City of Venice building permit fee refund notifications going out

COV

The City of Venice has experienced unanticipated and unprecedented construction activity over the past four years resulting in collecting more money in building permit fees than expected. The Florida Legislature recently amended Chapter 553 Florida Statutes to cap the amount of building fees local governments can carry forward from one fiscal year to the next. Florida law permits local governments to use funds in excess of the cap to reduce future building fees or pay refunds. The City of Venice decided to do both, reduce its fees, and pay refunds. Thus, a partial refund will be paid to anyone who paid the City a building permit fee in Fiscal Year 2019, 2020, 2021, or 2022.

City of Venice building permit customers will receive a refund if, in Fiscal Year 2019, 2020, 2021, or 2022 (Oct. 1, 2018, through Sept. 30, 2022), the customer paid for a building permit from the City. Refunds will be made payable to the applicant (the person or entity who paid for the permit). If your refund is calculated to be under $10, it will not be paid, and you are not eligible.

Refund amounts will be in proportion to the amount one contributed to the overage in a particular fiscal year. For example, if one paid $1,000 in permit fees in fiscal year 2022, their refund would be approximately $139.

Notification letters have been sent to all applicants who are owed a refund of at least $10. It is anticipated that refunds will begin to be mailed by the end of September 2023.

If you did not receive a notification letter and believe you should have, please email [email protected] or call 833-215-5899 before Friday, Aug. 25, 2023. DO NOT CONTACT THE CITY OF VENICE WITH QUESTIONS ABOUT THE REFUND. Visit https://www.venicerefunds.com for more information.