Property Appraisers: Rooney Exemptions Were Legal

Congressional candidate Tom Rooney and his wife, Tara, owned two properties in 2007, and received homestead exemptions for a $410,000 house in Tequesta and a $315,000 house in Jupiter.

But they did nothing illegal, said Martin County Property Appraiser Laurel Kelly.

Florida law allows a property owner to claim a homestead exemption on the house where they reside on Jan. 1. However, if the homeowner buys a new home and moves in during the same year, they "inherit" another homestead exemption from the previous property owner, Kelly said.

"It's a common misconception we try to head off by putting information on our Web site," Kelly said. "The process is confusing."

"It may appear," the Martin County property appraiser's Web site says, "that someone has two homestead exemptions when they in fact do not. This is because the status of a property on Jan. 1 each year is used to determine the property's value and exemptions for the entire year. This means if a property owner has homestead exemption and sells the property after Jan. 1, his exemption will remain on the property for the entire calendar year, and will be removed as of Jan. 1 of the next year. Although there will still be an exemption on the property after the sale, it is NOT the new owner's exemption."

The Rooneys did not have an exemption in 2007 on Martin County property, Kelly pointed out. "That exemption belonged to the former property owner."

"He did absolutely nothing wrong," Palm Beach County Property Appraiser Gary R. Nikolits agreed.

"To set the record straight, the Rooneys only filed one homestead exemption in 2007," said Rooney's communications director, Jeff Ostermayer. "It is unfortunate that Tim Mahoney will say anything to get elected. The truth is Tom and Tara Rooney think it is important to live in the district he will represent in Washington. The Rooneys live inside the 16th district while Tim Mahoney does not. Mahoney's 'intention' to someday build his dream home and live the district is completely irrelevant."