Insurance Dispute Lawyer Blog
Florida officials are trying hard to find various ways in which homeowners with faulty imported wallboard can see results and aid while facing their difficult predicaments. The TC Palm recently noted an idea of some area Florida officials in an article posted several days ago:
Martin County Property Appraiser Laurel Kelly agreed having Chinese drywall “would definitely affect the value of property and your taxable value.”
Her department has heard from homeowners in five subdivisions, she said.
“If owners can document the extent of the problem, we can do something. But there’s not much time left,” Kelly warned, “We only have a small window until we have to submit the final tax roll to the state by around Sept. 25.”
Kelly’s department needs home inspection or indoor air-quality reports or documentation from the Martin County Environmental Health Department.
The savings can be quite substantial.
In the River Marina development built by Lennar Homes (one of the few developers attempting remediation work), a 1,775-square-foot home with an assessed value of $250,480 is eligible for a $950 reduction in taxes this year, Kelly said.
Such a reduction is a continued positive step forward for individuals in Florida fighting Chinese drywall in their home. Similar projects by county and state officials throughout the Gulf Coast might emerge if the results are successful and, in that case, a great step forward appears possible.
At worst, it does appear to be a great move to help people who definitely need it.