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TRENDS, TIPS, COOL STUFF
LEGAL AFFAIRS
Builder impact fee lawsuit in Osceola County, Fla., is seen as a statewide test case for educational impact fees. BY STEVE ZURIER
THE FLORIDA HBA (FHBA) AND THE HBA of metropolitan Orlando filed a class-action lawsuit on April 30 against Osceola County to overturn a measure that more than triples the impact fee for new school construction in this bedroom community just south of Orlando.
The case will be closely watched throughout the state because if the county prevails, home builders fear other county governments will view an Osceola victory as a green light to pass similar impact fee increases.
The new measure, which became effective May 1, increases the school impact fee to $9,708 per purchase of a single-family home, up from $2,828. The lawsuit seeks to roll back the impact fee to $2,828 and refund any monies paid by homeowners since May 1.
Nineteen of the state's 67 counties have educational...