The TRIM Notice is an acronym for "TRuth In Millage". It is your proposed tax notice which is mailed by the Property Appraiser's Office mid August of every year. Although it is marked on the front of the notice "DO NOT PAY THIS IS NOT A BILL", it is very important that you open and read it as it contains date sensitive information.
Each year TRIM Notices are mailed mid August. You may view your TRIM Notice by selecting the View Your TRIM Notice tab.
The TRIM Notice contains important information on several items:
Identifies which property is being referenced
by the key number, parcel number and abbreviated parcel description.
Provides a list of the taxing authorities
which levy taxes on your property.
Provides Non-Ad Valorem Assessments
commonly known as MSBU's (Municipal Service Benefit Unit) or Special
Assessments such as Fire/Rescue, Solid Waste, etc.
Provides a comparison of last year's taxes,
proposed taxes if the taxing authorities budget is approved and proposed
taxes if no budget change is made.
Provides a schedule of taxing authorities
meeting times and places for you to voice your opinion regarding the
budget process. Also individual taxing authority phone numbers.
Provides a comparison of last year's
and the current year's Market Value, Assessed Value, Exemptions and
Taxable Value as determined by this office.
Provides a deadline in which to file
a formal appeal with the Value Adjustment Board if you disagree with
the estimated Market Value. This deadline is established by Florida
Statute based on the date of mailing the TRIM Notice and is highlighted
in blue near the bottom of the Notice.
NOTE: Although the Property Appraiser's
Office is responsible for mailing this Notice, the Market, Assessed and
Taxable Values are the only issues this office can address. If you
have questions about the taxes you pay, or have budget questions, you
must contact the appropriate Taxing Authority.
Save Our Homes, also known as Amendment 10, is a constitutional amendment
approved by Florida voters in 1992 for properties which have a
Homestead Exemption . It places a limitation
on annual assessment increases to 3% or the Consumer Price Index
(CPI),
whichever is less.
Exceptions to the limitation include new additions or construction which
are assessed at Fair Market Value for the first year and are thereafter
eligible for the limitation as long as the property has a Homestead
Exemption.
Another exception is if the property sells. It is important to understand
that upon a qualified sale of the property the Assessed Value is removed
in the year following the sale and returns the property to the
Market Value. The Market Value becomes the base value for "Save Our Homes" purposes for the new
owner who must apply for a Homestead Exemption to be eligible for the
Assessed
Value limitation in future years.
Be sure that when you are looking at comparable assessments, you are looking
at the Market Value and not the Assessed Value which could be very different.
Florida Law requires that Just Value of all property be determined each year. The Florida Supreme Court has declared Just Value to be legally synonymous with Full Cash Value and Fair Market Value. The Just Value or Fair Market Value of your property is the amount it could sell for in a competitive open market, assuming the buyer and seller are acting knowledgeably and without duress.
The Property Appraiser's Office analyzes the county's market transactions every year to determine each property's Fair Market Value effective January 1st of each year, using the prior year's sales data. This is known as "Assessing in Arrears".
Your TRIM notice has separate columns for Market Value and Assessed Value. If your property has a Homestead Exemption, it is possible that Market Value and Assessed Value can be different due to the "Save Our Homes" assessment limitation.
Both values must be calculated and maintained because the Market Value of your property may increase at a greater rate than the Assessed Value. For example, if your house is assessed at $100,000 and sales in your neighborhood indicate property values are increasing by 10%, the Market Value of your home for the following year will be $110,000. However, if your property is covered by "Save Our Homes" and can only increase 3%, the Assessed Value will be $103,000. The $7,000 difference is held as a "Save Our Homes" differential and will be recaptured in 3% increments, at most.
Likewise, if the Market Value declines and there is a difference between Market Value and the Assessed Value, by law, the Assessed Value must go up the maximum 3% until it reaches Market Value. This is known as "Recapture".
If the previous owner of your
property qualified for an exemption on January 1, the exemption will
stay on the property for the new owner until the end of that tax
year. You must submit an application for your own exemption in order
to receive it for the upcoming tax year.
If you feel that the Market Value appearing on your TRIM notice is incorrect, or you have an issue with Tangible Personal Property, you should contact the Property Appraiser's Office to speak with a representative at (352) 754-4190.
It is the duty of the Property Appraiser to determine fair, accurate and equitable assessments for all property owners in Hernando County. If you have evidence that the Market Value of your property is less than what we have estimated, we welcome the opportunity to review all the relevant data.
If, after an informal review of your property with an appraiser, you still feel that the value is incorrect, you may file a petition to appear before the Value Adjustment Board (VAB). Petitions are available at either of
our offices or on
our forms page.
Petitions must be filed with the
Clerk of the Value Adjustment Board . Filing instructions are attached to each petition. Please note there is a non-refundable filing fee of $15.00. For petitions with multiple parcels, an additional $5.00 fee shall be charged for each added parcel included on the petition.
The last date in which to file a Value Adjustment Board (VAB) petition is highlighted in blue at the bottom of your TRIM Notice.
The Value Adjustment Board (VAB) is created by Florida Statute and is
comprised of two members of the Hernando County Board of County
Commissioners, one member of the Hernando District School Board and
two citizen members appointed by the County Commission and the
School Board.
Current year VAB Petitions must be filed with the Clerk's Office by the deadline date highlighted in blue at the bottom of your TRIM Notice.
VAB hearings before the Special Magistrates are informal. While you don't need an attorney or an approved agent, one can certainly represent you.
The best way to prove your case is to produce evidence regarding sales of comparable properties that sold the previous year, prior to January 1. The
Clerk of the VAB will send you a Petitioner Information package which provides filing instructions and general information.
At the hearing, the Special Magistrate will ask you to present your evidence first. Next, our staff will present evidence concerning our estimate of your property's Market Value. After any questions, you as the petitioner are usually given the opportunity to make any closing remarks.
After the hearing, the Special Magistrate will make a written recommendation of "Findings of Fact" and "Conclusions of Law" to the VAB. The Clerk of the VAB will provide you with a copy of the "Record of Decision" within 20 days after the Value Adjustment Board (VAB) has rendered its decision.
The VAB cannot make decisions based on hardships such as living on a fixed
income or an inability to pay increased taxes. However, you may be eligible
for a tax deferral or installment plan administered through the
Tax Collector's Office .
The fact that your value increased from last year is not by itself the
basis for a reduction of value, as each year's value stands on its own
merits.
The Value Adjustment Board and the Property Appraiser's Office
do not set the millage
rates
and have no jurisdiction over taxes.
No further action is required on your part if you agree with the VAB decision.
However, if you disagree with the decision, you may file a lawsuit in
Circuit Court pursuant to Florida Statute 194.171.
Various taxing authorities set the millage rates based upon the location of your property. If you have any millage rate questions, please contact the proper authorities listed below:
The Property Appraiser and the Tax Collector use the same mailing address file. If you notify the Property Appraiser of an address change, please provide only one address which is valid throughout the year. If you plan to notify the United States Postal Service (USPS) of a
Temporary change of address (e.g., vacation, visiting family, medical issue, employment, military deployment, etc.), you MUST also notify the USPS when you return. If you notify the USPS of a
Permanent change of address (e.g., you’ve moved), you must also notify this office so we may update our records.
For additional information and to obtain the Mailing Address Change Request, click
here .
