I agree with the Tax assessors!!! This should never have been attached to the their property taxes and at a staggering 10%??? Someone in government created this to make money period. Who's getting a kickback out of that 10% that's what I want to know. Then you factor in the expectation that property taxes will go up over a 30 year period of time and property owners are dead on arrival.

This is why I never get involved into these convuluted deals via the county.

Im here from the government and I'm here to help.

Home buyers, beware of these debts before buying a house that was “improved” under this program. Make sure the seller pays the remaining balance at time so sale so you don’t get stuck paying it,

Purely predatory is what these "loan offices" are.

Another scam. These scammers need to be dealt with immediately and justly

I used to work for a a/c company and they would use this program to target the elderly. They made millions

The one contract showed 36000 in interest over life of loan which is insane. The entire job should not cost this much.

Imagine paying 10% on a roof loan for 30 years….They’ll need another new roof before it’s paid off. Then what? It sounds like the counties are trying to protect the homeowners from certain foreclosure. What is the state thinking??

Extortion and Racketeering plane and simple price the elderly and fixed income homeowners out of there homes.

Just do it yourself, and don't get involved with counties or government programs. It is all a scam

Screw this judge and this scam program I’ll be suing

Since when does a Leon County Judge have authority over ALL Florida Counties?? His ruling is only valid in Leon County.

This is wild. Florida homeowner insurance is wild. Florida is just wild. Wild.

Didnt we leave Britain because of taxation without representation?… now we are being taxed in the same way by judges who don’t represent our best interest but the governments🙄

Nothing free or cheap

14k for that small roof is crazy 😂

This Program needs to end .

She should've sold the house since she was not able to replace her roof

800,000,000÷25,000 is approximately $32,000 per house. A new roof does not cost $32,000, so where did all the money go to?

WOW !!! This is insanity!!! Should be illegal and NOT THROWN AT EVERYONE! SMH WOW

I looked into this program to see what it did and if it was something to be involved in. I found it to be highly selective in answering direct specific questions. I found roof quotes outlandish. I found window replacement quotes outlandish. This is just a trap looking for the next victim. It should be shutdown.

This is literally a way for a lender(who has got to be friendly with leadership in Florida) to loan money to people with no/bad credit(no credit checks apparently) who put up their homes as collateral. The loans are supposed to be for construction/installation of energy efficient improvements or home hardening construction improvements. Many people getting these loans, which don't have great interest rates by any stretch of the imagination, only have 1 asset, and it's the equity they have in their home. (the website for PACE says their interest rates are low because they're lower than the interest rate of a credit card[which on its own is not true for all credit cards]... Also, it's an obsurd thing to claim when presenting the program as some benevolent state program to help homeowners. Your house is not collateral against a credit card, not any credit card I've ever seen anyway). So essentially, you can't pay the 10%-13% interest rate PACE loan payment that they add directly to your property tax bill... PACE puts a lien on your house, and they can literally end up with your home for pennies compared to what it's worth. This is sick. It's like they set up a loophole to dole out predatory mortgages that help them secure super cheap immediately profitable real estate investments. Someone made some serious campaign contributions, or was owed a serious favor from leadership in Florida. Why do the loans have interest rates at all? if they're going to allow them to charge a 7% closing fee, then interest as well... how can you allow that interest rate to excede 2-3%. Florida really is devoted to going from 2nd in the nation in wealth inequality to 1st in the nation. 100's of millions in tax breaks for the rich approved just last year, and that barely scratches the surface.

That's Not How It Works A Judge Does Not Have That Power.

The PACE business needs to be taken to court and have them face the music.

That looks like a huge house….if she couldn’t afford a new roof or repairs, maybe it’s time to move to a smaller house…..that’s how people end in trouble and may even lose their homes….

35k for a 14k roof on a 10% 30 year note? That's loan shark stuff. I'll just bet there is an adjustable rate clause hidden in there as well. Also, if she can not afford to maintain her home, perhaps it is time to downsize.

In other news homelessness in Florida at an all time high and still going up. Coincidently, rich people making record profits on residential properties.

This should not be a tax issue. This should be a mortgage issue. The roof is attached to the house. These improvement loans should be made part of the mortgage as in home improvement loans that use the equity in the home. This does not becaome a tax issue on ground of a loan. The taxes are only raised if a assessment shows a increase in the value of the home.

The judge can pound sand

This judge is going to far . People ŵho are not a party to PACE should not be paying for others.

It amazes me that Americans can’t see the forest for the trees. It’s 2024… every single house built across the entirety of Europe, Australia, New Zealand etc, since 1950, still has its original roof. Why can every single country on the planet build roofs which last the life of the home, yet America installs roofs that need a complete replacement every 10 years? Nobody should ever have to have their roof replaced…. Ever. My house in australia was built in 1972, and still has its original roof. Every house in my street was built in the 70s, and they all still have their original roofs. Same goes for my entire suburb. Replacing a roof is something no one in Australia even contemplates. It’s just not on our radar at all.

they should disclose how much of that $800+million was in interest payments, the rate at which Pace recipients defaulted or sold their homes, and the profit made by Pace lenders and installers. what is disturbing is the coverage from the news is so appallingly ignorant of any basic finance knowledge. it is simply the poor disabled and the need. the disabled homeowner made a great point that any competent investigative reporter should have followed up on. The homeowner indicated that she could swing $200-300 more per month (the increased tax bill) to pay the loan. First question: how many cannot afford the increased payment and will it increase risk of default? Second question: if you can afford that much then how about saving for a year or two, get competitive bids for the roof, and look at home equity, personal loans, credit card, etc. as options. The tax accessor gets at this point indicating that the homeowners targeted. can barely afford their tax bills now, and cannot qualify for financing. there’s no free lunch, tPace parties are not going to assume that risk, so of course the interest rates will be insane, and they are apparently have or are given the ability to assign it as a tax lien.

I'm a contractor, and it seems her roofer is simply doing whatever he can to protect his business.

I’m a contractor in Florida, I could never do this to anyone. The prices the contractors that do this Pace work, charge a fortune for one thing. People pay 40% or more over what they would pay on their own. Roofs especially, are so obnoxiously priced these days, it’s hard to afford without a loan.

This to me is similar to the “Private tech college” that was really prominent in the early 2000’s. The government would let you access financial aid for a degree that’s not even officially accredited. And many people couldn’t even find jobs in the field cause companies would laugh at them for attending the schools and had to pay it all back.

Time too pay or we are going to Repo that Roof job.. If you can't pay the Roofer how you gonna pay the added amount on your Taxes.? I find it intriguing how people survive with no Amenities at all, yet people need AC and fancy windows and that people can survive in a Tropical setting with none of those amenities. I lived in Florida it's not that bad and you become accustomed too it. People just live way above what they really need.

Her statement at the end, that it is not her issue it's between pace lender and county is wrong.. contractors can place lean if lender doesn't pay.. I bet it's in fine print.

Flordia is out of control in everything. 😮

Ah, what did De Satan have to do with this?

These Pace losers need to set up their own separate loan programs, not try to make the tax collector collect for them.

$31,000 average per house.....Really? I replaced my whole roof for under $8000 and it was through the roofer's lender. They know a tax lien is an option if not paid. Adding it to the tax collector bill is a scam.

Got to push out all those middle-class people. So you can move in more rich New Yorkers.

And they say California is messed up!

More Florida greed.

$2-300 a month in additional county tax assessment would bankrupt me!! I just watch many county commissioners and agency heads get the FREE Federal property improvement freebies on their own businesses and investment properties. Shaking my head at their perks while I know people living in poverty have a car sized hole in their roof…

If you can afford a 2-300 dollar loan payment you should be saving 2-3 hundred s month. Then youll have momey to pay for repairs.

Why is it almost everyday Florida is involved in something ??? Is it the water or the Governor...??

Look closely, very nice big house on fenced in yard, covered pool in back yard, new car in driveway and a boat. But she can't afford her own home repairs? Who gets to keep the 10% interest?

The unfortunate reality is that your house will always bee the object getting the lien placed in it. You need to understand that even if the county paid the amount due, that the loan is applied to your property in the form of a lien. Don't pay, your house will be sold.

We are losing our homes because of home owners insurance as well. The insurance companies are dumping older houses and insuring the new homes. Home owners insurance in Florida if you can find it is through the roof.

When you have taxes that rise quicker than the income you can earn then that needs to be the end of the rise in your taxes. There should NEVER be be a forced sale to pay for property taxes, when an honest effort has been made, like when emergency health issues arise. Instead of a forced sale, especially when you have spent enough time in your home that without interest you have paid for it already. Why can’t the tax collectors just place a lien and get paid back when a sale occurs for any reason. Especially a primary homesteaded home. Without of course any unreasonable fine or interest, higher than the current rate available for a great credit rating borrower.

WOW if only Florida had a body that could regulate these companies. Maybe a body of representative who could look at these ideas and make a decision that would benefit 'taxpayers'. Gee what could be done? Is it possible that somehow the people of Florida could somehow join together and appoint an organization to represent them? Oh wait, they do have something like this! It just sucks. Shocking!

This is terrible!! the tax department needs to do their jobs of these people. Do not lose our home now.!!

Shingles for that house is at most $3k, so 900% labor & FEE'S

Wow 10% over 30 years. Turns a $15k improvement into a $50,000 bill over 30 years. Crazy ridiculous interest rate. Criminal.

10% interest rate you might as well give your home to the County..

How is replacing shingles on a roof part of an "energy" program? That doesn't affect energy.

Any home owner who gets involved with a financing scam like this is ignorant & needs intervention.

Just do what Murphy Brown, did have a handy man on the payroll.

KEY STATEMENT BY PASCO COUNTY TAX COLLECTOR, MR. FASANO - HOMEOWNERS CAN BARELY AFFORD THEIR TAXES!

If they come knocking show em the way outta the yard!!! 🤯🤯🤯

Floriduh!!!

Wait, PACE gets millions in donations, but these people still have to pay back interested loans? Thats confusing.

Government coercion, who would have thought.

Why is the Pasco Co Tax collector JUDGING whether folks can pay or not? Why did he Flip the Question about participation? Why ask a guy who criticized The People who get these loans instead of the program? He shouldn't be a tax collector talking about Taxpayers that way!

Gotta make these companies rich! 💪🇺🇲💪

Get that Governor on it!

LA County is tangled up in this too. Big problems for everyone involved. County getting sued, contractors getting sued. Big mess.

This is EXACTLY why I never have taken out debt. Granted, I don't own my home, but I also never plan to have this problem. I wish our society is more affordable, I hate that she's going through this

This reporting is excellent - I'm surprised the full issue was reported here

Have family snd friends help replace your roof.. Than you won't half to sign a contract!!

I believe the counties are doing the right things, trying to protect people from losing their homes.

New HOA laws. $500. a month home insurance and auto up too. Groceries. Gas. FUDGE!!!

TAKE advantage of the UNSUSPECTING !

What is needed is an emergency injunction to halt foreclosures until this is sorted

Ill never hire a roofer company to do my roof,they can change what they want..and take you to the bank and put a lean on your home!!

Don't hire a roofer company!! They could take you to the bank are put s lean on your House..

If you want something screwed up, involve the government. I hope it works out for these people.

The fact that it's a 10% interest rates should be a huge RED FLAG as to the predatory nature of this program....

A judge should not make rules

Why doesn't it just result in a small reverse mortgage that allows improvements and payments based on improvements minus the reverse mortgage.

I fully support the duly elected tax collectors in refusing.

The way those counties are handling this is so bone headed. "We're afraid home owners are going to lose their home due to this potentially shady program so let's remove that fear by ensuring they lose their home instead!"

I remember getting pitches on this program. I smelled a rat at that time, looks like I was right!

PACE should be illegal taxation. Period.

If you can't afford to maintain a house then don't buy it. Get a smaller one. Get a tiny house. Always live below your means. I learned this from my Dad back in the 60's and 70's. He also taught me how to do my own repairs and save for emergencies. Never give someone else the opportunity to get their fingers in your front door. They will eventually move their way in and take over.

Where is the governor on all of this?… where is Ashley Moody on all of this?…. Awfully silent in Tallahassee.

As soon as someone says this is a government program to help people, I immediately back away because I know there is going to be some b.s. somewhere within the program or services offered!

And we ignore the "tax" part being illegal

Why EXACTLY is she on "disability". If she can do a news interview, she can answer phones at a customer service business.

Only after $800,000,000 later , someone noticed a very fishy odor.....

I live in Florida. When my roof needed replacing 3 years ago, my homeowner's insurance paid for it. A rotten branch broke off and punched 3 holes in it, an assessor came out, approved it, and bingo, it got done. It was 22 years old, and thanks to a friendly hurricane, I got a new roof for free.

How about the counties and our worthless governor do something about the ridiculous rising property taxes and insurance companies running from the state first.

When the govt offers to help, RUN!

Nicole needs to get a job. She’s milking the system. She can work from home. There’s no reason she can’t work. Fraud , now karma

As with any contract. Take the time to read it , and understand it before you sign it..........

DeSatan's Florida

Nine most dangerous words: “I’m from the government & I’m here to help” Ronald Reagan So, they sign the loan, notice no change in the mortgage deduction or escrow amount & suddenly they are shocked to find no payments have been made? Pay the $200 out of your bank account every month to the lender then. Not sure what the problem is there

Solar/Blue Roofs, Rain catching and Well systems where possible, and Gardens should be apart of every household. If you want to raise rent, taxes, and mortgage, all other living expenses should be as self sufficient and substaining as possible.