Palm Beach County Flooding: Some Homeowners May Qualify for Tax Refund, Applications Due March 1, 2027
A West Palm Beach condo owner still has floodwater at his garage and no flood insurance. Florida law offers a partial property tax refund, but only to homes uninhabitable for at least 30 consecutive days.
Jesse Cabral still has water at his door. The flooding from last week's heavy rains persists around his condo in the Grand Isles community off Haverhill Road in West Palm Beach, WPTV Florida News reports. The water is still over ankle-deep and laps up to his garage.
The water did not come into his unit, Cabral said. It did flood his garage, and he said it did a lot of damage in there.
He is not alone. WPTV reporter Matt Sczesny writes that in some areas of South Florida and the Treasure Coast, the flooding from those rains has not gone away.
A possible break on the tax bill
For some homeowners, flood damage can lead to a break on property taxes. According to an email from Palm Beach County Appraiser Dorothy Jacks, cited by WPTV, Florida law says homeowners whose residences are uninhabitable for at least 30 consecutive days due to a catastrophic event may qualify for a partial property tax refund.
That is a narrow test. The refund is partial, not full, and the 30-day mark is the line the law draws. WPTV's report does not say whether Cabral's situation, a flooded garage but a dry unit, would meet that standard.
Homeowners seeking a refund must submit an Application for Catastrophic Event Tax Refund, known as Form DR-465, and supporting documentation by March 1, 2027. The report does not spell out what that documentation should include.
What it means for your assessment
WPTV also reports how the flooding touches assessments. Damage sustained during this flooding will not change a property's 2026 assessment. It may affect the 2027 assessment if repairs remain incomplete as of Jan. 1, 2027.
In plain terms, whether repairs are finished by Jan. 1, 2027, could matter for next year's assessment. The report does not say by how much.
The insurance gap
WPTV notes that flood insurance is still the best protection from sudden flooding events, even in areas not known for flooding in the past. Cabral's condo is not in a designated flood zone, and he did not get flood insurance.
"This isn't a designated flood zone, and I didn't get flood insurance, so it might be a problem," Cabral said.