SeaWorld Orlando can't catch a break. The marine theme park company is now facing a lawsuit filed by Orange County Property Appraiser Rick Singh.
The basis of the lawsuit is Singh's office set an annual property tax value of $192.5 million for SeaWorld, and the park petitioned against that value to Orange County's value adjustment board, according to a press release. A special magistrate recommended to the board that SeaWorld's taxable value be lowered to $182.4 million, the release said.
But Singh's office defended its original assessment via a Florida statute that allows it to appeal the board's decision if it overrides an property assessment of more than $1 million and the decision affects the value by five percent, the release said. “If I did not take action and defend our value on behalf of the taxpayers, it would be an abdication of my solemn duty as the people’s property appraiser," said Singh in a prepared statement.
SeaWorld spokesman Fred Jacobs declined to comment on the lawsuit, but said: "Like other property owners in Orange County, we expect that our property will be assessed at its fair market value and pay our taxes accordingly. We look forward to presenting our position in court."
