TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – Aug. 17, 2017 – Florida Realtors®, the state’s largest professional trade association, announced its 2017 Legislators of the Year Award winners on Thursday.

Senators René García, Tom Lee, Kathleen Passidomo and Kelli Stargel, and Representatives Jim Boyd, Colleen Burton, Byron Donalds and Holly Raschein, were presented with their awards during the Florida Realtors Convention & Trade Expo in Orlando.

“Florida Realtors had a very successful session this year with multiple priority bills passing and key programs getting significant amounts of funding,” says Florida Realtors President Maria Wells, broker-owner with Lifestyle Realty Group in Stuart. “Our members played an important role, but none of it would have been possible without these legislators. Because of their leadership and support, our economy has room to grow, our communities are stronger, and more Floridians can achieve the dream of homeownership.”

The 2017 Legislators of the Year were recognized for sponsoring bills that resulted in the following legislative actions:

• Established the first-ever cut to the business rent tax. Florida charges a six percent sales tax on business rent, creating a financial burden for any business that leases space. The legislature cut the tax by .2 percent, saving businesses $61 million that they can use to expand, hire more employees, improve benefits and raise salaries.
• Capped the fees community associations can charge for estoppel certificates. Florida law allowed condo and homeowners associations to charge a “reasonable” fee to prepare an estoppel certificate, which is essentially a payoff letter. However, some association management companies were charging very unreasonable fees. The fees are now capped at $250 for unit owners who are current in their assessments.
• Passed a joint resolution that places a constitutional amendment on the 2018 general election ballot to make the non-homestead property tax cap permanent. This cap helps make sure businesses don’t get hit with property tax bills they can’t cover, the cost of owning a second home doesn’t skyrocket, and that renters don’t see huge increases in their monthly rent. This measure is now known as Amendment 2.

Source: Florida Realtors