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All Special Magistrates appointed to serve Palm Beach County must enter into a service agreement with the VAB. Special Magistrates are independent of the Property Appraiser's Office and the Tax Collector’s Office and work directly for the VAB.

2025 Special Magistrates

Attorneys:

Davis, Joseph Haynes
Taylor, Matthew S.
Schmidt, David

Real Property Appraisers:

Akers, S. James
Autrey, Terry L.
Burns, John
Busler, Robert
Chapin, David S.
Conway, David G.
Griffin, Daniel
Heatherly, Charles
Hunter, Robert N. Jr.
Lawson, Douglas B.
Martin, Michael
Scherer, Robert
Schmidt, Stephen M.
Schwartz, Elliot S.
Tarkoe, Zillah L.
Troncoso, David

Tangible Personal Property Appraisers:

Andrea, Pamela B.
De La Guardia, Mario

Contact

(561) 355-6289
Email Us

FAQs

What is myVAB?

MyVAB is a program available through the Clerk of the Circuit Court & Comptroller's website that allows taxpayers to file petitions to the Value Adjustment Board online. All VAB petitioners receive access to myVAB, which gives them real-time access to their petition and allows them to view petition status and hearing schedules.
Who sits on the Value Adjustment Board?

The Board is comprised of two County commissioners, one School Board member, and two citizen members. See the Board members for the current tax season. The Board appoints special magistrates to conduct the hearings and issue recommended decisions. Recommended decisions are not final until approved by the Board at an official meeting. All Board meetings are open to the public.
How is my property assessed?

Property is assessed by the Property Appraiser. The Property Appraiser is a separate agency, not affiliated with the VAB. The VAB is not involved with your property assessment or TRIM notice. For questions about your assessment, contact the Property Appraiser by visiting their website or calling (561) 355-3230.
VAB Rules and Procedures?

You may view rules and procedures online at the Florida Department of Revenue's website. Florida law requires all county Value Adjustment Boards to adhere to the Department’s Uniform Policies and Procedures Manual.
Who do I call for information?
- For questions about property taxes, call the Tax Collector at (561) 355-2264.
- For questions about your property assessments and values, homestead exemptions, and property classifications, call the Property Appraiser’s Office at (561) 355-3230.
- For questions about a filed petition, hearing date, reschedule or appeal process and/or final decision information, call the Value Adjustment Board at (561) 355-6289.
Can I resolve my property assessment issues without having to file an appeal with the VAB?

You have a right to an informal conference with a Property Appraiser representative and may request the conference by calling (561) 355-3230. If the conference does not resolve your concerns, you may file a petition with the VAB.

Caution: The informal conference and discussions with the Property Appraiser do not affect or toll the deadline for filing a petition. For that reason, you may wish to file a petition before learning the outcome of your discussions with the Property Appraiser to avoid missing the filing deadline. You may later withdraw your petition if an agreement is reached with the Property Appraiser.
Where do I obtain a petition form to file my appeal?
A petition may be obtained by doing one of the following:
- Visit myVAB to file and submit your petition online.
- Download form DR-486 (Petition to the Value Adjustment Board - Request for Hearing) from the Florida Department of Revenue's website. For homestead portability matters, use form DR-486PORT, also available from the above website.
- Visit the VAB located on the 2^nd floor of the Governmental Center (Room 203), or any Clerk branch location. VAB petitions are not available at the Main Courthouse.
- Visit one of the Property Appraiser’s office locations.
Where do I file my petition form once completed?

If you choose not to file online, you may file your petition in-person on the 2^nd floor of the Governmental Center (Room 203) or at any Clerk of the Circuit Court & Comptroller branch location. VAB petitions are not accepted at the Main Courthouse. You may mail your petition, along with a check or money order payable to the Board of County Commissioners, to the following address:

Value Adjustment Board
301 North Olive Avenue
Room 203
West Palm Beach, FL 33401

Before mailing, verify that all applicable information, signatures and payment have been provided. There is a non-refundable filing fee per parcel. See Fees & Costs for the current amount. Insufficient information and/or payment will result in the petition being rejected and returned to the sender.

Note: Upon submitting your petition, you will receive a receipt via the correspondence method you selected on your petition that includes a transaction number and password. Please retain this information to use to access the myVAB system where you may view your petition status and hearing details. Petitioners whose correspondence method is by email are advised to update any electronic mailbox filters to allow emails from vab@mypalmbeachclerk.com to prevent them from going to the spam or junk email folders.
Can I petition multiple properties on one petition?

One petition must be filed for each parcel control number unless the properties meet the criteria for multiple parcels on a single petition. The taxpayer must obtain prior approval from the Property Appraiser to file a single petition for multiple parcels. Special forms are provided and completed by the Property Appraiser for these cases. Please contact the Property Appraiser at 561-355-3230. These forms must be presented to the VAB clerk upon filing.
What information is needed to complete the petition form?
All information requested on the petition form and listed below must be submitted along with the appropriate fee(s).
- Petitioner name and mailing address for receipt of VAB notices. If your mailing address changes, you must immediately notify the VAB Clerk in writing and provide an updated address. Current and accurate petitioner information is critical to ensure timely receipt of notices. Note: the VAB is not responsible for routine forwarding delays to out-of-state addresses.
- Daytime telephone number
- Email address
- Parcel control number (PCN)
- Estimated time needed to present your case. Note: most presentations should not exceed 15 minutes.
- List of dates you are NOT available to attend hearings. Note: the VAB will consider a reasonable list of unavailable dates when scheduling your hearing but cannot guarantee accommodation of personal schedules. Please refer to FAQ Section 07 for information pertaining to reschedule requests.
  Hearings are anticipated to start late October
- Signature:
- Section 3 – If you are the OWNER and representing yourself as the taxpayer or if you are authorizing an UNLICENSED REPRESENTATIVE to represent you. (see also Section 5)
- Section 4 – If an EMPLOYEE, ATTORNEY or LICENSED REPRESENTATIVE is representing you, they will sign therein Section 4; your signature is not required (Section 3).
  - Licensed representatives include licensed real estate appraisers; licensed real estate brokers, and; certified public accountants.
- Section 5 – If an UNLICENSED REPRESENTATIVE is representing you, they will sign therein Section 5. Your signature is also required (Section 3) as well as a Letter of Authorization (LOA) or Power of Attorney (POA).

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Clerk of the Circuit Court & Comptroller, Palm Beach County

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