Some Miami-Dade residents see trash bills double after county reclassification
Some Miami-Dade homeowners are seeing their trash collection bills more than double after the county reclassified their properties as multi-unit homes, leaving residents frustrated and searching for answers.
Fernando Carvajal, a homeowner affected by the change, said he is now being billed as if his property has two residential units, despite having just one trash bin.
"I only need one of these. This is a single-family home," Carvajal said.
Bills spike without notice
In 2023, Carvajal's home was classified as a single-unit residence and he paid $547 for trash service. But in 2024, the county listed his home as a two-unit property, increasing his bill to $1,394, both due to the reclassification and a rate hike to $697 per unit.
"I thought it was a mistake," Carvajal said.
When he contacted Miami-Dade County, officials told him the increase was due to a back portion of his house, known as an in-law quarter, which the county now considers a separate unit.
"They believe that this is like an efficiency or an apartment or something, but it is not. It's part of the house," Carvajal said.
Neighbors facing the same issue
Carvajal isn't alone. The HOA president of his neighborhood, which was built in 2018, said nearly 30 other homeowners have had their trash bills double under the same reclassification.
Carvajal just wants the county to return his bill to what it was when he bought his home.
"I purchased one property. I've been paying for one property. I have one address and one mailbox. Now they want to charge me like it is double," he said.
CBS News Miami reached out to Miami-Dade County's Solid Waste Management Department, which said that under Section 15-23 of the county code and Implementing Order 4-68, the agency calculates waste collection fees based on the county property appraiser (PA) office's unit classification. As such, the department assesses fees based on the property appraiser's official classification of the number of units.
"As part of our annual customer account audit, we compare our records with those held by the PA to ensure accuracy," a department spokesperson told CBS News Miami. "During this process, we may identify properties that are mistakenly listed as having one living unit, when in fact, the PA indicates they have two. In those instances, the bill is updated to reflect the appropriate units as listed by the PA."
The County Tax Assessor's Office said they are looking into the issue.
