Florida Statute 193.1556 requires that any changes regarding a person or entity owning real property under Florida Statute 193.1554 or Florida Statute 193.1555 are reported to the property appraiser.
This may affect some Florida Enhanced Life Estate Deeds. Under Florida Statute 193.1554(5), If the property is nonhomestead residential property, there is an exemption for the transfer between husband and wife, including transfer to a surviving spouse or a transfer due to a dissolution of marriage. The transfer to a revocable trust will not trigger a new assessment at fair market value.
On the other hand for all residential and non-residential property which is not protected by homestead there doesn’t appear to be the same exemption under Florida Statute 193.1555(5).
In either case the transfer to a Florida Revocable Trust where there is simply a change between legal and equitable title, will not trigger a new assessment at fair market value.
One new issue is that it is now required to report a change in ownership or control when a business entity owns property. In the past, many were able to sell an entity and no notice to re-evaluate the taxable base would be generated. Now if you convert real property to personal property by selling the ownership in an LLC instead of the real estate holdings of the LLC, you still have to report the change in ownership.
To read more on Florida Enhanced Life Estate Deeds or Florida Revocable Living Trusts read some of the articles on this site or Contact a Jacksonville Estate Planning Lawyer