Miami-Dade appraiser recovers $4M+ in taxes

The Miami-Dade County Property Appraiser’s office has recovered more than $4.3 million in property taxes, the office announced on Thursday.

About 4,500 property owners previously failed to provide Social Security numbers, a requirement for homestead exemption. Property Appraiser Pedro J. Garcia eventually collected about 2,900 responses.

“One of my top priorities is to rein in exemption fraud and this investigation was a crucial step in that fight,” Garcia said in a statement. “The outcome of this initiative was highly successful in helping us find multiple violations and ensuring the Office complies with State law.”

The result of the effort was a recovery of $4.3 million in property taxes, consisting of $3 million based on recapturing $197 million in taxable value and about $1.3 million in tax liens that were placed on the properties for back taxes, according to a press release.

As of June 1, Miami-Dade properties are estimated to have a taxable value of $228.7 billion, an 8.6 percent jump from 2014, according to data by the property appraiser. Following last year’s trend, the real estate market’s urban core and waterfront neighborhoods are experiencing the largest growth. — Katherine Kallergis