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VAB Agenda 2-11-2021 Item # 3C Evidence ExchangeItem #3C • Discussion with Property Appraiser’s Office Regarding Evidence Upload into Axia 02/11/2020 Item #3C   Page 1    EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Discussion with the Property Appraiser’s Office regarding Petitioner Evidence Uploads into Axia. OBJECTIVE: The VAB Attorney and Property Appraiser’s Office to discuss, during the open meeting Petitioner Evidence Uploads into the Axia program. Regarding the evidence uploads and how such uploads affect/do not affect, evidence exchange. CONSIDERATIONS: Per Florida Statute, Chapter 194.011(4) (a), “At least 15 days before the hearing the petitioner shall provide to the Property Appraiser a list of evidence to be presented at the hearing, together with copies of all documentation to be considered by the value adjustment board and a summary of evidence to be presented by witnesses. (b) No later than 7 days before the hearing, if the petitioner has provided the information required under paragraph (a), and if requested in writing by the petitioner, the property appraiser shall provide to the petitioner a list of evidence to be presented at the hearing, together with copies of all documentation to be considered by the value adjustment board and a summary of evidence to be presented by witnesses. The evidence list must contain the property appraiser’s property record card. Failure of the property appraiser to timely comply with the requirements of this paragraph shall result in a rescheduling of the hearing.”. RECOMMENDATION: That the Value Adjustment Board Attorney and the Property Appraiser’s Office discuss and work with VAB Clerk Admin to formulate a local policy on this issue and bring back to the Value Adjustment Board for review and approval during the VAB 2021 Organizational Meeting. A copy of Lee County VAB Local Policies and Procedures attached hereto for review and reference. Collier County Value Adjustment Board (VAB) Local Evidence Policies and Procedures 1) For the current VAB session, any evidence uploaded by the petitioner into the VAB Axia system (Axia) will be admissible during the corresponding hearing, so long as such evidence is uploaded into Axia at least fifteen (15) calendar days prior to the corresponding hearing or a reasonable time prior to hearing, if not available fifteen (15) calendar days before said hearing. This local policy is subject to Property Appraiser consent and is subject to change at any time. The uploading of petitioner evidence into Axia will not commence the evidence exchange process. In order to commence the evidence exchange process, petitioner must follow Florida Statute Section 194.011(4) and any corresponding section of the Florida Statutes and Florida Administrative Code. Any request for PAO evidence uploaded into Axia will NOT constitute a formal request for PAO evidence. The VAB follows the requirements of the Florida Statutes and the Florida Administrative Code with regards to the evidence exchange process, and any and all parties are strongly encouraged to review such requirements and follow the same. 2) If petitioner has indicated on the petition that petitioner is unable to attend the hearing, but would like the VAB to consider evidence in petitioner’s absence, evidence must be uploaded into Axia prior to the hearing, pursuant to the sections of the Florida Statutes and the Florida Administrative Code which apply to evidence. If the petitioner is unable to upload evidence into Axia, then one (1) copy of the evidence packet must be provided to the Collier County Clerk’s Office at [Collier VAB mailing address] at least fifteen (15) business days prior to the hearing. 3) Evidence may be uploaded directly to the petition record on the VAB website. Evidence must be in PDF file format, less than 60MB in size. To upload petitioner evidence, the petitioner should a) Select "Value Adjustment Board", then “Access Filed Petitions”, at the Clerk's website: [Collier VAB Axia link] b) Enter Transaction # and Password (provided on the petition receipt) to access and open the petition record, select the "Upload Docs" icon, and follow the prompts. 4) Collier County VAB Evidence Upload Policy: a) The parties must upload their own respective evidence into Axia b) Each party submitting evidence should number each page of any and all evidence and/or documentation submitted which contains multiple pages. c) In the event that a party is unable to upload evidence into Axia, then said party must: 1) Contact the VAB Clerk for assistance in resolving the issue 2) If the issue cannot be resolved, provide any and all such evidence as PDF documents of reasonable size (less than 10 MB) to the VAB Clerk via email to vabclerk@collierclerk.com. d) The VAB Clerk will scan and upload paper evidence provided by a party ONLY IF such party has no access to a computer and no means to accomplish #1 or #3 above. e) Please note: Any and all evidence submitted to the VAB Clerk will be promptly scanned into the electronic petition record only if the party submitting such evidence is unable to upload such evidence in the Axia system, and any such evidence will thereafter be accessible to both the petitioner and the PAO. PAO evidence may not be visible to petitioner if petitioner has not properly initiated the Evidence Exchange process as described above. f) The VAB is not responsible for the accuracy nor completeness of any uploaded evidence. It is the sole responsibility of the petitioner to log into their petition record and confirm the accuracy and/or completeness of any and all evidence scanned and/or uploaded to petitioner’s petition record. The petitioner must immediately notify the VAB Clerk of any discrepancy in evidence provided versus evidence scanned and/or uploaded to petitioner’s petition record. g) Evidence submitted, no matter the method, becomes part of the petition record and will not be returned. 5) To facilitate processing of paper evidence submitted to the VAB Clerk, parties submitting evidence should: a) Not use staples or tape. b) Provide photographs on 8-1/2" x 11" pages. c) Include only pages no larger than 8-1/2" x 14". d) Caption photographs on the front sides. e) Provide all documents in "unbound" format. (Do not use binders, notebooks, report covers, index dividers, plastic sleeves, etc.) 6) At the hearing, connections will be provided to allow each party, using their own laptop computers, to access the internet and allow each party to control the display of their own evidence that has been scanned or uploaded into the electronic petition record. Please contact the VAB Clerk at vabclerk@collierclerk.com or [VAB phone number] for details regarding equipment and other requirements for this access. Confidential information: Any party submitting information, evidence and/or documentation which such party deems confidential must provide express/written notice of the confidential nature of any such information, evidence and/or documentation directly to the Collier County VAB. Said notice of confidential information, evidence and/or documentation must accompany such information, evidence and/or documentation, or petitioner shall mark any and all such information, evidence and/or documentation as confidential in such a way that it is obvious to any person that views the same that such information, evidence and/or documentation should be treated as confidential. Additionally, any party providing testimony which such party deems to be confidential must indicate the same during the hearing so that the verbatim record reflects the confidential nature of any such testimony.