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ATTORNEY'S MATTERS: 412113 Of of INDIAN RIVER COUNTY ATTORNEY Alan S.Polackwich,St.,County Attorney WiMarn K.DeBraal,Deputy County Attorney Brooke W.Odom,Assistant County Attorney TO: Board of County Commissioners FROM: William K. DeBraal— Deputy County Attorney THROUGH: Alan S. Polackwich, Sr. —County Attorney e DATE: March 27, 2013 SUBJECT: Homesteaded Escheated Property Indian River County recently became the legal owner of the real property located at 3080 10th Court in Vero Beach. The County became the owner by virtue of an Escheatment Tax Deed issued by the Clerk of Circuit Court and recorded in the public records on March 7, 2013. The property was formerly owned by Douglas D. Welch (as to 112 interest) and by St. Lucie Consulting, Inc., a Florida for profit corporation (as to % interest). The property consists of a single family, concrete block home built in 1959. The house is approximately 1,447 square feet in size on a 0.29 acre lot in the Golf View Estates subdivision. In August 2002, the property was conveyed to Douglas D. Welch and his sister, Susan Welch.by way of a Personal Representative's Deed. It appears that Douglas lived in the house as his homestead property and his sister resided in Georgia. The property taxes for 2007 were not paid and a tax certificate was issued. Later years' taxes also went unpaid and the Clerk conducted a tax deed sale. At the sale, no one bid on the property, presumably because at the time of the tax deed sale, the property was homesteaded property and, pursuant to Florida Statutes, the opening bid is required to include one-half of the assessed value of the property at the time of the sale plus the past due taxes. Hence the opening bid was $73,384.27. Since there was no successful bidder at the tax deed sale, the property thereafter was entered on the List of Lands Available for Taxes. In February 2010, Susan Welch conveyed her one half interest in the property to St, Lucie Consulting, who owned the property equally with Mr. Welch. The property remained on the List for three years without being purchased and thereafter escheated to Indian River County in accordance with Florida Statutes. IM -ULAR AGENDA j r 's I 3• 7•b3 I 7Y A-,. SNE° s — 68 � r_u.