[Carol K]

I have been reading messages for over 2 months now on TOTV. What a wealth of information. Thank You everyone! My husband and I are renting a villa for the month of July in hopes of finding a home.
We have a pretty good understanding of the BOND, MAINTENANCE and AMENITY payments. This is my 1st post and hope someone in Marion County can help.
Real Estate Agent, Debbie Gentry, has a post on her web site as follows:
"MAINTENANCE PAYMENT: This amount never changes and never goes away..... It is also pays for road maintenance in Sumter county. If you buy in Marion county, then the road maintenance could end up being a special assessment the way it is currently set up. That is suppose to be changing but so far it has not changed."
1st question: Can the maintenance payment never go up???
2nd question: This "special assessment". Is this in place of the maintenance payment or in addition to the maintenance payment and why is there a "special assessment" for Marion and not Sumter County?

[zcaveman]

I live in Marion county and the first time I heard the term 'special assessment" was from a Sumter county person a few days ago in another post.

In Marion county, we have what is called a Villages Comm Development Maintenance. This amount is determined by our CDD representatives and placed in the budget. I goes for the roads, landscaping, flowers, etc in CDD4.

I own a ranch on a base lot. My tax amount this year was $454.06. Last year and the year before that it was $440.83. My first year it was $371.90. So it is not a big amount. IF we ever need major road repair, I would suspect that would end up in the budget and would be part of our annual CDD maintenance charge.

These budget hearings are open hearings so you can go and sit and see what gore into defining this figure.

[bkcunningham1]

Welcome Carol K to The Villages (TV) and to TOTV (Talk of the Villages). I hope you find your experience with both enjoyable. Your post just made me glad we own a home in Lake County. I tried to find information to answer your questions. All I could come up with this information from another realtor so I can't attest to the accuracy of this statements and a small piece from the Marion County Board of Supervisors website.

http://www.kencasey.com/county-bonds.htm

http://www.marioncountyfl.org/MSTU/MSTU_default.aspx

[Pturner]

Great links, Cuz. Thanks!

[bkcunningham1]

I also found this information about where the taxes go from the Marion County Property Appraiser's office. The info about the MSTU assessment is on the second page at the bottom right.

http://216.255.243.131/trim07.pdf

Hope this helps.

[bkcunningham1]

My remark about living in Lake County sounded rude. I'm sorry. My mother raised me better than that. I didn't mean it as a slam against Marion County zcaveman.

[Bryan]

The fact that TV is in portions of three counties (Lake, Marion and Sumter) and one town (Lady Lake), with another town (Wildwood) soon to be added, is a godsend for the "bad" guys. They use political boundaries to hide and avoid retribution. For the rest of us (the "good" folks") these boundaries can be, at best, confusing. I will say that the local paper (The Daily Sun) does a pretty good job of reporting on meetings of various government agencies, community development districts, boards, etc. I have also found a visit to the local government offices usually fairly informative when I've had a question. I would recommend you look into these bond and fee issues personally when you are down here looking for a home. The answers can be different from street to street, depending on which county or town that street is in.

It was not a consideration to me but it has been to others as to which county they live in. Property tax rates are different in all (not by a lot but different). It appears (to me) that 70-75% of TV is in Sumter County and they seem to have more of a "presence" government-wise in TV. There is the Sumter County Government Annex at 466 and Morse. Lake County also has a government annex, I think near The Greens off of Avenida Central near the Fiesta Bowling Lanes. I think Marion County has the least government presence in TV such that you have to go to Belleview just to get license tags or pay (in person) property taxes or register to vote.

You're coming here. You will have a month (I think you said) to look around, research, etc. Go for it. Just don't let all that research interfer with having a great time.

[zcaveman]

Originally Posted by bkcunningham1

My remark about living in Lake County sounded rude. I'm sorry. My mother raised me better than that. I didn't mean it as a slam against Marion County zcaveman.

Not a problem. I think I have made that same remark myself about living in Marion county. We should all be proud of where we live.

Some info about the maintenance budgets: In fact, I think I remember reading in the Daily Sun that the maintenance fee is going to go up 4% in District 1 -- which is Lake county (but not on the historic side).


District map:

http://www.districtgov.org/yourdistr...map/index.aspx

District 1 proposed Budget:

http://www.districtgov.org/departmen...d%20Budget.pdf

Proposed budgets for all districts:

http://www.districtgov.org/departmen...et/budget.aspx

[zcaveman]

Originally Posted by bkcunningham1

I also found this information about where the taxes go from the Marion County Property Appraiser's office. The info about the MSTU assessment is on the second page at the bottom right.

http://216.255.243.131/trim07.pdf

Hope this helps.

We get the TRIM notice in the mail every year when the preliminary tax budget is sent to us.

Since 2001, I have only seen: County Wide Waste, County Clean Water, Village Comm Development and Village Fire.

Under the non-valorum section:

MSTU (Municipal Services Taxing Units): Special taxing units for unincorporated areas on Marion County to provide municipal services.

Road Assessment: MSTU for unincorporated areas of Marion County to provide road and drainage improvements. We have been told that Marion County will not take care of any roads in the Marion county portion of the Villages. That maintenance will be part of our Villages Comm Development maintenance charges. I am not sure if that also means Buena Vista Blvd.

I do not think we are in an unincorporated part of Marion County so these do not affect us.

We also do not have the Clean Water Program or the Low Income Assistance entries.

[zcaveman]

Originally Posted by Bryan

I think Marion County has the least government presence in TV such that you have to go to Belleview just to get license tags or pay (in person) property taxes or register to vote.

We have a police station and fire station and an EMT station in our area. They are all less that five minutes away in an emergency. That is about the only Marion County presence in our end of the Villages.

I got my license tags at the Lake County tax collector office in Village Green. I got my drivers license in Wildwood (Sumter County). I am pretty sure I got the forms to register to vote at the Villages Green Tax office when I got my tags. I mail in the property taxes so I am not sure but I think you can pay them at the Lake County tax collector office.

I have used the Belleview Tax Collector office several times. It is not a problem. I have never waited long and they are always friendly.

[Carol K]

Thanks for all the responses. The links were very helpful. Looking forward to our stay at The Villages in July and hope with some luck we will be joining the fun full time.

[Pturner]

Originally Posted by Carol K

I have been reading messages for over 2 months now on TOTV. What a wealth of information. Thank You everyone! My husband and I are renting a villa for the month of July in hopes of finding a home.
We have a pretty good understanding of the BOND, MAINTENANCE and AMENITY payments. This is my 1st post and hope someone in Marion County can help.
Real Estate Agent, Debbie Gentry, has a post on her web site as follows:
"MAINTENANCE PAYMENT: This amount never changes and never goes away..... It is also pays for road maintenance in Sumter county. If you buy in Marion county, then the road maintenance could end up being a special assessment the way it is currently set up. That is suppose to be changing but so far it has not changed."
1st question: Can the maintenance payment never go up???
2nd question: This "special assessment". Is this in place of the maintenance payment or in addition to the maintenance payment and why is there a "special assessment" for Marion and not Sumter County?

Carol,

I know you will enjoy your stay in TV. Hope you become a Villager!

Some additional thoughts on the bond and maintenance fees:

The one-time bond assessment on each home can range from zero (on a resale) to $25,000. Since the amount can be significant, the best way to look at it is to just add the bond to the purchase price of the home when comparing home prices.

However, I wouldn't be concerned about whether the county charges a maintenance fee or special assessment. You will pay for infrastructure maintenance and local government services no matter where you live-- whether that be in TV or anywhere else.

I'm not sure why it matters whether the cost of infrastructure maintenance and/or certain local government services are all lumped into your property tax millage rate, or broken out as a separate "maintenance fee" or "special assessment". There's probably some minor benefit in having it broken out. The maintenance fee or special assessment will go up or down each year depending on the actual annual budget for the specific line items covered by the fee or assessment. When everything is just rolled into the millage rate, there is less accountability and the amount only moves one way-- up.

But really, unless you care whether it comes out of your left pocket or your right pocket, the method of collection for infrastructure maintenance and county services needn't be of much concern.

As Russ says, that's my opinion. I could be wrong.

Have a great visit!