Contact the MCPA office.
Under Florida law, e-mail addresses are public records. If you do not want your e-mail address released in response to a public records request, do not send electronic mail to this entity. Instead, contact this office by phone or in writing. F.S. 668.6076

Contact Us

Report Homestead Fraud
What is Homestead Fraud?

Homestead fraud occurs when a person who has filed for homestead exemption or is currently receiving homestead exemption is determined not to be a permanent resident of Monroe County, or who is not in good faith residing on the property on which he or she filed.

What does the law say?

Pursuant to Sections 193.155 (9) and 196.161 of the Florida Statutes , property owners who intentionally cheat on their homestead exemption will have a tax lien placed against their properties, be back taxed for up to 10 years (as applicable), be required to pay a sizable penalty (50% of the unpaid taxes for each year), and pay interest at a rate of 15% per year.

How does this affect me?

Fraudulent homestead exemptions remove funds from our law enforcement, our schools, and our fire and EMS service and can lower our quality of life in Monroe County. Those tax dollars have to be made up somewhere, and the honest tax payers get stuck making up the difference.

What can I do to help?

If you know or suspect homestead fraud is taking place, let us know about it. You can do it by filling out the form below or by contacting the Monroe County Property Appraiser at 1-800-448-3004  All information submitted is CONFIDENTIAL unless you wish to be contacted and provide contact information.

May part of a homestead be rented?

Yes, as long as it is recorded in the property appraisers records. Rented area is excluded from Homestead Exemption and Save Our Home protection.

Is Homestead Exemption removed when the property is sold?

Homestead Exemption stays on the property the year of the sale but is removed the following tax year. The new owner must apply for the exemption no later than March 1 of the next tax year.


Remember to include as much information as possible. The more information we have the better the chance of a successful investigation.
Alternate Key:
Parcel ID (RE) Number:
Owner Name:
Physical Location:
As of January 1st the...
home is/was rented.
home is/was a vacation home.
owner is/was not a Florida Resident.
owner does/did not permanently reside in the home.
owner or Owner's spouse is/was claiming a residency-based exemption elsewhere.

Comments: (Please include as much information as possible.)
If we need additional information, can an investigator contact you? Yes No 








This page has been visited 447 times.