<PAGE> PAGE 1
000 A000000 02/28/97
000 C000000 0000771809
000 D000000 N
000 E000000 NF
000 F000000 Y
000 G000000 N
000 H000000 N
000 I000000 3.0.a
000 J000000 U
001 A000000 HERITAGE CAPITAL APPRECIATION TRUST
001 B000000 811-4338
001 C000000 8135738143
002 A000000 880 CARILLON PARKWAY
002 B000000 ST. PETERSBURG
002 C000000 FL
002 D010000 33733
002 D020000 3500
003 000000 N
004 000000 N
005 000000 N
006 000000 N
007 A000000 N
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007 C010100 1
007 C010200 2
007 C010300 3
007 C010400 4
007 C010500 5
007 C010600 6
007 C010700 7
007 C010800 8
007 C010900 9
007 C011000 10
008 A000001 HERITAGE ASSET MANAGEMENT
008 B000001 A
008 C000001 801-25067
008 D010001 ST. PETERSBURG
008 D020001 FL
008 D030001 33716
008 A000002 GOLDMAN SACKS & CO.
008 B000002 S
008 C000002 801-16048
008 D010002 NEW YORK
008 D020002 NY
008 D030002 10004
020 A000001 PAINE WEBBER CAPITAL MARKETS
<PAGE> PAGE 2
020 B000001 13-2638166
020 C000001 3
020 A000002 BRIDGE TRADING COMPANY
020 B000002 43-1450530
020 C000002 3
020 A000003 LIPPER ANALYTICAL SECURITIES CORPORATION
020 B000003 13-2792478
020 C000003 3
020 A000004 DONALDSON LUFKIN & JENRETTE
020 B000004 13-2741729
020 C000004 3
020 A000005 MORGAN STANLEY & CO., INC.
020 B000005 13-2655998
020 C000005 2
020 A000006 NATWEST SECURITIES CORPORATION
020 B000006 13-3341706
020 C000006 2
020 A000007 WILSHIRE ASSOCIATES, INC.
020 B000007 95-2755361
020 C000007 2
020 A000008 COWEN & COMPANY
020 B000008 13-5616116
020 C000008 1
020 A000009 BEAR STEARNS & COMPANY
020 B000009 13-3299429
020 C000009 1
020 A000010 SANFORD BERNSTEIN
020 B000010 13-2625874
020 C000010 1
021 000000 33
022 A000001 STATE STREET BANK AND TRUST COMPANY
022 B000001 04-1867445
022 C000001 156280
022 D000001 0
022 A000002 GS2 SECURITIES, INC.
022 B000002 39-1464853
022 C000002 1200
022 D000002 0
022 A000003 JEFFRIES & CO., INC.
022 B000003 59-2622900
022 C000003 0
022 D000003 1051
022 A000004 SALOMON BROTHERS, INC.
022 B000004 13-3082694
022 C000004 486
022 D000004 405
022 A000005 MORGAN STANLEY & CO., INC.
022 B000005 13-2655998
022 C000005 0
022 D000005 494
022 A000006 BEAR STEARNS & COMPANY
<PAGE> PAGE 3
022 B000006 13-3299429
022 C000006 0
022 D000006 336
022 A000007 FIRST BOSTON CORPORATION
022 B000007 13-5659485
022 C000007 0
022 D000007 289
022 A000008 MONTGOMERY SECURITIES
022 B000008 94-1701676
022 C000008 243
022 D000008 0
022 A000009 SMITH BARNEY
022 B000009 13-3371860
022 C000009 0
022 D000009 190
022 A000010 MERRILL LYNCH, PIERCE, FENNER, INC.
022 B000010 13-5674085
022 C000010 170
022 D000010 0
023 C000000 158436
023 D000000 3097
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028 A010000 326
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<PAGE> PAGE 4
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<PAGE> PAGE 7
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SIGNATURE STEPHEN G. HILL
TITLE PRESIDENT
WARNING: THE EDGAR SYSTEM ENCOUNTERED ERROR(S) WHILE PROCESSING THIS SCHEDULE.
<TABLE> <S> <C>
<ARTICLE> 6
<SERIES>
<NUMBER> 1
<NAME> HERITAGE CAPITAL APPRECIATION TRUST CLASS A
<S> <C>
<PERIOD-TYPE> 6-MOS
<FISCAL-YEAR-END> AUG-31-1996
<PERIOD-START> SEP-01-1996
<PERIOD-END> FEB-28-1997
<INVESTMENTS-AT-COST> 54,449,946
<INVESTMENTS-AT-VALUE> 75,775,368
<RECEIVABLES> 1,224,319
<ASSETS-OTHER> 16,959
<OTHER-ITEMS-ASSETS> 0
<TOTAL-ASSETS> 77,016,646
<PAYABLE-FOR-SECURITIES> 0
<SENIOR-LONG-TERM-DEBT> 0
<OTHER-ITEMS-LIABILITIES> 180,040
<TOTAL-LIABILITIES> 180,040
<SENIOR-EQUITY> 0
<PAID-IN-CAPITAL-COMMON> 51,897,164
<SHARES-COMMON-STOCK> 4,805,820
<SHARES-COMMON-PRIOR> 4,565,235
<ACCUMULATED-NII-CURRENT> (123,615)
<OVERDISTRIBUTION-NII> 0
<ACCUMULATED-NET-GAINS> 3,737,635
<OVERDISTRIBUTION-GAINS> 0
<ACCUM-APPREC-OR-DEPREC> 21,325,422
<NET-ASSETS> 76,836,606
<DIVIDEND-INCOME> 418,632
<INTEREST-INCOME> 33,004
<OTHER-INCOME> 0
<EXPENSES-NET> 575,251
<NET-INVESTMENT-INCOME> (123,615)
<REALIZED-GAINS-CURRENT> 5,354,701
<APPREC-INCREASE-CURRENT> 5,127,260
<NET-CHANGE-FROM-OPS> 10,358,346
<EQUALIZATION> 0
<DISTRIBUTIONS-OF-INCOME> 0
<DISTRIBUTIONS-OF-GAINS> 7,849,511
<DISTRIBUTIONS-OTHER> 0
<NUMBER-OF-SHARES-SOLD> 143,556
<NUMBER-OF-SHARES-REDEEMED> 419,012
<SHARES-REINVESTED> 516,041
<NET-CHANGE-IN-ASSETS> 5,724,773
<ACCUMULATED-NII-PRIOR> 0
<ACCUMULATED-GAINS-PRIOR> 6,232,445
<OVERDISTRIB-NII-PRIOR> 0
<OVERDIST-NET-GAINS-PRIOR> 0
<GROSS-ADVISORY-FEES> 280,618
<INTEREST-EXPENSE> 0
<GROSS-EXPENSE> 558,264
<AVERAGE-NET-ASSETS> 73,799,138
<PER-SHARE-NAV-BEGIN> 15.58
<PER-SHARE-NII> (0.02)
<PER-SHARE-GAIN-APPREC> 2.20
<PER-SHARE-DIVIDEND> 0.00
<PER-SHARE-DISTRIBUTIONS> 1.77
<RETURNS-OF-CAPITAL> 0.00
<PER-SHARE-NAV-END> 15.99
<EXPENSE-RATIO> 1.53
<AVG-DEBT-OUTSTANDING> 0
<AVG-DEBT-PER-SHARE> 0
</TABLE>
<TABLE> <S> <C>
<ARTICLE> 6
<SERIES>
<NUMBER> 1
<NAME> HERITAGE CAPITAL APPRECIATION TRUST CLASS C
<S> <C>
<PERIOD-TYPE> 6-MOS
<FISCAL-YEAR-END> AUG-31-1996
<PERIOD-START> SEP-01-1996
<PERIOD-END> FEB-28-1997
<INVESTMENTS-AT-COST> 54,449,946
<INVESTMENTS-AT-VALUE> 75,775,368
<RECEIVABLES> 1,224,319
<ASSETS-OTHER> 16,959
<OTHER-ITEMS-ASSETS> 0
<TOTAL-ASSETS> 77,016,646
<PAYABLE-FOR-SECURITIES> 0
<SENIOR-LONG-TERM-DEBT> 0
<OTHER-ITEMS-LIABILITIES> 180,040
<TOTAL-LIABILITIES> 180,040
<SENIOR-EQUITY> 0
<PAID-IN-CAPITAL-COMMON> 51,897,164
<SHARES-COMMON-STOCK> 4,805,820
<SHARES-COMMON-PRIOR> 4,565,235
<ACCUMULATED-NII-CURRENT> (123,615)
<OVERDISTRIBUTION-NII> 0
<ACCUMULATED-NET-GAINS> 3,737,635
<OVERDISTRIBUTION-GAINS> 0
<ACCUM-APPREC-OR-DEPREC> 21,325,422
<NET-ASSETS> 76,836,606
<DIVIDEND-INCOME> 418,632
<INTEREST-INCOME> 33,004
<OTHER-INCOME> 0
<EXPENSES-NET> 575,251
<NET-INVESTMENT-INCOME> (123,615)
<REALIZED-GAINS-CURRENT> 5,354,701
<APPREC-INCREASE-CURRENT> 5,127,260
<NET-CHANGE-FROM-OPS> 10,358,346
<EQUALIZATION> 0
<DISTRIBUTIONS-OF-INCOME> 0
<DISTRIBUTIONS-OF-GAINS> 7,849,511
<DISTRIBUTIONS-OTHER> 0
<NUMBER-OF-SHARES-SOLD> 143,556
<NUMBER-OF-SHARES-REDEEMED> 419,012
<SHARES-REINVESTED> 516,041
<NET-CHANGE-IN-ASSETS> 5,724,773
<ACCUMULATED-NII-PRIOR> 0
<ACCUMULATED-GAINS-PRIOR> 6,232,445
<OVERDISTRIB-NII-PRIOR> 0
<OVERDIST-NET-GAINS-PRIOR> 0
<GROSS-ADVISORY-FEES> 280,618
<INTEREST-EXPENSE> 0
<GROSS-EXPENSE> 16,987
<AVERAGE-NET-ASSETS> 1,652,495
<PER-SHARE-NAV-BEGIN> 15.46
<PER-SHARE-NII> (0.06)
<PER-SHARE-GAIN-APPREC> 2.18
<PER-SHARE-DIVIDEND> 0.00
<PER-SHARE-DISTRIBUTIONS> 1.77
<RETURNS-OF-CAPITAL> 0.00
<PER-SHARE-NAV-END> 15.81
<EXPENSE-RATIO> 2.07
<AVG-DEBT-OUTSTANDING> 0
<AVG-DEBT-PER-SHARE> 0
</TABLE>
For period ending 2-28-97
File Number 811-4338
77.C. Matters submitted to a vote of securities holders.
The following matter was submitted to a vote of securities
holders at a special meeting of shareholders of Heritage Capital Appreciation
Trust (the "Fund") held on February 28, 1997:
(1) Approval of the Subadvisory Agreement between Heritage Asset
Management, Inc. ("Heritage") and Liberty Investment Management, a
division of Goldman Sachs Asset Management ("Liberty"):
2,334,132.048 shares were voted in favor of, 47,076.757 shares
were voted against, and 93,499.893 abstained from voting on the
motion to approve the Subadvisory Agreement between Heritage and
Liberty.
