CDD assessments stay with a Port St. Lucie house when you sell, as a lien on the land until paid.
Florida requires the boldface CDD warning only in "each contract for the initial sale" (Fla. Stat. § 190.048), so a resale contract does not have to carry it. The district's financing disclosures sit in the county property records (§ 190.009(1)), and the Auditor General's audit of Tradition CDD 1 shows bonds payable through May 2035.
This is general information, not legal advice. State rules vary.
Jump to a section
What is your plan for the house in the district?
Free. No obligation. You choose the closing date.
CDD fees go with the house when you sell in Port St. Lucie, and the buyer may see less about them than you expect. Florida requires the boldface Community Development District warning only in "each contract for the initial sale" of a lot or house (Fla. Stat. § 190.048). On a resale, the statute's warning is not required in the contract. What stays on record is the district's own disclosure, which it must file "in the property records of each county in which the district is located" (Fla. Stat. § 190.009(1)).
The Florida Auditor General also posts each district's audit. The FY2024 audit of Tradition Community Development District 1 describes Special Assessment Refunding Bonds, Series 2014, payable through May 2035. This guide is for owners in Tradition, Southern Grove, St. Lucie West, or Riverland who are relocating or downsizing. It covers what a buyer sees, whether the debt follows the house, the payoff questions, and the closing-year bill.
What is a CDD assessment on a Port St. Lucie tax bill?
A CDD assessment is a charge from a Community Development District, which Florida law defines as "a local unit of special-purpose government" (Fla. Stat. § 190.003). It is a government charge, which a district may collect with your county taxes, not a private fee.
Under Fla. Stat. § 190.021, a district can levy three kinds of charges:
- Benefit special assessments pay the yearly installment on bonds that financed district roads, water, and other projects.
- Maintenance special assessments pay to maintain and preserve those facilities.
- An ad valorem tax is possible for an elected board, capped at 3 mills for operations (5 mills in some cases), not counting bond debt service.
Both kinds of special assessment are non-ad valorem assessments, meaning they are not based on millage. When they ride on the tax roll, the board certifies them to the property appraiser by August 31. The tax collector then collects them "in the same manner and at the same time as county taxes." The City of Port St. Lucie's tax bill page adds that "all local governments and special districts use this single tax bill format" in St. Lucie County.
Where it sits on the bill
The county notice is titled "Notice of Ad Valorem Taxes and Non-ad Valorem Assessments" (Fla. Stat. § 197.3635). District charges appear in the non-ad valorem part, listed by levying authority with the rate and amount. If your house is in Southern Grove, Riverland, or another newer western area, that section of your own bill shows whether a district charge applies.
What does a buyer see about CDD fees on a resale?
On a resale, the buyer sees the tax bill and any recorded district disclosures, but the contract does not have to carry the boldface CDD warning. That warning is tied to the initial sale under Fla. Stat. § 190.048.
Three other Florida rules shape what reaches the buyer:
- The property tax disclosure summary. Every residential sale contract must include or attach a summary that reads "BUYER SHOULD NOT RELY ON THE SELLER'S CURRENT PROPERTY TAXES" (Fla. Stat. § 689.261). Its text speaks about reassessment and does not mention district assessments.
- New listing rules. Beginning February 1, 2027, a listing website must show estimated ad valorem taxes, and when it uses a tax estimator it must disclaim that the estimate does "not include all applicable non-ad valorem assessments" (added by ch. 2026-239). The same section bars the current owner's ad valorem taxes from printed listing materials.
- The HOA summary, if there is one. In a community with a mandatory homeowners' association, the buyer gets a disclosure summary before signing. Item 4 reads "YOU MAY BE OBLIGATED TO PAY SPECIAL ASSESSMENTS TO THE RESPECTIVE MUNICIPALITY, COUNTY, OR SPECIAL DISTRICT" (Fla. Stat. § 720.401).
None of these rules prints a dollar figure for the district. A copy of your latest tax bill shows the buyer the actual charge, and the district's audit shows its bonds.
CDD assessment, HOA fee, and property tax side by side
| Question | CDD assessment | HOA assessment | Ad valorem property tax |
|---|---|---|---|
| What it is | A local unit of special-purpose government (§ 190.003) | A Florida corporation that runs the community (§ 720.301) | Taxing authorities such as the city, county, and school board (City tax bill page) |
| Who sets it | The district board, each year (§ 190.021) | The association, under its governing documents (§ 720.3085) | Each authority, at advertised public hearings (City tax bill page) |
| Where it is billed | The non-ad valorem part of the county tax notice when the district uses the tax roll, as Tradition CDD 1 does (§ 190.021, § 197.3635, audit) | Paid to the association (§ 720.401) | Ad valorem part of the county tax notice (§ 197.3635) |
| Does it follow the house | Yes, a lien until paid, coequal with taxes (§ 190.021(9)) | The new owner is jointly and severally liable with the previous owner for unpaid assessments due up to the transfer (§ 720.3085(2)(b)) | A change of ownership triggers reassessment (§ 689.261) |
| What a resale contract must show | The boldface CDD warning is required only on the initial sale (§ 190.048) | An HOA disclosure summary before signing (§ 720.401) | The property tax disclosure summary (§ 689.261) |
Does the CDD bond debt follow the house?
Yes. Florida law makes district benefit and maintenance assessments a lien on the parcel until paid, so the yearly installments stay with the house and pass to the next owner's tax bill.
"Benefit special assessments and maintenance special assessments authorized by this section ... shall constitute a lien on the property against which assessed from the date of imposition thereof until paid, coequal with the lien of state, county, municipal, and school board taxes."
Fla. Stat. § 190.021(9), the Florida law on district assessments as liens
Only the installment levied for each year comes due that year. The board "shall annually determine, order, and levy the annual installment" of the bond assessment. District special assessments may be made payable in "no more than 30 yearly installments" (Fla. Stat. § 190.022(2)).
Unpaid district taxes are treated like county taxes. Section 190.021(4) applies the rules on tax certificates, redemption, and tax deeds to them. City code liens follow different rules, which our guide to selling a Port St. Lucie house with a code lien explains.
Which Port St. Lucie districts have public audits?
The Florida Auditor General posts FY2024 audits for Tradition Community Development Districts 1 through 10 and a FY2025 audit for the St. Lucie West Services District. Each audit names the district's bonds, if any.
The City's Southern Grove page calls Southern Grove "part of the larger 8,200-acre region known publicly and marketed as 'Tradition.'" It adds that in 2018, "after the original developer (Tradition Land Company) exited the community, the City acquired the land to prevent foreclosure."
Tradition districts
- Tradition CDD 1. Its audit says it was established under Chapter 190 by ordinance of St. Lucie County, effective August 21, 2001. It reports $32,790,000 of Series 2014 refunding bonds outstanding at September 30, 2024, secured by "pledged liens on approximately 3,100 acres of residential and commercial land."
- Rate range. The same audit reports non-ad valorem assessment rates ranging "from $349 to $1,688 per residential unit." That is a range for one district and one year, not a figure for any single house.
- Tradition CDD 9. Its FY2024 audit describes $17,755,000 of Special Assessment Bonds, Series 2021, payable through May 2052.
- Tradition CDDs 2 to 8 and 10. Their FY2024 audits list outstanding bonds as "N/A."
St. Lucie West
The FY2025 audit of the St. Lucie West Services District says it was created on November 21, 1989, under Chapter 190. It reports that its Water Management Benefit Special Assessment Refunding Bonds, Series 2013, "were paid off in full" during that fiscal year. The other bonds it lists are utility and stormwater utility revenue bonds. The audit also says assessments are levied "on certain land and all platted lots within the District."
Can you pay off the CDD debt before you sell?
Sometimes, but the rules come from the district, not from a single state formula. State law opens only a short window after certain hearings, so a payoff today depends on the district's assessment resolutions and bond documents.
If a district collects through the uniform method in Fla. Stat. § 197.3632, that section lets anyone with an interest in a parcel prepay in whole within 30 days after the hearing on a newly levied or increased assessment. That window opens only after such a hearing. The same section says a local government "is not required to allow prepayment for capital project assessments," a term it uses for assessments paid over a period of years with interest. Where a district does allow later payoffs, its audit may say so. The St. Lucie West audit notes that "amounts collected as advance payments are used to prepay a portion of the Bonds outstanding."
Whether a payoff makes sense for you is a question for a tax professional or a Florida attorney. Questions you can put to the district manager in writing:
- Does my parcel carry a debt service assessment, and for which bond series?
- Does the district accept a full or partial prepayment now, and what is the payoff figure?
- Does the payoff include interest to a redemption date, and how long is the figure good?
- Will the current year's installment still appear on the November tax bill?
- Will the district record anything showing the debt portion is paid?
How is the current-year assessment handled at closing?
The current-year CDD assessment arrives on the same county tax notice as your property taxes, so it is handled wherever your contract handles that year's tax bill. A closing agent or Florida attorney can explain the split in your contract.
Florida taxes are "due and payable on November 1 of each year or as soon thereafter as the certified tax roll is received," and generally become delinquent on April 1 of the following year (Fla. Stat. § 197.333). The Tradition CDD 1 audit adds that the district's fiscal year begins October 1, with discounts for payment through February 28.
- By August 31The district board certifies the year's assessments to the property appraiser
- October 1The district's fiscal year begins
- November 1Taxes and assessments on the combined notice become due
- Through February 28Early-payment discounts are available
- April 1Unpaid taxes and assessments become delinquent
A sale in spring can close before the bill is paid, and a sale in fall can close before the new bill exists. Your purchase contract states who pays which part of the year. It can help to give the title company your latest bill and the district's name early, so the settlement statement holds no surprises.
How can Propcash help with a house in a CDD?
Propcash is a direct cash homebuyer, and we buy houses as-is, which can include a house that carries a district assessment. There are no agent commissions and no fees charged to you, and you pick your closing date. Cash sales can close in as few as 7 days after the contract is signed.
Our offer is based on local market data, and we show you how we got to our number, including the district bill the house carries. You can compare it with a listing or with paying off the debt first. If a cash sale isn't your best move, we'll tell you. You can get a no-obligation cash offer or read more about selling a Port St. Lucie house for cash.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where can a buyer read the bond terms of a Tradition CDD?
The Florida Auditor General posts each district's annual audit, and the notes describe its bonds. The FY2024 audit of Tradition Community Development District 1 describes Special Assessment Refunding Bonds, Series 2014, payable through May 2035. Florida law also requires each district to file its public-financing disclosure documents in the county property records.
Is a Community Development District the same thing as an HOA?
No. Florida law defines a community development district as a local unit of special-purpose government, and a homeowners' association as a Florida corporation that runs a community. A CDD may collect its assessments with county taxes on the tax bill, while HOA assessments are paid to the association. A house can sit inside both.
What happens if a CDD assessment on the tax bill goes unpaid?
Florida law treats it like unpaid county taxes. Under Fla. Stat. 190.021(4), the rules on tax certificates, redemption, and tax deeds for delinquent county taxes apply to district taxes too. An unpaid bill stays a lien on the house, so it remains part of any sale.
Does the Florida property tax disclosure summary mention CDD assessments?
The summary required by Fla. Stat. 689.261 speaks about reassessment and property taxes, and its text does not mention district assessments. A 2026 amendment adds that, beginning February 1, 2027, listing websites must show estimated ad valorem taxes, and an estimate made with a tax estimator must carry a disclaimer that it does not include all applicable non-ad valorem assessments.
How many years can a Florida CDD spread a bond assessment?
Fla. Stat. 190.022(2) lets district special assessments be made payable in no more than 30 yearly installments. As one local example, the FY2024 audit of Tradition Community Development District 9 describes Special Assessment Bonds, Series 2021, payable in annual principal installments through May 2052.
Will Propcash buy a Tradition house that still carries CDD debt?
Propcash can make a cash offer on a house that sits inside a Community Development District, as-is. The district assessment stays with the land, so the offer can reflect the bill the house carries, and the reasoning is shown. There are no fees or commissions charged to you.
Data Sources: Florida Statutes chapters 190, 197, 689, and 720 (read on leg.state.fl.us, November 2026); Florida Auditor General audits of Tradition Community Development Districts 1 to 10 (FY2024) and the St. Lucie West Services District (FY2025); City of Port St. Lucie Southern Grove and tax bill pages. Propcash is a direct cash homebuyer, not a law firm or tax adviser. For decisions about your house, a Florida attorney or tax professional can help.
Reviewed by the Propcash Editorial Team under our editorial standards. Published by Propcash, a direct cash buyer of houses. This guide is general information. Laws, fees, and market figures change, so check the current rules for your state.
