Florida Homestead Exemption: Question About Definition of Urban and Rural

[Vanguard Fan 1367]

I read that in the "Best of the Website, Asset Protection"  in Florida Homestead 160 acres is protected from creditors in rural and one half acre in urban.   Anyone know the definition of rural and urban?

 

 

[jfoxcpacfp]

I think this might be a trick question, but I'll bite since you have received no answers.

Urban and Rural Setting (Florida)

Definition of rural

Definition of urban

[Mminter]

The starting point is the Florida Constitution.

In general, Article X, Section 4 of the Florida Constitution states that if you live in municipality (i.e., a city or town), your residences is fully protected so long as you live on less than one-half acre.

If you live outside of a city or town in an unincorporated area, your residences is fully protected so long as you live on less than 160 acres.  This protection is determined without regard to the value of the home.

So, how do you tell if your home is subject to the one-half acre or 160 acre exemption?  The easiest way is to visit the County Property Appraiser’s website and search for your residence.

Once you locate the page for your residence, in the “Property Detail” box (top left box), there is a row for “Tax District” (second row).  If the code for your tax district starts with the letter “U,” that means you live in an urban services district, and your residence has one-half acre of protection.  If the code for your tax district starts with the letter “G,” that means you live in a general services district, and your home has 160 acres of protection.

[Hank]

Cities occasionally annex adjoining territory.  Anyone know if you're grandfathered if your house is annexed into a city?  It'd be a pretty bad deal to have your 160 acre property lose protection on all but the curtilage of the property.