead' for a large fee. [FHS Note: The Broward property
appraiser is not referring to our company, Florida Homestead
Services, LLC. Our company is not 'out of state'. We are a
legitimate and legal Florida based business sanctioned by the State
to perform any and all lawful business in the State of Florida, and
we do not charge excessive or service fees for filing homestead tax
exemptions as they cost nothing to file. The BCPA is referring to this
company, not
Florida Homestead Services] There
is never a charge to file for homestead ad valorem tax exemption
from the county recorder's office." [FHS Note: The Broward
property appraiser is referring to the property tax exemption
application, not the asset protection exemption, of which there is
no fee to publicly record the ad valorem property tax exemption
application.]
###
Osceola
County: There are other recording services who may contact you to
file your homestead ad valorem tax application for you, or who may
wish to register your homestead for a fee. Osceola County requires
that you appear in person, and will not accept a homestead tax
application filed on your behalf. [FHS Note: The recording of a
designation of homestead refers to the protection from forced sale
contained in Article X of the Constitution of the State of Florida.
A designation of homestead IS NOT an application for homestead
property tax exemption.] The Property Appraiser does not charge a
fee to apply for homestead tax exemption.
###
The
Attorney General's Office has launched an investigation in Florida.
Any person who believes he has been a victim should call the
Attorney General's Fraud Hotline toll free at 1-866-9-NO-SCAM
(866-966-7226)
Texas
After
a home buyer bought his last home, he got a mailing from a
"service", with an impressive downtown address. It
contained an official looking form titled, "Request Form".
In bold it said:
Property
Record Date: 4/30/2004
Our Records Show Filing: None
Now,
right away, it seemed official, because they know the date he bought
his house. But remember, that's public information and anyone
can get it. Right after many people buy a home, they get a mailing
from the above stated Texas based "Homestead Recording
Service", with that impressive downtown address. It always
contains an official-looking form titled, "Designation of
Homestead Request Form". The bit about "Our Records Show
Filing" is to get you to think that they're the ones who are
supposed to keep track of homestead filings, but they are not.
To
look even more legitimate, the reverse side of the form was
completely filled with the relevant text from the Texas Constitution
and the Texas Property Code about homesteads. Scammers aren't
usually in the habit of quoting the law, are they? So that seemed to
add to the credibility. Also, instead of begging, like most sales
letters, it does the opposite. The form said, in all caps, 'YOU MUST
USE THIS FORM OR WE WILL NOT FILE YOUR HOMESTEAD.'
You're
supposed to include a fee to get them to file the paperwork to file
your homestead. The thing is, you can apply for the homestead tax
exemption yourself for free. You can even download the
required ad valorem tax exemption forms from the Internet in most
counties and states. [FHS Note: Contact us here at Florida Homestead
Services, LLC if you wish to file your homestead claim for asset and
equity protection in Texas. We are a state sponsored business and a
legitimate company authorized to do any and all lawful business in
the state of Texas]
More from Texas...
A
few years ago, homeowners were receiving mailers from 'State
Recording Service', with an Austin, TX return address. Consumers
easily mistook these fraudulent and official looking documents as a
State notification and many paid the fee for the homestead tax
exemption filing.
This
promoter was based in Arizona but had a private mail drop at the
Texas Capitol. The company was forced to alter its method of
business after the Attorney General of Texas received a favorable
judgment in which it claimed the company was trying to pass itself
off as a government agency.
###
Consumer Alert - More from Texas:
Harris
County Appraisal District Warns Homeowners to be Wary of Homestead
Designation And Unclaimed Money Solicitations
The
appraisal district is regularly contacted by homeowners who have
unnecessarily paid money to solicitors who--for a fee--offer to file
“designation of homestead” and/or homestead exemption forms in
Harris and other counties.
Additionally, many homeowners complain after being misled by letters
from individuals or businesses that offer to help them recover
unclaimed government funds if the homeowner signs an agreement
giving the solicitor half the recovered money. In the typical case
of this type, the homeowner simply receives a property tax homestead
exemption application form prepared by the firm doing the
solicitation.
Unfortunately, once the homeowner has agreed to pay the solicitor
half the refund, he or she loses that much of any potential tax
refund, and many of these firms have been quick to sue in small
claims court if the unfortunate individual refuses to pay.
Jim Robinson, HCAD’s chief appraiser, urges homeowners who receive
these types of solicitations to be extremely careful and check with
the appraisal district or an attorney before responding to the
offer.
“There is absolutely no charge for a homeowner to file his or her
own homestead exemption property tax application with the appraisal
district, and application forms are available both on HCAD’s
website and from the district’s Information & Assistance
Center at 13013 Northwest Freeway in Houston,” Robinson
noted.
The homestead exemption is the single most important tax saver
available to homeowners. You are eligible if you meet these
requirements:
1. You owned and occupied your home on January 1 of the year for
which application is made.
2. Neither you nor your spouse has claimed a residence homestead
exemption on any other property, regardless of where that property
is located.
A qualified property owner may apply up to one year after the date
taxes for the year of application become delinquent (usually
February 1).
Homeowners who are over-65 or totally and permanently disabled (as
defined by Social Security) are eligible for additional exemptions,
and become eligible on the date they turn 65 or become
disabled.
In the case of solicitations offering to file a “Designation of
Homestead”, this sort of form is submitted to the county clerk
rather than the appraisal district, and does not qualify as a
property tax homestead exemption application. This sort of
designation deals only with protecting one’s homestead property in
the event of a forced sale for debt. Most homeowners never need to
file such a designation and, generally, should consult an attorney
before doing so.
For additional information about property tax homestead exemptions,
contact HCAD’s Information & Assistance Division between the
hours of 8 AM and 5 PM Monday-Friday.
Read
about Florida Homestead Services' strict policies, business ethics,
rules and regulations HERE
Read
about Florida Attorney General and other states' scam issues HERE
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