A Florida Keys elected official's homestead exemption is being revoked and he may have to pay back taxes, according to a letter the Monroe County Property Appraiser sent him Wednesday.

Florida Keys Mosquito Control District board member Charles "Bill" Langstaff has claimed a $25,000 homestead exemption on two properties, a home in Key Largo and a mobile home in a rural wooded area in Morriston, Fla., according to property appraiser records in Monroe and Levy counties.

State law allows only one homestead exemption on a primary residence, which reduces the taxable value by $25,000 or $50,000, depending on whether the property is eligible for a second $25,000 exemption on homes worth more than $50,000.

Langstaff has 30 days to respond to Monroe County's revocation notice, said Karl Borglum, a senior appraiser.

"Contesting the demand for payment will not necessarily prevent the Property Appraiser's Office from recording the lien if we believe the lien to be justified by the facts on record," Borglum said. "Mr. Langstaff can meet with this office in an administrative review or can file in Circuit Court."

The agency also plans to place a lien on his Key Largo home for back taxes, including interest and penalties, since 2002, the year Langstaff claimed the homestead exemption on the Morriston property, Borglum said.

Monroe County State Attorney Dennis Ward said he is aware of the allegations and will determine whether to prosecute.

"It's a crime," Ward said. "I am waiting to see what the Property Appraiser's Office does."

Langstaff could not be reached for comment Wednesday. His Key Largo home telephone service had been disconnected, according to a recording, and he recently retired from Beyer Funeral Home in Key Largo, which the Mosquito Control website lists as his business contact.

The Levy County appraiser sent Langstaff a similar letter Wednesday, challenging his homestead exemption in Morriston and requesting back taxes, interest and penalties, Deputy Appraiser James Allen said.

Langstaff can reapply for a homestead exemption in one of the two counties, as the government cannot punitively keep him from taking the tax break on his primary home, Borglum said.

It will be easier to prove he is eligible in Monroe County, Allen of Levy County said, because he is an elected official, registered to vote and has a driver's license here.

This is not the first time Langstaff has been investigated since being on the Mosquito Control board, a position in which he has served for the past 12 years.

The Florida Commission on Ethics hit him with a $5,000 fine in 2003 for voting to award a bid to purchase several of the district's old trucks. Langstaff admitted he had the winner submit the bid on his behalf, and that he later bought the trucks. Board members are prohibited from buying surplus vehicles.

Langstaff's term ends in November. After announcing his candidacy for re-election, he dropped out in June, citing health reasons.

tohara@keysnews.com