Broward property appraiser urges Southwest Ranches homeowners to check TRIM notices, outlines Owner Alert title‑fraud program

Broward County Property Appraiser Marty told the Town of Southwest Ranches on Aug. 20 that homeowners should carefully review the TRIM notice they recently received and file for available exemptions — including homestead — by Sept. 18 if eligible.

Marty said countywide market values have jumped sharply in the most recent assessment period and urged residents not to confuse market price with taxable value: “If you moved into Southwest Ranches and you were on your property on January 1, 2024, please file for Homestead exemption — it will protect you because your taxable value can’t go up more than 3%,” he said.

The property appraiser also described Owner Alert, a free notification service that sends email, text or mail alerts when a deed or other recording event appears on a parcel. Marty said the alert is sent after a deed is recorded, not before, but that rapid notification makes it possible to limit damage: “The alert comes after the Deed’s filed, but...it gives [owners] the opportunity to make sure they can alert our office so we can act,” he said. He advised recipients who receive an alert to contact the property appraiser’s office immediately so the county can open an investigation and, if warranted, avoid updating the tax roll while the matter is examined.

Marty described a county “crimes against property” initiative that places detectives in the property appraiser’s office and assigns an assistant state attorney to prosecute cases. He said hundreds of criminal investigations and multiple convictions followed since the team was formed, and he gave examples of restitution awards to victims: “We’ve had cases with restitution in the low hundreds of thousands — an elderly heir in Cooper City received about $210,000; another victim received about $130,000,” he said. He also recounted a scheme that led to a federal conviction and a $500,000 mortgage on a SW Ranches parcel; the defendant was sentenced to three years in federal prison.

Marty encouraged residents to sign up for Owner Alert at bcpa.net or in person during monthly office hours at town hall. He said the legislature recently exempted Owner Alert signup information from public records — phone numbers, emails and even the fact that a resident signed up are protected under the new law to prevent misuse of the list.

Residents asked operational questions at length. In response to a question about timing, Marty confirmed the system notifies after a document is recorded and recommended steps on receipt of an alert: contact the property appraiser’s crimes team, notify your mortgage company, and be prepared to cooperate with investigators. Bill Beringer, the county’s director of real property who attended the meeting, said there is no minimum parcel size for agricultural (AD) classification; eligibility depends on the activity documented and an inspection.

The presentation included community reassurance and process improvements: Marty said the courts and local partners have created an expedited judicial path for title‑fraud cases to help victims get property back more quickly and reduce legal costs for owners. He closed by urging all Southwest Ranches property owners — homestead or not — to sign up for Owner Alert as an added layer of protection.