If you are a Broward County homeowner and can document material harm to your property as a result of the presence of defective Chinese drywall, you may qualify for a property tax exemption equal to the cost of repairing your home. For example, if your home is worth $200,000.00 and it will cost you $50,000.00 to replace the drywall, you will pay property taxes on only $150,000.00 until the repairs are completed – and the drop will be applied this year if you produce the required documentation by September 18, 2009.
What is Chinese drywall? It is a cheaper drywall that is alleged to have high levels of sulfur and, according to some homeowners’ complaints, smells like rotten eggs. Although its effects on human health are unclear, it has nonetheless been found to corrode piping, wiring and air conditioner coils, and to cause electronic appliances to fail.
Complaints in Florida over Chinese drywall generally involve homes built or renovated in 2005 or 2006, when a building boom and post-hurricane restructuring led to shortages in drywall and drove construction companies to import from China.
It is estimated that tens of thousands of homes across Florida currently boast Chinese drywall. And approximately 80 homeowners in Miami-Dade and Broward Counties alone have registered complaints thus far.
For more information, see “Defective drywall could slash Broward property tax bills.”
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