In an unusual move, Sumter County commissioners Tuesday night refused to waive code enforcement fines on a Lake Panasoffkee property.
Waiving the fines has been routine when violations have been corrected, a practice challenged by Commissioner Jeffrey Bogue.
At an October workshop, Bogue said it made no sense to impose daily fines if the county ultimately would waive them.
County Attorney Jennifer Rey told commissioners then that they must be consistent with logical reasons to refuse fine waivers.
Bogue is working with Rey to develop a policy for fine waivers.
On Tuesday, he made a motion not to waive the fines for the Lake Panasoffkee property because the owner is a repeat offender.
The property on County Road 470 is owned by Rea Ard of Citra, Florida. The principal violation, cited in 2021 and 2022, was weeds or brush over two feet tall.
Staff costs of $1,024 have been repaid but $2,376 in fines remain.
“This is probably a good test case for not waiving the fines because of the repeat violations,” said County Administrator Bradley Arnold.
Commissioners voted unanimously to refuse the fine waiver, but they declined to endorse Bogue’s further effort to reject fine waivers in three other cases. His motion died for lack of a second.
“I think we’re being very liberal here and we’re being taken advantage of,” Bogue said.
But Commissioner Roberta Ulrich said property owners may not have the money to pay the fines.
“Most of these people don’t have deep pockets and they can’t afford it in the first place,” she said.
Arnold told commissioners they should not “throw cold water” on owners who acquire troubled properties with plans to clean them up.