﻿From:	Steve Keller <KELLERS@dor.state.fl.us>
Sent:	Friday, October 28, 2005 4:19:27 PM
To:	Jeb Bush <jeb@jeb.org>
Subject:	Fwd: Re: Collier County special magistrate VAB
Attachments:	[Untitled Attachment]

Below is a response to the attached email that you were copied on by the
sender. 
She has now withdrawn the statement of an unqualified special
magistrate.

>>> David Beggs 10/28/2005 7:18 AM >>>

>>> SHEILA ANDERSON < cps1@flash.net > 10/27/2005 8:46 PM >>>
My apology to you both. I confused two very similar names of two
special magistrates, and when the names were clarified, I did find the
Collier County person on the list of licenses.

However, and I realize they were hit hard by the storm, as of last
Friday, I am not aware that the VAB attorney had check with the
independent sources I named to find out what is lawful, and what is not
lawful, in terms of how the magistrates conduct the hearings.

For James McAdams knowledge, before the Presumption Bill was adopted
there was a Governor's Tax Task Force, appointed by Lawton Chiles, which
took testimony throughout the state regarding VAB abuses. One of the
most flagrant was described as the "pick the number" scheme. The Task
Force thoroughly debated and discarded that scheme, and inserted
specific language in its draft of The Presumption Bill - the sentence
that reads (paraphrasing) that the VAB and the court can determine the
assessment based upon competent evidence - and the legislature
unanimously adopted that language. So, why in Collier County (as well as
Broward, Palm Beach, Duval, Orange, Pinellas, Sarasota, Manatee,
Charlotte - you get the picture) is a special magistrate asking the
question that leads into that scheme? And, why is there anything in the
DOR petition that enables the scheme to be implemented throughout the
state when it was rejected and removed in 1997?!

No one can have a lawful hearing anywhere when the scheme is in use!
And it's in use, in major part because of the negligence of DOR, which
appears to be deliberate, because the form has not been updated. All it
takes to get the petition updated is a request from DOR in its
legislative package. And, when I say there is corruption, that's one of
the reasons why, David Beggs. Instead of dancing around the matter, get
rid of the scheme in the petition that turn the hearings into kangaroo
courts. You permit it - and that's bad faith where I come from.

David Beggs < BeggsD@dor.state.fl.us > wrote:
Ms. Anderson * In an October 18, 2005 email copied to James McAdams,
you wrote that a special magistrate presiding at a hearing in Collier
County stated that he was an appraiser and MAI. You were unable to
find
anyone with his name listed as a licensed appraiser on the Florida
Department of Professional Regulation's online database or on the
Appraisal Institute's membership list. 

Could you please provide the name of the person in question, the names
of any other special magistrates who you are aware are unqualified, or
any other information you would like to provide on this issue? 

Thank you.

David

