by Natasha Khairullah
Staff Writer
Members of Northeast Florida Association of Realtors met last month for the group’s monthly Property Managers’ meeting, and, not surprisingly, property taxes were on their minds.
NEFAR’s Legislative liaison and Director of Government Affairs, Nancy Garcia, was the guest speaker at the luncheon and propriety issues in preparation for the upcoming Legislative Days in Tallahassee.
Garcia gave an overview of the ongoing discussions in the Hose and Senate legislature about the 2007 Property Tax reform and presented members reference material, which included a 2007 Property Tax Bill Tracker as well as 2007 Landlord Tenant Bills.
“We’re not going to know what’s going to happen – the final outcome – until the end of session,” said Garcia.
Garcia also provided the property managers with a look at the various proposals that have been thrown out there with regards to tax reform. “There are some reforms would affect them (property managers) and some would affect their clients — like those that addressed non-homesteaded properties,” she said.
Garcia also briefly touched on five 2006 Sexual Predator Bills, ones that would have required a landlord or a property manager to determine whether or not someone was a sexual predator. Garcia said the bills didn’t pass because there isn’t a way for any one to determine whether or not someone is actually a sexual predator.
“However, we are watching them to make sure that someone doesn’t stick an amendment in there to bring that issue back,” she said.
Also at the meeting:
• Chris Uhland, co-founder and CEO of SkyeTec, discussed one of Florida’s newest legislations and how the company can help. Florida’s Insurance Industry Accountability and Consumer Protection Act offers incentives for hardening structures against wind storms by requiring insurers to provide credits when building owners have wind resistant features independently documented. Uhland said SkyeTec will offer two programs for condos to grade the structures and facilitate necessary paperwork. He also explained how to get rebates on your insurance using SkyeTec’s services.
• Members also had an opportunity at the meeting to sign up to attend the Florida Association of Residential Property Managers Convention May 22-24, 2007 at Hawks Cay Resort in the Keys.