Page 15 - Lifestyles in Palm Beach Gardens - October '22

Lifestyles in Palm Beach Gardens, Page 15
Commissioner’s Update

Speaking In Code and protect our health, safety, welfare, and quality of representing the single largest investment most people
life. Municipalities handle enforcement within their will make, one of the benefits of enforcing codes is to
By Commissioner boundaries, following their particular ordinances and the protect that investment. By adhering to building standards
Maria Marino Florida Building Code. and zoning codes, we can help enhance property values,
Your Palm Beach County The CE division responds to complaints and monitors maintain neighborhood appearances, and assure safety.
government provides a open cases, working with residents. They individually At any one time, each of the 45 CE officers are
wide range of services to investigate and track inquiries, and seek compliance monitoring in excess of 6,500 properties. Some reported
the public. One of the areas through the process outlined in Florida Statutes Section violations may be minor with simple remedies, yet others
I frequently hear about from 162. The primary goal is to bring properties into may affect the health and safety of the surrounding
residents is the condition compliance, and CE officers work extensively with community. Depending on the nature of the problem, CE
of, or activities occurring property owners to achieve this. Our CE officers are will involve other applicable departments and agencies.
on a property. For those required to obtain certification through the Florida If a property is in violation, the owner will receive
matters, I request assistance Association of Code Enforcement. notification and ample due process to correct the issue.
from the Code Enforcement Common code violations include zoning and use Neighbors often feel that the “wheels of justice” move
Division. regulations, property maintenance standards, overgrown very slowly; however, CE is required to follow the
The role of Code Enforcement (CE) is to enforce the lots, unpermitted construction, sign regulations and statutes, which provides for a respondent’s day in court.
County’s Code of Ordinances and Land Development others that you can find listed at https://discover. Once a Notice of Violation is issued, if the property owner
Regulations in the unincorporated areas of the county pbcgov.org/pzb/codeenforcement/PDF/Residential_ fails to come into compliance (the minimum time frame
uniformly and consistently, to maintain our neighborhoods, Property_Maintenance_Guide.pdf. With home ownership is usually 30 days), a hearing will be scheduled before a
special magistrate, where the county and the respondent
can each present their case. The magistrate can dismiss
the case if they determine the violation is unfounded or
resolved; or, they will enter an order setting a time frame
within which the respondent must correct the violation(s),
and the imposition of fines, once the deadline has passed.
In 2021, CE investigated more than 13,000 complaints,
resulting in over 10,000 notices of violation. Of those, 87
percent of the cases were brought into compliance and
closed, and were not taken to a magistrate hearing.
Code Enforcement officials acknowledge that each
case is unique, and some property owners may need
additional time to obtain a building permit, update site
plans and pass inspections for a particular improvement.
If the owner demonstrates they are making an effort
to comply, the division will allow reasonable time for
completion of the necessary steps.
If you live in a homeowners or property owners
association, your management company will likely handle
the process to correct problems on properties that are out
of compliance with your bylaws. Additionally, if your
community is located in the unincorporated area and
your association or neighborhood group would like a
presentation on code enforcement and typical issues that
arise, let me know, and I can arrange for a speaker.
Since violations run with the land, when you are
buying a property, it is important for you to work with
your realtor and the seller to verify that all structures and
improvements have the required permits and inspections.
It may save you a lot of aggravation later.
As always, if there is any way I can assist you, please
contact me at (561) 355-2201 or by email at mmarino@
pbcgov.org.

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