THE FINANCE AND ADMINISTRATIVE SERVICES DEPARTMENT AND THE RECORDS, TAXES, AND TREASURY DIVISION RECOMMEND APPROVAL OF THE ABOVE MOTION.
Pursuant to Florida Statutes 197.502, each of the four properties listed in Exhibit 1 had investors paying the property owners' delinquent real estate taxes in exchange for tax certificates bid at public auctions.
These certificates were not redeemed by the property owners, and after 18 months from the date tax certificates were issued, each investor filed a tax deed application. This is the beginning of the process to bring these properties to public auction.
The properties were offered for sale at public tax deed auctions conducted on or before June 18, 2014. Since there were no bids at auction, the properties were struck to the respective investors who filed the tax deed applications. In each of these four cases, the investors did not pay the additional taxes, costs, and fees due within 30 days of the attempted tax deed auction.
As a result of the investors' inactions, the properties were then categorized as Lands Available for Taxes (LAFT) on December 2, 2014. While on the list of LAFT, each of the four properties was made available for purchase to any person, the County, or any governmental unit for three years subsequent to the date of the last auction.
Since there were no purchases of the properties from the list of LAFT, three years after the day the properties were offered for public auction and in accordance with Florida Statutes 197.502, the properties escheat to the County in which the properties are located, free and clear.
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