Refund program helps homeowners forced out of their homes after hurricanes

ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. — Some relief is coming for Central Floridians who had so much hurricane damage in 2016 or 2017 that they couldn’t live in their homes for 30 days or more.

Some families just returned to their homes 10 months after Hurricane Irma. In neighborhoods like Orlo Vista, entire streets had homes that needed to be gutted.

“When I got ready to step out of the bed, my feet hit the water before they even hit the floor,” said Orlo Vista resident Diane Scott. “I was like, ‘Come on, y’all, we got to go.’”

Hundreds of houses flooded, and lost electricity or their roofs.

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“I lost all my furniture. All my furniture. My stove, my appliances, everything,” Scott said.

Now state lawmakers have created a new property tax refund program to help. Floridians who couldn’t live in their home for a month or more after Hermine, Matthew or Irma qualify for a check.

The refund amount will be based on how many days a home was inhabitable as well as the property’s value before the storm.

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Anyone who lives in the state of Florida is eligible for a refund. The deadline to apply is March 1, 2019.

Homeowners will need to provide documentation to prove the property was inhabitable, like utility bills, insurance information or contractor statements. Refunds won’t be issued until 2019 property taxes are paid.

To apply,

Visit the Eye on the Tropics section to read about hurricane preparedness.

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Cox Media Group