Broward County non-profits losing property tax exemptions

Property appraiser says some non-profits not using properties for tax exempt purposes

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. – The Broward Property Appraiser's Office is yanking huge property tax exemptions from some non-profit organizations.

"All we want is each property owner in Broward County to pay his or her fair share," said Broward Property Appraiser Lori Parrish.

According to Parrish, non-profit organizations registered with the state of Florida are exempt from paying property taxes if the property is actively being used by the non-profit.

"We found a good number of the non-profits were not being utilized," said Parrish. "The law is very specific with the respect to the use."

The property appraiser's office recently removed the tax exempt classification from the James Randi Educational Foundation.

For years, the foundation's former offices at 201 SE 12th Street in Fort Lauderdale were tax exempt, but the property appraiser office says the building has been vacant for more than two years.

The Randi Foundation owes $23,115.00 after losing its exemption classification.

Non-profit organizations used to simply fill out an annual renewal card, send it in, and their exemption would just continue. They will now be inspected every year.

So far, 2,000 non-profits in Broward County have been audited. The property appraiser's office hasn't released how much money will be generated back into the tax rolls.

"We are going to audit every one of them. We only want to do what's right," said Ron Cacciatore, director of the Professional Standards and Compliance in the Broward Property Appraiser's Office.

The property appraiser also removed the exemption from the Fort Lauderdale Community Development Agency.

Eight years ago, the non-profit organization said they would turn a vacant house at 632 NW 15th Terrace into affordable housing, but the house remains boarded up and nothing has been done.

"It's gone eight years without someone paying taxes and it's boarded," said Cacciatore. "To me, it's fraud."

Cacciatore said the property appraiser's office cannot back tax the non-profit organizations.

"Each one of those property owners cost all of us a nickel, dime or a dollar more," said Parrish.

The Metropolitan Baptist Church in Hollywood will have to pay more than $25,000 in property taxes in 2014 for a piece of property at 8701 Sheridan Street.

The million-dollar parcel was pulled from the tax rolls because the church said it was going to be used for "church and religious activities."

"It's overgrown and nothing has been done since 2008," said Cacciatore. "No excuses. We will pull the exemption and they will pay taxes until there comes a time where they actually using it for a bonafide purpose."