ORLANDO, Fla. — The city of Orlando just figured out a church owes more than $50,000 in property taxes for homes it's been managing.
Tree of Life Ministries made an agreement with the city to renovate 11 properties, but they haven't paid the property taxes, Channel 9's Deneige Broom learned.
A city spokesperson told Eyewitness News that the bill only got that high because the church didn't file exemptions properly.
Now the city wants the homes back and leaders are willing to pay all the back taxes to make it happen.
In 2009 and 2012 the church and the city of Orlando made an agreement that the church would be reimbursed with federal housing money if the church built and fixed up 11 homes to be rented or sold to lower income people.
Part of the agreement states, Tree of Life would have to pay property taxes, which the city just figured out hasn't happened.
A city spokesperson said the church didn’t properly file for an exemption until this year, which would've slashed those taxes by almost 90 percent. Now the city wants to terminate the agreement.
The Orlando City Council will vote Thursday about breaking the agreement and eventually signing a new one with a different non-profit. A city spokesperson said everyone currently in homes will be able to stay. Church leaders did not want to comment.
Cox Media Group
