Mayor Ryan: Tax Cheaters Win Big in Tallahassee…Residents Lose
BY MIKE RYAN
At a time when local governments are facing tremendous financial challenges, there are those who cheat the system, refuse to pay their fair share, and make each of us shoulder a greater burden. The cheaters seem to keep winning.
Florida law gives Homestead Exemptions and Save Our Homes protections to permanent residents.
Those who claim homestead exemptions but rent the property or use it as a vacation home are cheating all of us. According to the BCPA website, “a Homestead Exemption and the Save our Homes protections [for a single property] can easily be worth over $3,000 in taxes each year.”
If cheaters get caught, they must pay up to 10 years of back taxes plus penalties of 50% of the unpaid taxes plus 15% interest per year on the unpaid taxes. Money recovered is a direct financial benefit to cities, School Board, Broward County — and you. Every dollar of real estate tax is divided roughly amongst a city (25%), the County (25%), the School Board (38%) and the remainder to other taxing authorities, according to the Broward County Property Appraiser, Lori Parrish,
Catching cheaters, though, requires tips, data, and, sometimes, laborious investigative work. Harvesting data from available sources and incentivizing the community is necessary if we are to catch cheaters efficiently.
Senate Bill 778 proposed to give rewards for tips and require “residential condominium or cooperative” associations to provide a list of rental properties to the property appraiser’s office.
Seems reasonable.
The legislation proposed a reward of 20% of the total recovery, not to exceed $500.
Seems reasonable.
With a list of rentals, the property appraiser could then crosscheck the information against the database of claimed exemptions. There was no penalty if the association failed to cooperate. Instead, the legislation assumed we would all agree cheaters shouldn’t win.
Seems reasonable.
Guess what happened? Cheaters won again.
SB 778 died in a Senate committee during last session of the Legislature. This was not the first time the idea meant to help us locally died in Tallahassee. Whatever the reasons, the cheaters won big again.
Cities, Public Needs To Help
Each year, the Broward County Property Appraiser’s Fraud Investigative Unit investigates thousands of cases. They have 15 employees dedicated to recovering taxpayer dollars; last year they completed over 12,000 cases. Since 2005, over $55 million has been “back-taxed” and nearly $36 million collected.
Everyone agrees there is much more that must be done. The millions of dollars in fraud yet to be re-captured could go to services you and I are paying for – schools, parks, libraries, police, fire and essential services. When the cheaters don’t pay, you and I pay more to cover their costs.
Cooperation between water utilities and the BCPA can help identify those properties being rented. Some cities, like Hollywood, Fort Lauderdale, Davie and Sunrise, have assigned detectives to help BCPA investigate fraud. The City of Sunrise recently passed a Resolution requesting homeowner and condominium associations to voluntarily produce a list of rental properties. For Sunrise, tips are already coming in.
You should care what every city is doing. Even when another city helps to successfully uncover fraud, it helps you. Therefore, we need a permanent, sustained and cooperative effort throughout the County.
We need to make sure every municipality and every governmental unit are working together to help the BCPA catch homestead exemption cheaters each year.
We need someone to revive SB 778 or inspire similar legislation to encourage community cooperation.
In the meantime, you can help the Broward County Property Appraiser. You can call the anonymous tip line (954-357-6900) or report anonymously on-line.
There is much debate over the right level of property taxes. However, everyone can agree on this basic principle – Homestead Exemption cheaters should never win.
(Michael J. Ryan was elected Mayor of Sunrise in August 2010. He holds a B.B.A., majoring in Finance, from The George Washington University, and a Juris Doctorate, summa cum laude, from The Case Western Reserve School of Law.)
July 18th, 2012 at 2:31 pm
My Dear Mr. Mayor,
You call them Tax Cheats, but I call them something else. At least they have found a way to make government’s robbery of taxpayers a little less painful.
Mayor Ryan, you suffer from a very common malady experienced by many politicians. You think that the people’s money belongs to you to spend as you wish, that what they think of as their property is really owned by the government and you allow them to stay there as long as they pay your tax. People spend a lifetime scraping and saving and working their butts off to have a nice place to stay and then a politician comes around and wants a piece of the action.
“A Piece of the Action” sounds like organized crime extorting money, doesn’t it? Well, local government is much like that. A nice house? The government gets a percentage. Want electricity? Local government charges you for the privilege. want a phone? Local government takes their share first. Want drinking water at your house? You think you can put a well in but, no way. The local government sells their water so they make it illegal for you to get your own. You must buy it from them and be privileged to pay a utilities tax on top of that. Want to treat your own sewage in a septic tank? No way! The local government has outlawed that too. You must pay for the honor of sending your waste-water to them. Want to water your garden? Nope, sorry. Remember that waste-water you paid the city to get rid of? They have mandated you must now buy it back from them for irrigation purposes.
Everything that government does is more expensive than if done in the private sector. Every road, every building, every employee the government has would be 25% to 50% cheaper if done in the private sector. Every rule, every piece of paper shuffled from one box to the next, every strangling regulation serves to pick the public’s pocket just a little bit more. Mr Mayor, I and most other tax payers are tired of it. We are tired of your feather bedding, your union contracts, your insane pensions. We are tired of paying for grand benefits packages when we go without.
When I see someone figure out how to lessen their tax burden, I say more power to them. I wish I could do that too, I don’t want a bribe to turn them in. We, the taxpayers, cannot afford government waste any longer, it is like a monkey on our backs. Cut spending, cut waste, cut regulations and CUT TAXES.
July 18th, 2012 at 5:13 pm
This is what Castro did when he started. He had neighborhood captains provide lists about the whereabouts of, who people were associating with, who is coming and going, and snitch to the government on their neighbors.
This is essentially what you are asking people to do. Monitor their neighbor, see who is coming and going and what type of people, and generally snitch to the government.
This type of encouragement from government should be abhorrent to anybody who wants to live in a free society.
The Bush Administration got a lot of “Big Brother” heat when they implemented a “snitch” program after 9-11 and I doubt it turned up tangible leads.
July 18th, 2012 at 5:35 pm
Your best friend on the Sunrise commission is Snitch Alu who got you elected. No wonder you want us all to tell on our neighbors.
July 18th, 2012 at 5:38 pm
Good work, mayor. I can’t believe that those idiots commenting above would justify fraud. Go ahead and condone tax fraud and this country will end up like Greece and Italy where such practices are common. It’s not snitching, its civic duty.
July 18th, 2012 at 6:25 pm
“Everything that government does is more expensive than if done in the private sector. Every road, every building, every employee the government has would be 25% to 50% cheaper if done in the private sector. Every rule, every piece of paper shuffled from one box to the next, every strangling regulation serves to pick the public’s pocket just a little bit more. Mr Mayor, I and most other tax payers are tired of it.”
Your a very angry and misguided human being. Private industry proves repeatedly that they will rip off the taxpayer every chance they get (RICK SCOTT is exhibit #1, do you really not know what his private company did to taxpayers?) How about Jeb starting the privatization of public schools with Charters and enabling his cronies to benefit while the touted freedom from conventional rules that school districts have to adhere to did not result in better schools than most existing public schools. Now that Charter operators find they can’t get a good return on their investments they seek to further dip into public funds and are trying to get part of the property tax revenues and are soaking local districts for millions in services that your buddies in the tea party/state legislature are requring Districts to provide at no cost to charters. That amounts to a government subsidy for the private sector. If you used your mind to do a little research instead of stupidly advocating law breaking you might just see why the Govt. has to take on some tasks. Maybe we should all be like you, not want to pay taxes and encourage others to do the same. Do away with that pesky FDA and open up the market to drug companies to peddle anything they want with no regard for side effects. Let’s do away with the EPA, let’s open up all the gas fields to unrestricted fracking of any kind. So what if the ground water gets polluted. The examples could go on and on.
That would be pointless as you are about the most clueless poster I have ever read on this or any other blog. Govt. is certainly not the most efficient and it can be corrupt but it is within your power to affect it with your vote or you could even run for office (like you would ever stop bitching long enough to actually do something positive). The private sector cannot be allowed to operate without regard for the public safety and well being.
Maybe we don’t need to inspect restaurants to make sure they follow that pesky Health Code.
Taxes are not popular but they are necessary. And one last thing, most public employees actually work very hard for their paychecks and everyone of them is a taxpayer also. Idiots like you seem to lose sight of that and think your the only one who has to pay taxes or has an interest in saving tax dollars or using them more effectively. Start thinking and stop spouting.
July 18th, 2012 at 6:56 pm
lori parish and crew selectively enforce, when she got detailed info on fraud of multiply owned homesteaded properties in my neighborhood and the divorce was recorded, she gave ‘confidential’ info to her hack investigator who gave my name to the neighbors and mailman that the investigator spoke with her, the homestead exemptions are in place THREE years later so i so, have at it folks! There is more for the taking! I will always look the other way or ignore it
July 18th, 2012 at 7:04 pm
What is this, Hippies from hell banter? My goodness, you are as long winded as the Mayor himself. Yshould apply for his job. Don’t worry he become a serial crusher with employees pulling the puppet strings of his city manager soon enough.
July 18th, 2012 at 7:09 pm
You should apply for his job.
July 18th, 2012 at 7:30 pm
So Mr. Mayor what’s next, national initiative for gun registration? And free healthcare if we turn in our neighbors who don’t register? Why don’t we just cut to the chase and rip up the constitution while we’re at it.
July 18th, 2012 at 9:10 pm
To Taxpayer:
If you gave me a fraud tip. I can assure you it was investigated. Why don’t you write Buddy privately. He can call me with the info and I will give him our research.
Lori
July 19th, 2012 at 12:36 am
Dear Lori Parrish.
The entire City of Lauderdale Lakes management team is a fraud.
Kindly investigate.
Toodles.
July 19th, 2012 at 7:27 am
Leave the cheaters be. Dont create a society where we stop cheaters…or lying … or stealling. See, from reading here, we know there is a groundswell of support for cheaters and liars. An underground movement. The real 99 percenters maybe.
Dont like how federal government spends money on [insert your own bumper sticker pet peeve social policy agenda], dont pay federal taxes (or lie on your taxes).
Dont like the price of [insert whatever type of beef jerky/pork rinds/chewing tobacco brand you like] shoplift.
Dont like the prices of [insert your favorite survivalist gear] change the price before you get to the counter.
Dont like how hard you have to work [insert any job because we all hate working], steal or print your own money.
Dont like how much your bank charges in fees for [an account if you have one or to cash your pay check so you can blow all your week’s wages on a friday and saturday night binge], well …
Thankfully, none of those would be crimes.
Thankfully, we dont teach children from the youngest age that the societal compact we have hinges on people paying their fair share, abiding by basic laws meant to keep society from taking the law into their own hands, and when you see a crime, you should report it.
Lying about homestead exemption is a 1st degree misdemeanor. Means you can get up to a year in jail.
Lying about homestead exemption means you are stealing from me. You bet I am gonna report you if you steal from me. By lying about it, you’re coming into my house and taking my money to pay your responsibility. No one likes taxes, but the answer isnt we can all cheat and not pay because we all hate it, causing services to be cut or taxes to be raised to cover your cheating.
Oh yea, thou shall not steal. But, that was just a guidepost, right? (unless you are worried about your guns and other right wing conspiracies you directly connect through twisted logic to stopping homestead fraud, then you probably believe it was literal, except in this situation). There are a few other commandments dealing with dont injure your neighbor, but we can suspend those too, because we hate taxes.
July 19th, 2012 at 8:26 am
we are not contesting the ‘investigation’, as the comment states. its that the 100% homestead is still in place and the divorce resulted in only one still living there with a 100% homestead (no quit claim), although property still in the mr. and mrs. names, as is the loan.
July 19th, 2012 at 9:49 am
You are clueless Heir Ryan…The biggest crooks in the county ARE Lori Parrish, Ron Cacciatore and ROn Gunzburger, along with their flunkies. You just want the money to pay for your new empire (911 MSTU).
July 19th, 2012 at 9:58 am
Lori,
You sound like the lying, career political bitch that you really are. You are assuming everyone is guilty until proven innocent. My mother went to an ALF and I forwarded her mail to my home so I could pay her bills (tax bills also) on time, and you took away her right of exemption based on that alone, which isn’t legal. Your goon Ron C. ignores the law. Your manager Kelly is clueless, or she just does what she is told to keep her job. Too bad no one ran against you and exposes your corruption.
July 19th, 2012 at 12:11 pm
This is such an easy problem to solve [and have assisted FL DOR in prior times].
Take the county property tax roll/then compare the owners name and address to the water/telephone/electric files – looking for the mismatch of real estate owner vs who is paying the utilities – those that match, put aside, those that do not match investigate – 1 week to do the file work and then investigate. Broward County only investigated 12,000 situations – come on – this is a business process slam dunk.
July 19th, 2012 at 12:28 pm
Judge Not: what other crimes do you think it is ok to ignore or cheat on?
Snitches: how do you feel about crime stoppers and rewards for tips on criminals?
Just saying: Why dont you run for office?
88: rip up the constitution? Really? There is a right in the constitution to cheat on taxes? Show me so I co down to my local IRS office and let them know.
Anyone: Should we even pay taxes until Mitt Romney pays the same rate you do?
Anyone: I bet if someone suggested amnesty for 10 years of back taxes, to put the properties on the tax rolls properly (all you have to do is come forward and identify yourself and agree to abide by the law in the future), you’d be screaming about how they are deadbeats and should not get a break after you paid your taxes for all these years. They are getting a break now.
July 19th, 2012 at 12:40 pm
mrcort-data is correct – and while they are at it take the sunbiz.org data base, compare it with the county and city occupational licenses and see how many ‘home based’ corporations have NO county or city occupational license
tens of thousands of dollars every year, for thousands of businesses
that would plug a few budget holes
July 19th, 2012 at 5:06 pm
That’s a very good point sidelines! Do we snitch on our friends and neighbors who run business out of their homes? I would truly like to know, give me a snitch list. I don’t like cheats anymore than the next guy, but I dislike hypocrites even more.
July 19th, 2012 at 7:52 pm
no need for average citizens and taxpayers to ‘snitch’. let the bureaucrats do their jobs. SOME of that collected revenue pays their wages. and pensions if lucky to get one. everything is a computurized data base these days, whether bcpa, county recorded docs, occupational licenses at city and county, sunbiz, etc. put some programmers to work part-time if the full-timers are “too busy’ to bother with a cross check. or better yet, leave it the way it is and those that don’t feel like springing for a couple of hundred dollars for their home based licenses are relieved of doing so. no big deal.
and lets stop being hypocrites criticizing and slamming candidates who break a few stupid rules while they are trying to get elected to make our lives better!! what do we know!!
July 19th, 2012 at 7:58 pm
We hate taxes. It’s almost imbedded in our genes. As in Boston Tea Party.
Those of us who are truly homesteaded are really paying the share of the cheaters.
Yes government is wasteful and often corrupt and should be as small as possible. But weeding out those who aren’t paying what they should be is another issue entirely.
It’s the civic version of Crimestoppers.
July 20th, 2012 at 1:36 am
Hey mrcort-data, didn’t you read the article??? Ryan said: “Cooperation between water utilities and the BCPA can help identify those properties being rented. Some cities, like Hollywood, Fort Lauderdale, Davie and Sunrise, have assigned detectives to help BCPA investigate fraud. […] we need a permanent, sustained and cooperative effort throughout the County. We need to make sure every municipality and every governmental unit are working together to help the BCPA catch homestead exemption cheaters each year.” What Ryan is describing is exactly the “business process” you suggested!
July 20th, 2012 at 8:11 am
What interests me is that most of the posters are justifying crimes.
This is a prevailing mindset in Broward County. So what if a crime has been committed, let’s just make sure we cover it up well. Look at our politicians and elected officials for proof.
July 20th, 2012 at 11:36 am
I am glad that a few of you are provoked to thoughtfulness here.
Donny said, “What interests me is that most of the posters are justifying crimes.” Yes, they are crimes. But I consider them acts of civil disobedience. When people think that certain taxes, fees, licenses and regulations are immoral or have reached immoral levels, they are less likely to pay them.
July 20th, 2012 at 5:22 pm
After mulling over this article and reading these comments I realized that Mayor Ryan is not only advocating vigilantism but calling for it! I don’t want to get involved. I just want to work, come home, and let the jokes that we elect make the decisions. If I wanted to get involved, then I would be a joke (politician) too. Therefore, I stay on the sidelines so prevent any unintended and unwanted metamorphosis. The fact is, we the society, don’t want to make the decisions, or become confrontational with our neighbors, or turn our backs on, or violate the trust of our friends/neighbors/fellow county residents. It is the responsibility of the property appraiser’s office to enforce the payment of taxes owed. If they can’t do their jobs, or are not doing their jobs properly, then fire them and find employees who will. Mayor Ryan, I expect that you will be first in line to willingly take that job from a long tenured government employee along with his government pay and benefits! I digress. In reality my tax dollars already pay for this type of oversight through the appraiser’s office or through law enforcement who are also hired to enforce what? Oh that’s right, the law. That is what we’re talking about right; thou shall not break it amongst other things (I’ll save the rest for Sunday’s scriptures). Therefore, if government jacked-booted thugs already exist to tend to this matter, why exactly are we asking the public to do so? It must be because Mayor Ryan views the process of law to be inadequate to suppress or punish the crimes being committed. This last statement brings me all the way back to the beginning; it’s because of the vigilantism is being advocated by the Mayor. Mayor, if you are going to call upon the society to form and organize volunteer groups to enforce the laws of our land, then I suggest we address all the laws that are being broken, no matter how big or small. Especially the little itsy-bitsy ones that are committed by aspiring politicians whose only motivations are to be elected for the “good of the people”. (Without regard to the [enter your preferred ridiculous government salary & benefit package here] that the politicians receive on all levels.)
Postscript: Don’t bother trying using the defense that “We the People” are the government. “We the People” also understand that vigilantism has to be controlled to prevent self-interests and dangerous mobs from forming with their own agendas…or maybe I am actually speaking about political parties. They both sound pretty similar.
July 20th, 2012 at 5:40 pm
We sayeth, do not use the term civil disobedience when justifying the criminal act of not paying your homestead exemption. We know civil disobedience, and that is not civil disobedience. We know what it means to fight an immoral government law, and paying homestead exemption is not an immoral law. How dare you invoke our spirit to justify your self-centered position.
July 20th, 2012 at 5:56 pm
To “sidelines”: Which sideline are you on exaclty? Are you on both? Is that why your name is plural? You argue both sides the only people I know who do that are liars, lawyers, and politicians.
Are you for us, against us, or trying to divert attention from someone or some thing?
July 20th, 2012 at 7:14 pm
Ghandi, MLK et al,
Excuse me. I did not understand that black people are the only ones who can be abused by their governments. I forgot my “White Guilt” for a moment there. Please forgive me.
July 20th, 2012 at 7:29 pm
Taxes should be easy and inexpensive to collect and fair. The homestead issue is a bit of a red herring…the culprit is the “Save Our Homes” constitional amendment which causes the same homes on the same street to be taxed substantially differntly against newcomers….Lori collects a ton of these penalties but at a cost…fisically and the idea that we should “turn people in” …….add a buck to gas per fillup. Added advantages all over
July 20th, 2012 at 7:46 pm
Hey, Sanctimonious, dont know what you were reading but didnt see “Guardian Angels” being called out to walk the streets looking for anyone. Next time, look up words you are using. Vigilantism:
“Taking the law into one’s own hands and attempting to effect justice according to one’s own understanding of right and wrong; action taken by a voluntary association of persons who organize themselves for the purpose of protecting a common interest, such as liberty, property, or personal security; action taken by an individual or group to protest existing law; action taken by an individual or group to enforce a higher law than that enacted by society’s designated lawmaking institutions; private enforcement of legal norms in the absence of an established, reliable, and effective law enforcement body.”
You missed the mark on this one. You do feign piety and self-righteousness so your name fits.
July 20th, 2012 at 8:21 pm
Your resource for guidance vs. my resource for guidance still points to the same conclusion: A call for taking the law into our own hands. So, in the end, your feeble attempt at a smartass witty response falls far short…you actually reinforced my point.
Postscript: The following is an excerpt from the archives of Cornell Law concerning vigilantism:
“When people begin to believe that organized society is unwilling or unable to impose upon criminal offenders the punishment they deserve then there are sown the seeds of anarchy – of self-help, vigilante justice, and lynch law. San Francisco experienced vigilante justice during the Gold Rush …”
Next time use words you know off the cuff without having to endear calluses from thumbing through the dictionary just to post.
July 20th, 2012 at 8:38 pm
Behold the Broward County Savior!!!
http://images.sodahead.com/polls/000195901/polls_snitch_0235_325243_poll_xlarge.gif
July 20th, 2012 at 9:02 pm
This is an issue of stealing from you and me. We all should pay our fair share in taxes.
Those who complain about taxes are the first one to call police or fire when they need help.
I agree with Mayor Ryan that every government should make more of an effort to insure that Homestead Exemptions are only for those who deserve them. His ideas have merit.
July 20th, 2012 at 10:07 pm
Well said Snctamonious (5:22 pm Post). yeah we are being robbed. just like the cars speeding and one gets pulled over for the ticket, the others keep cruising. I really could give a hoot about Sunrise having tax evaders via homestead. What are they missing? maybe 500k? 800k? BFD.
I gave you both sides of the coin in comments – damned if you do and also if you don’t. and ryan is the lawyer and elected politician (2 out of your 3). in the total scheme of things these paltry sums are chump change. because if it were big bucks that really mattered, wouldn’t the bureaucrats would be tasked to “Do Their Job”? so bcpa, city and county revenue collectors, what are you going to do about it?
Next.
July 20th, 2012 at 11:24 pm
Hey Sanctimonious, you must think crime stoppers is vigilantism?
Tell that to the families of the victims of serious crimes, solved because the community came forward to find justice. Tell that to the families who were spared a crime because a confidential informant gave information to the police. Tell that to homeowner who is spared a burglary because someone calls the police on one of the local kids climbing over a fence.
The punishment you think is being exacted by your mythical vigilante group is actually defined by florida law, and the group has nothing to do with the punishment. There fails your hysterical argument and reference. Since you seem to remember the gold rush better than the rest of us, we must rely on you to compare homestead exemption law fraud to the crime issues of the 1840s San Fran. I am sure the criminality was identical then to this blog posting. We just cant remember the 1840s as well as you.
July 21st, 2012 at 12:20 am
I am not a tax protestor, just believe in tax resistance. Worked out good for me. Stand strong, do your time.
http://www.forbes.com/sites/robertwood/2011/03/10/to-avoid-fate-of-wesley-snipes-skip-tax-protester-arguments/
July 21st, 2012 at 12:45 am
Yes we should all equally and proportionately play our part in the fiscal burden of the state’s responsibilities. However, it is utterly irresponsible for an elected official to call upon the citizens to police ourselves. Although I don’t agree with everything that has been posted, I believe the sanctimonious poster won the debate. Our taxes pay for all government activity and enforcement of our laws are the responsibility of the government.
Mayor Ryan is correct, but his method may need some massaging.
July 21st, 2012 at 9:23 am
@Questions – “how do you feel about crime stoppers and rewards for tips on criminals?”
It’s not the “rewards for tips” that is problematic. It is the portion that requires “residential, condominium, or cooperative” associations to provide” lists to the Government. This type of organized information gathering on citizens is odious to a free society and isn’t worth the tradeoff.
July 23rd, 2012 at 11:51 am
A lot of out of state landlords illegally declare homestead exemption. Then when you call the chicken man at the property appraisers office and give him all the goods including the 3 day notice and eviction complaint, he always says “yeah, we knew about that one.”. Uh huh. Sure ya did Ron. All the folks at the property appraisers office hafta do is check the eviction filings and look at addresses. Duh!
July 23rd, 2012 at 12:48 pm
Although unrelated, it shows the mentality of why this will never pass:
“there is nothing more low, detestable, and egregious to a Cuban than a chivato (snitch). In Cuba, the Castro regime survives on a vast network of chivato “neighborhood watch committees” that spy on their neighbors and snitch them out whenever they’re involved in some kind of “anti-revolutionary” activity (i.e., listening to Miami radio). Sometimes these little weasels lie about neighbors they don’t like just to get them in trouble. In return, these chivato pieces of crap get an extra pound of rice a month or some other perk from the Castro regime that regular, everyday Cubans consider a luxury. So let’s just say we Cuban-Americans absolutely detest chivatos, not just because they snitch, but because in our experience, they are also enablers.”
http://www.reaganista.com/2012/07/23/alex-dlp-hardball-conservative-choice/
July 24th, 2012 at 3:41 pm
I am proud to report to big brother (aka castro)and Mayor Ryan ALL of my neighbors live in their homes every single last one of them.@ Frankie no one here is justifying fraud its the methods that are in question. Arent there people out there who should be doing this job finding out who the tax cheats are? If not than open up some jobs,im sure you will find plenty of people willing to do it. So much for neighbors helping neighbors.
July 25th, 2012 at 7:55 am
You are out of touch with reality. Castro slaughtered those who opposed his ideology (a belief system), suppressed free thought and expression, and committed heinous crimes. For decades, he has failed to allow free expression and democracy to flourish. OK, you dont want neighbors to tell the property appraiser if your neighbor is cheating or stealing money from classrooms, schools, parks, libraries, and public safety, even if they enjoy those benefits.
What is the difference between an association telling who is renting and data mining if the cheater gets caught? Feel better it was 1s and 0s that caught the cheater? If you think associations reporting are big brother and represent a castro-like strategy then you must think having a department investigating is Orwellian.
Be consistent. Call for dismantling of all organized efforts to catch cheaters. But dont conjure up mass murderers and demagogues because that just proves you are out of touch with reality and represents the lowest form of intellect and public discussion.
July 28th, 2012 at 1:14 pm
SO Lori- did Rep.Joe Gibbons have to pay a fine when his Homestaed was revoked for 2 years due two violations: 1-renting out his condo AND also claiming homestead on his wife’s home in JAX ( were he lives with her and the kids)’ according to http://blogs.browardpalmbeach.com/pulp/2010/11/joe_gibbons_investigated_homestead_fraud.php
your investigator reported REp Gibbons stated he was calling you to get it all taken care of. Just wondering how you cleared up his little mess.
July 30th, 2012 at 7:50 am
http://www.miamiherald.com/2012/07/28/v-fullstory/2918219/property-tax-cheats-facing-crackdown.html