More than 36 owners of major commercial properties in Broward County have filed lawsuits against Property Appraiser Marty Kiar, alleging that his office incorrectly calculated market and assessed values for their properties. The property owners claim these valuations resulted in higher tax bills.
The lawsuits were filed between November and December in Broward County Circuit Court. The cases involve well-known hotels, office buildings, and retail centers located in cities such as Fort Lauderdale, Hallandale Beach, Hollywood, and Pompano Beach. The legal challenges focus on the methods used by Kiar’s office to assess high-profile commercial real estate across several sectors, including hospitality, gaming, office space, and retail.
Property owners argue that the appraiser’s approach led to inflated assessments of real market value, increasing their property taxes as a result.
Mila Schwartzreich, general counsel for the Broward property appraiser, explained that many of these complaints were filed during a specific legal window linked to the certification of the tax roll. This period follows any appeals to the county’s value adjustment board. “Property owners have 60 days from the date the value adjustment board certifies the tax rolls to file lawsuits. They are prohibited from doing so once the 60-day deadline expires,” Schwartzreich said.
She added that each county certifies its tax roll on its own schedule, so spikes in litigation often reflect those timelines rather than broader changes in the real estate market. Schwartzreich also noted that although Broward processes more parcels than some entire states, relatively few assessments end up being challenged in court compared with other Florida counties like Miami-Dade.
Most plaintiffs are represented by Samuel Brandan Lynch from Orlando-based law firm Lowndes. Lynch told The Real Deal he is not authorized to comment on these cases.
Among those suing are Trinity Investments and Credit Suisse, which own the Diplomat Beach Resort Hollywood. According to court records, Kiar’s office valued this oceanfront hotel at $589.9 million for 2024; its owners paid about $12.3 million in property taxes for that year. In 2023, Trinity and Credit Suisse purchased the resort and two nearby parcels for approximately $850 million before selling those adjacent parcels to BH Group and Related Group.
Other prominent property owners have also joined these legal actions against Kiar’s office.
