Understanding the Purpose of a Tax Deed in Florida

When you want to explore the use of a tax deed in Florida, The Rashtanov Law Firm, P.L. has you covered. First, it’s important to have an understanding of the basics. A tax deed in Florida is for real property and issued by a county-level governmental entity.

Who issues a tax deed in Florida depends on how the particular county is organized. The statutory default entity is the county clerk, as in Miami-Dade and Palm Beach counties. In Broward County, the tax deed is issued by an entity under the auspices of the Board of County Commissioners. Knowing who administers the tax deed sale tells you who will hold the sale surplus. A tax deed in Florida is typically administered by the Clerk of Courts.

Understanding Tax Certificates

A tax deed differs from a tax certificate. Tax certificates are essentially tax liens issued on a property for each year property taxes are not paid. If, for example, taxes were not paid on a property in one year, a tax certificate would be issued for it for that year, and for all subsequent years in which taxes are not paid.

Additional Tax Certificate Details

Tax certificates are sold the year after the taxes were due. The certificates will be sold in a reverse auction where purchasers bid down the interest rate. Redemption of certificates may be handled through the county by paying the outstanding taxes, fees, and interest.

Many counties in Florida use LienHub to hold the annual tac certificate sale: https://lienhub.com/

Tax Deed

To get to tax deed, a tax certificate has to undergo an administrative foreclosure. The process is initiated by the tax certificate holder filing an application for a tax deed. But first, the holder must wait 22 months before applying. The certificate holder must also pay certain application and processing fees. Most importantly, they must pay to redeem any other outstanding certificates on the property, even ones that were issued later than the certificate held by the applying holder.

Florida law requires strict compliance with the notice requirements. The county runs a current owner title search on the property and sends notices to all the outstanding lienors. It also holds a tax deed sale and runs a notice by publication in a local newspaper of its choosing.

Broward county holds its monthly tax deed sales at the following website: https://broward.deedauction.net/auctions

Contact us today for tax deed assistance. We are proud to serve our clients throughout the State of Florida.  CALL NOW: (954)336-0599

THE INFORMATION CONTAINED HEREIN IS PROVIDED FOR INFORMATIONAL PURPOSE ONLY. IT IS NOT INTENDED AND IS NOT TO BE INTERPRETED OR USED AS LEGAL ADVICE. EACH LEGAL PROBLEM IS UNIQUE; THEREFORE, CASE SPECIFIC LEGAL ANALYSIS BY A LICENSED ATTORNEY IS RECOMMENDED.