Urgent FL Homestead Law Tax Problem

[Cherie Liverman]

I bought my 1st home in FL. in June of 2008. It was homesteaded in 2009. I got married in 2010. In 2016, I turned my home into a rental property, at which point I notified the city that the home was rented to remove the homestead exemption. Recently the city property appraisers office notified me that I was not entitled to a homestead exemption from 2011-2016. Even though I had documentation that my spouse and I maintained separate residences, they consider us to be one family unit, and as such, they say we are only entitled to 1 exemption, on his home. The tax collector has sent me a bill for over $5,000 in back taxes, along with a 50% penalty for each tax year totaling over $7500, and 15% interest per year, totaling over 10,000. If not paid within the next week, it will continue to accrue interest. If not paid by the 1st week in Nov. they plan on putting a lien on my house. They have told me that the only way to remove the penalties and interest is that if they have made a clerical error, which they claim they have not. I am a private school teacher who makes under 25,000 per year. They want to take my entire life savings if I pay them now, or they will end up taking my house upon my death or if I ever sell it. SOS; Does anyone have any help, experience, recommendations, supporting case law, resolution advice?