§§ 15-135. Additional homestead exemption defined.

(a)

Pursuant to F.S. § 196.075 an additional homestead exemption in the amount of fifty thousand dollars ($50,000.00), which shall be limited to tax levies of the City of Fort Lauderdale, shall be available to any person who has legal or equitable title to real estate and maintains thereon, the permanent residence of the owner, who has attained age sixty-five (65), and whose household income does not exceed twenty thousand dollars ($20,000.00).

(b)

Beginning January 1, 2002, every taxpayer claiming the additional homestead exemption provided herein must file an application with the Broward County Property Appraiser not later than March 1 of each year for which such exemption is being claimed. Such application shall include a sworn statement of household income for all members of the household and shall be filed on the form prescribed by the Florida Department of Revenue. On or before June 1 of each year that an application is made, the taxpayer must provide the necessary supporting documentation to the Broward County Property Appraiser. The necessary documentation includes copies of any federal income tax returns for the prior year, any wage and earnings statement (W-2 forms), and such other documentation as may be required by the Broward County Property Appraiser necessary to verify household income. Failure to provide the proper documentation may result in a loss of exemption for the requested year.

(c)

The twenty thousand dollar ($20,000.00) income limitation referenced herein shall be adjusted annually, on January 1, by the percentage change in the average cost-of-living index in the period January 1 through December 31 of the immediate prior year compared with the same period for the year prior to that. The index is the average of monthly consumer-price index figures of the stated twelve-month period, relative to the United States as a whole, issued by the United States Department of Labor.

(d)

If title to the homestead property is held with a right of survivorship, the person residing on the property and otherwise qualifying may receive the entire amount of the additional homestead exemption.

(Ord. No. C-01-33, § 1, 7-17-01; Ord. No. C-07-36, § 1, 5-15-07 )