What are the Property Appraiser’s Duties?

The County Property Appraiser is required by law to assess all property within each county each January 1st. This task is closely monitored by the Florida Department of Revenue who, by law, establish rules and regulations that must be followed by the Property Appraiser.

In each County this means that the Property Appraiser is determining the market value for many individual parcels of land and the buildings, including thousands of acres of citrus, pasture and farm land, as well as thousands of tangible personal property accounts.

The Property Appraiser does not create value. They reflect the market sales activity between willing buyers and sellers.

In addition to appraising property, the Property Appraiser must administer homestead exemptions, determine property entitled to capped assessments, agricultural classification, determine the eligibility of certain religious, charitable, educational and municipal property for tax exemption, as well as administer widow, widower’s and disability exemptions. The Property appraiser also maintains current and up to date legal descriptions and ownership tax maps of all the real property in each County.

Why Appraised Values change from Year-to-Year

As market value changes so does the appraised value. For instance, if a swimming pool were added to a property the value of that property would increase, and likewise the appraised value of the property would increase also. If a detached garage were removed from the property the market value of that property could decrease.

The economy of the community affects the appraised value. Each year the county is re-appraised in order to reflect the proper market value and comply with Florida Statutes. If the economy is strong, it may result in increased property values. Conversely, if the economy is weak, those real estate values may decrease.

The Property Appraiser does not create market value. It is created by supply and demand for property through buying and selling transactions. The Property Appraiser has the responsibility to discover this value as it exists and appraise the property accordingly.