Bill Text: FL H1173 | 2011 | Regular Session | Introduced
Bill Title: Enforcement/County & Municipal Codes & Ordinances
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Republican 1-0)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2011-05-07 - Indefinitely postponed and withdrawn from consideration [H1173 Detail]
Download: Florida-2011-H1173-Introduced.html
HB 1173 |
1 | |
2 | An act relating to the enforcement of county and municipal |
3 | codes and ordinances; amending s. 162.12, F.S.; |
4 | authorizing notices relating to a code violation to be |
5 | sent by certified mail to the property owner at an address |
6 | provided to the local government for the purposes of |
7 | receiving notices or to the registered agent of a |
8 | corporation for property owned by a corporation; deleting |
9 | a requirement for such notices to be sent by first-class |
10 | mail; amending s. 162.21, F.S.; authorizing a code |
11 | enforcement officer to immediately issue a citation for a |
12 | code violation if the violator is engaged in violations of |
13 | an itinerant or transient nature; amending s. 173.01, |
14 | F.S.; authorizing a municipality or its assignee to |
15 | foreclose on an abatement assessment lien against real |
16 | property; amending s. 173.03, F.S.; authorizing a |
17 | foreclosure for an abatement assessment lien after the |
18 | conclusion of proceedings to challenge the lien or after a |
19 | certain period after the lien is recorded in the official |
20 | records; making grammatical and technical changes; |
21 | amending s. 173.04, F.S.; authorizing a municipality or |
22 | its assignee to enforce an abatement assessment lien in |
23 | circuit court by a bill in chancery that describes the |
24 | delinquent lien and the lands to which the lien applies; |
25 | making grammatical and technical changes; creating s. |
26 | 173.16, F.S.; authorizing a municipality to assign an |
27 | abatement assessment lien to a private party under certain |
28 | circumstances; providing an effective date. |
29 | |
30 | Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida: |
31 | |
32 | Section 1. Section 162.12, Florida Statutes, is amended to |
33 | read: |
34 | 162.12 Notices.- |
35 | (1) All notices required by this part shall be provided to |
36 | the alleged violator by: |
37 | (a) Certified mail, return receipt requested to |
38 | |
39 | |
40 | collector's office for tax notices or to |
41 | address provided by the property owner in writing to the local |
42 | government for the purposes of receiving notices. For property |
43 | owned by a corporation, notices may be provided by certified |
44 | mail, return receipt requested, to the registered agent of the |
45 | corporation. If any notice sent by certified mail |
46 | |
47 | mailing |
48 | by posting as described in subparagraphs (2)(b)1. and 2. |
49 | |
50 | |
51 | |
52 | (b) Hand delivery by the sheriff or other law enforcement |
53 | officer, code inspector, or other person designated by the local |
54 | governing body; |
55 | (c) Leaving the notice at the violator's usual place of |
56 | residence with any person residing therein who is above 15 years |
57 | of age and informing such person of the contents of the notice; |
58 | or |
59 | (d) In the case of commercial premises, leaving the notice |
60 | with the manager or other person in charge. |
61 | (2) In addition to providing notice as set forth in |
62 | subsection (1), at the option of the code enforcement board, |
63 | notice may also be served by publication or posting, as follows: |
64 | (a)1. Such notice shall be published once during each week |
65 | for 4 consecutive weeks (four publications being sufficient) in |
66 | a newspaper of general circulation in the county where the code |
67 | enforcement board is located. The newspaper shall meet such |
68 | requirements as are prescribed under chapter 50 for legal and |
69 | official advertisements. |
70 | 2. Proof of publication shall be made as provided in ss. |
71 | 50.041 and 50.051. |
72 | (b)1. In lieu of publication as described in paragraph |
73 | (a), such notice may be posted at least 10 days prior to the |
74 | hearing, or prior to the expiration of any deadline contained in |
75 | the notice, in at least two locations, one of which shall be the |
76 | property upon which the violation is alleged to exist and the |
77 | other of which shall be, in the case of municipalities, at the |
78 | primary municipal government office, and in the case of |
79 | counties, at the front door of the courthouse or the main county |
80 | governmental center in said county. |
81 | 2. Proof of posting shall be by affidavit of the person |
82 | posting the notice, which affidavit shall include a copy of the |
83 | notice posted and the date and places of its posting. |
84 | (c) Notice by publication or posting may run concurrently |
85 | with, or may follow, an attempt or attempts to provide notice by |
86 | hand delivery or by mail as required under subsection (1). |
87 | |
88 | Evidence that an attempt has been made to hand deliver or mail |
89 | notice as provided in subsection (1), together with proof of |
90 | publication or posting as provided in subsection (2), is |
91 | |
92 | have been met, without regard to whether or not the alleged |
93 | violator actually received such notice. |
94 | Section 2. Subsection (3) of section 162.21, Florida |
95 | Statutes, is amended to read: |
96 | 162.21 Enforcement of county or municipal codes or |
97 | ordinances; penalties.- |
98 | (3)(a) A code enforcement officer is authorized to issue a |
99 | citation to a person when, based upon personal investigation, |
100 | the officer has reasonable cause to believe that the person has |
101 | committed a civil infraction in violation of a duly enacted code |
102 | or ordinance and that the county court will hear the charge. |
103 | (b) Prior to issuing a citation, a code enforcement |
104 | officer shall provide notice to the person that the person has |
105 | committed a violation of a code or ordinance and shall establish |
106 | a reasonable time period within which the person must correct |
107 | the violation. Such time period shall be no more than 30 days. |
108 | If, upon personal investigation, a code enforcement officer |
109 | finds that the person has not corrected the violation within the |
110 | time period, a code enforcement officer may issue a citation to |
111 | the person who has committed the violation. A code enforcement |
112 | officer does not have to provide the person with a reasonable |
113 | time period to correct the violation prior to issuing a citation |
114 | and may immediately issue a citation if: |
115 | 1. A repeat violation is found; |
116 | 2. |
117 | that the violation presents a serious threat to the public |
118 | health, safety, or welfare, or if the violation is irreparable |
119 | or irreversible; or |
120 | 3. The violator is engaged in violations of an itinerant |
121 | or transient nature, as defined in the local code or ordinance. |
122 | (c) A citation issued by a code enforcement officer shall |
123 | be in a form prescribed by the county or the municipality and |
124 | shall contain: |
125 | 1. The date and time of issuance. |
126 | 2. The name and address of the person to whom the citation |
127 | is issued. |
128 | 3. The date and time the civil infraction was committed. |
129 | 4. The facts constituting reasonable cause. |
130 | 5. The number or section of the code or ordinance |
131 | violated. |
132 | 6. The name and authority of the code enforcement officer. |
133 | 7. The procedure for the person to follow in order to pay |
134 | the civil penalty or to contest the citation. |
135 | 8. The applicable civil penalty if the person elects to |
136 | contest the citation. |
137 | 9. The applicable civil penalty if the person elects not |
138 | to contest the citation. |
139 | 10. A conspicuous statement that if the person fails to |
140 | pay the civil penalty within the time allowed, or fails to |
141 | appear in court to contest the citation, the person shall be |
142 | deemed to have waived his or her right to contest the citation |
143 | and that, in such case, judgment may be entered against the |
144 | person for an amount up to the maximum civil penalty. |
145 | Section 3. Section 173.01, Florida Statutes, is amended to |
146 | read: |
147 | 173.01 Foreclosure of municipal tax certificates and |
148 | abatement assessment liens authorized.-The lien of any and all |
149 | taxes, except those ad valorem taxes collectible by the county |
150 | tax collector, tax certificates, |
151 | abatement assessment liens imposed by any municipality |
152 | |
153 | foreclosed by such municipality or its assignees |
154 | suit in chancery. The practice, pleading, and procedure in any |
155 | such suit must |
156 | practice, pleading, and procedure for the foreclosure of |
157 | mortgages of real estate, except as herein otherwise provided. |
158 | Section 4. Section 173.03, Florida Statutes, is amended to |
159 | read: |
160 | 173.03 Conditions determining when suit may be brought; |
161 | lands and claims included.- |
162 | (1) Suit may be brought at any time after any one or more |
163 | of the following events, respectively: |
164 | (a) After the expiration of 2 years from the date of any |
165 | tax certificate issued and held by a municipality |
166 | whose charter provides for or requires the issuing of tax |
167 | certificates for delinquent taxes; |
168 | (b) After the expiration of 2 years from the date any tax |
169 | becomes delinquent which was imposed by a municipality |
170 | |
171 | of tax certificates; |
172 | (c) After the expiration of 1 year from the date any |
173 | special assessment or installment thereof becomes due and |
174 | payable; or |
175 | (d) After the expiration of 1 year from the date of |
176 | recording of an abatement assessment lien in the public records |
177 | of the county where the property is located or upon the |
178 | conclusion of any administrative or judicial proceeding |
179 | challenging the lien, whichever is later. |
180 | (2) The suit may include |
181 | all or any part of the lands upon which tax certificates have |
182 | been outstanding, |
183 | special assessment or installment thereof |
184 | default, or an abatement assessment lien has been unsatisfied |
185 | for the respective periods specified in subsection (1). The suit |
186 | may also include |
187 | all claims and demands of the municipality |
188 | against the |
189 | certificates, and special assessments or installments thereof |
190 | which may be due and payable to the municipality |
191 | |
192 | Section 5. Subsection (1) of section 173.04, Florida |
193 | Statutes, is amended to read: |
194 | 173.04 Procedure for bringing foreclosure suit; |
195 | certificate of attorney as to notice of suit; jurisdiction |
196 | obtained by publication of notice of suit; form of notice.- |
197 | (1) Any suit |
198 | commenced by bill in chancery in the circuit court of the county |
199 | in which the municipality |
200 | suit may be brought by the municipality or an assignee of the |
201 | municipality to enforce the |
202 | |
203 | abatement assessment liens that |
204 | |
205 | |
206 | |
207 | |
208 | |
209 | and nonpayment of taxes, |
210 | assessments that |
211 | |
212 | |
213 | |
214 | each parcel or tract. It is |
215 | bill or proceedings any person owning or having any interest in |
216 | or lien upon such lands as defendants. At least 30 days before |
217 | |
218 | of intention to file the same shall be sent by registered mail |
219 | to the last known address of the holder of the record title and |
220 | to the holder of record of each mortgage or other lien, except |
221 | judgment liens, upon each tract of land to be included in said |
222 | bill in chancery; such notice shall briefly describe the |
223 | particular lot or parcel of land, shall state the amount of tax |
224 | certificate and special assessment liens sought to be enforced, |
225 | and shall warn the |
226 | or other liens that on or after the day therein named said bill |
227 | in chancery to enforce the same will be filed, unless paid on or |
228 | before said date. |
229 | Section 6. Section 173.16, Florida Statutes, is created to |
230 | read: |
231 | 173.16 Assignment of abatement assessment liens to a |
232 | private party.-A municipality that imposes a lien against real |
233 | property for the assessment of costs to abate conditions on the |
234 | property which pose a threat to the public health, safety, and |
235 | welfare may assign the lien to a private party for consideration |
236 | if the lien has been recorded in the official records in the |
237 | county in which the property is located. |
238 | Section 7. This act shall take effect July 1, 2011. |
CODING: Words |