Nygren Fla. homestead exemption clarified

My, how time flies when you are having fun.

Recently, I remembered the hoop-de-lah over the Nygrens' Florida homestead exemption as having occurred earlier this year (2010). After a phone call and finding the file with the hard copies of letters, I realized that the big flap over their claiming the homestead exemption in two states (which is illegal) was in 2009, not in 2010.

The Lee County (Fla.) Property Assessor told me that the homestead exemption was in effect on the Nygren's Cape Coral home for the year 2009. When the Nygrens did not provide her with proof of their continued residency there earlier this year, she removed the exemption from the Cape Coral home earlier this year for the Tax Year 2010.

Did Keith smell a rat in the trap, and was that why they didn't respond to the Fla. Property Assessor's request? Did he figure out that, by claiming the Florida home as "homestead", then he was skating on thin ice about eligibility for re-election? It would have been too late to bail out on the 2009 homestead exemption, but did he think that not claiming it in 2010 might help him slide by?

Either way, my opinion is that he was ineligible to file petitions to run for re-election. But he's on the ballot, and he may get the highest number of votes. And then he may have to worry about surviving a quo warranto action by the McHenry County State's Attorney or by an individual.

What would be the legal effect of winning with the highest number of votes and then being disqualified?

The County Board would try to appoint his successor from the Republican Party. Or he might retire, and then the County Board would try to appoint his successor from the Republican Party.

Or a judge might slam on the brakes and order a run-off between Mike Mahon and me or even a new election.

Whoever said that politics wasn't interesting?