Action: Hitting the roof over property tax

My Pasco County property tax went from $517.34 to $1,119.04 this year if the proposed budget change is made or $1,034.39 if no budget change is made. This is a tax increase of more than 100 percent, yet I see that the average increase is only 3 percent. I checked with my neighbors and my taxes are going to be nearly twice as much as theirs.

I called the tax office to complain and was told that the deadline for filing complaints was Sept. 11. I didn't receive this mail till after that date because I was traveling. I know this tax is not right, but what can I do about it? Donovan McMahon

Response: Mike Wells, Pasco County property appraiser, said that amendment 10 to the Florida state constitution, often termed "save our homes," limits the amount that an assessment on homesteaded property may increase and Florida laws govern the administration of assessing homestead properties. The law basically states that a homestead property's assessment may increase by only the lesser of 3 percent or the consumer price index per year until assessment equals "just value."

However, if an ownership change occurs and the homestead status changes, the assessment will increase to market, or "just" value. Wells said he doubts your neighbors' taxes are increasing 3 percent. The difference between you and your neighbors is that you recently acquired your property, thereby changing the homestead status of the property, while the majority of your neighbors are enjoying the benefits of "save our homes."

The good news is that since you qualified for homestead this year, your assessment increases will be limited for subsequent years. Wells said your experience is not unique and, in fact, accounts for the majority of inquiries handled by his office. With regard to the deadline of Sept. 11, that was in fact the date that administrative remedies expire.

Recent recalls

The following products, distributed nationwide and in Florida, were recalled between Oct. 5 and 11:

95,000 "Runt" brand mini-bicycles by Wysco Inc.; the bicycles do not have any brakes, as required by the Consumer Product Safety Commission. Call toll-free 1-866-868-7868 between 10:30 a.m. and 7:30 p.m. weekdays. Web site: www.JustGoScooters.com.
250,000 "2-in-1 Snug 'n Secure" swings by Little Tikes Co.; the buckles on the swing can break and the shoulder restraint straps can pull out of the back of the seat, causing young children to fall. The swings are made of molded plastic and have a blue seat with a red T-shaped restraint front and model number 4117-00 molded underneath the seat. Call toll-free 1-800-815-4820. Web site: www.littletikes.com.
20,500 Home Decor Swing wooden baby gates by Evenflo Co.; the plastic mounting hardware that attaches to the wall can crack or break, allowing the wooden gate to unlatch. Only model numbers "1555/6" with manufacture dates before September 2001 are included in this recall. Call toll-free 1-800-576-0507. Web site: www.swinggate.com.
1.5-million Fold-Up Booster Seats, intended for children who can sit unassisted through about 4 years of age, by Safety 1st; the top half of the seat inserts can separate, and a child can fall from the chair and be injured. Affected are model numbers 173, 173A and 173B. Call toll-free 1-888-579-1730 between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. weekdays. Web site: www.safety1st.com.
102,000 Cosco "Zip n Go," "Okie Dokie," and "Carters" playpens manufactured between May 1995, and December 1997, by Dorel Juvenile Group; the plastic tabs on the playpen that lock the rails into the corners can break or loosen over time, allowing the rails to turn inward, collapse and entrap an infant. Call toll-free 1-800-314-9327 between 8 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. weekdays. Web site: www.djgusa.com.
About 500 disc-brake specific bicycle rims by Salsa Cycles; the rims can unexpectedly fail during normal use, posing the risk of falls and serious injury to riders. Recalled rims are the Salsa Alto models (used on mountain bikes that have disc brakes); they were sold individually or built up into wheels with Shimano Deore or Deore XT hubs. Call toll-free 1-877-887-2572 between 10 a.m. and 6 p.m. weekdays. Web site: www.salsacycles.com.
394,000 electric blankets by Biddeford Textile Corp.; the plug that connects the detachable control switch to the blanket can become loose. The resulting poor electrical contacts can overheat, posing a fire hazard. Affected models are Controlled Comfort, EH 2000, Starbright, Staywarm, Supreme 21, Warm Comfort, with serial numbers A001A to C210C. Call toll-free 1-877-217-6294. Web site: www.blanketrecall.com.

-- Sources: SafetyAlerts at www.safetyalerts.com; Consumer Product Safety Commission at www.cpsc.gov, toll-free 1-800-638-2772; Food and Drug Administration at www.fda.gov.; government food safety information at www.foodsafety.gov.

-- Action solves problems and gets answers for you. If you have a question, or your own attempts to resolve a consumer complaint have failed, write Times Action, P.O. Box 1121, St. Petersburg, FL 33731, or call your Action number, (727) 893-8171, or, outside of Pinellas, toll-free 1-800-333-7505, ext. 8171, to leave a recorded request.

-- Requests will be accepted only by mail or voice mail; calls cannot be returned. We will not be responsible for personal documents, so please send only photocopies. If your complaint concerns merchandise ordered by mail, we need copies of both sides of your canceled check.

-- We may require additional information or prefer to reply by mail; therefore, readers must provide a full mailing address, including ZIP code. Names of letter writers will not be omitted except in unusual circumstances. Letters may be edited for length and clarity.

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