Summer 2025 FCIAAO Newsletter

advice SAGE

Cool Confusion: Mini-Splits, PTACs, and Property Assessment in Florida Window units, mini-splits, PTACs oh my! One home has a full zoned ductless mini-split system. A nearby nursing home? PTAC units in every room and central AC. Over at a manufacturing plant, there's a chilled water fan coil humming away. And that older bungalow down the street? It’s got a window unit clinging to the sill like it’s 1982. But how do we begin to assess the cooling systems in all these scenarios, especially here in the hot and humid state of Florida? Now, this is an advice column, not a mechanical engineering manual or an appraisal journal. So let’s keep it practical. The key is to know the statutes, understand your internal policies, and assess each property holistically. And yes, we’re venturing into the world of personal property—not just real. (I know, I know... my bias is showing.) Under § 192.011, Fla. Stat. (2024), the property appraiser must assess all property—except inventory. That often brings to mind the old phrase, “If it’s not real, it’s personal.” But in true assessor fashion, let me throw a wrench in that simplicity: “It depends.” residence. Start Simple: Residential Cooling Let’s begin with that ductless mini-split system or the vintage

window unit in a private residence. Florida statutes define “household goods” as items like furniture, appliances, and other comforts typically found in a home—used by the owner and their family. These are considered personal property, but here’s the catch: household goods are expressly excluded from the definition of tangible personal property (TPP). That means if the mini-split or window unit is in an owner occupied home, it should not be assessed as TPP. Now let’s move on to PTAC units in a commercial setting—say, a motel. The first question is: Is this the only source of heating and cooling for the space? If yes, then congratulations, we have conditioned space. But before you rush to add those PTACs to your TPP roll, take a beat. If your office is already accounting for the value of heated/cooled space in the real property valuation, adding PTACs as TPP would be double dipping. Don’t do that. On the flip side, if you choose to assess the PTAC units as TPP, make sure you remove any corresponding adjustment on the building’s value. If it’s not real, it’s personal. But if it’s not personal… it’s real! Hospitality Headaches: PTACs in Hotels and Motels A Twist: Overlapping Systems in Care Facilities Here’s where we really lean into the “it depends” part.

SAGE SULLIVAN. PPS, DUVAL COUNTY

Imagine a nursing home where every room has both central ducted air and a mini-split. The entire building is already cooled by the central system—but each room has its own little bonus unit. My assessor brain immediately wonders: is this an over improvement? Functional obsolescence? But I digress. The key here is this: if the central AC already provides full coverage, and you’re valuing that as part of the real property, then the mini-splits are additional—and should be assessed separately. That’s the big difference from our motel PTAC scenario, where the units were the only cooling source. So, what’s my sage advice? Assess holistically. Always look at both the real and personal property assessment records. That’s how you avoid: Double assessments, and Missed assessments altogether. Stay sharp, ask the right questions, and if in doubt—ask again.

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STAYING APPRAISED

SUMMER 2025