in Florida, they have a provision in the law known as the "Save Our Homes" cap.

[YewNork]

Florida allows the owner of a property to declare that property as his "homestead" as long as he resides on the property and it is his primary residence.
Property taxes in Florida are based on the assessed market value of the property (plus any buildings and improvements on the property).
Once a property has been declared a homestead, the Save Our Homes cap means that the assessed value of the house cannot increase more than 3% per year,
even if the market value increases more than that amount. So, for example, if the market value of your house was $100,000 last year,
and it's $120,000 this year, then if your house is your homestead then your home's taxable value can only be increased to $103,000.
Once a property is sold, the house's taxable value is set to the market value, and if the house is homesteaded by the new owner the 3% cap starts at that point.

So, what that has resulted in people who all own the same type of home paying wildly different property taxes.

My sister owns a home in Florida, near her husband's parents - who also own their own home. I bought a home there too, but I don't live
in it, I rent it to a tenant. My sister's home and her in-laws home are homesteaded respectively. My place isn't homesteaded because I
don't live there.

All three homes have approximately the same market value. Here's where it ends.

My sister's in-laws have been homesteaded the longest, 25 years, their property taxes are $1,200 a year.
My sister (she's widowed) has lived there about 7 years, and her taxes are $1,800.
I've owned my place about 6 years, but I'm not homesteaded. My property taxes are $4,200.

Remember, all three houses are in the same town and have approximately the same market value, but I pay
more than double what my sister pays, and she pays more than her in-laws pay, because of the Save Our Homes cap.

My sister's in-laws are lifelong Republicans and they have a sign in front of their home saying that they do not support
"taking my money and giving it to someone else". They got the sign at one of the recent teabagging events, where they
were being handed out.

I wonder how many people carrying those signs are the same ones who support the Save Our Homes cap? When questioned
about it, they say that Save Our Homes is fair because they've paid more taxes overall. In fact, a few years ago, there was
a vote to allow homesteaded Floridians to carry their current cap to a new homesteaded house if they decided to move.
Prior to this vote, if you moved and homesteaded, the cap began at the market value when you purchased the home.
That vote was overwhelmingly passed. Yet, these same people say that it's not fair to take their money and give it to someone else?