§ 2-57. Optional compliance month.

(a)

The legislative intent of the board of county commissioners in adopting this section is to create a mechanism by which the county may provide property owners with a financial incentive to bring properties with outstanding code enforcement liens into compliance.

(b)

On or before April 1 of each year, the board may adopt an enabling resolution implementing the provisions of subsection (c) of this section for the month of May of that fiscal year. The provisions of subsection (c) shall not be effective in the absence of the adoption of an enabling resolution by the board of county commissioners.

(c)

Implementation of "compliance month" in May of any given year.

(1)

Any individual who owns property that has been liened by the county for a code enforcement violation, and said lien having either been established by an order of the special master or a lien having been recorded in the Official Records of Hernando County, may make application for a reduction and satisfaction of fifty (50) percent of each qualifying lien.

a.

The application for each individual recorded document requires a nonrefundable application and handling fee in the amount of thirty dollars ($30.00) payable to Hernando County Board of County Commissioners, c/o Code Enforcement Department.

b.

The county administrator, or his or her designee, shall deny any application of lien reduction if any of the following conditions exist:

1.

The property owner has not brought the applicable property into compliance with the requirements of the Hernando County Code.

2.

The property owner owns any other parcels of property that are not in compliance with the Hernando County Code at the time of the application.

3.

The amount of money that the county had previously expended in enforcing the Hernando County Code with regard to the applicable property exceeds the amount of the applicable lien(s).

4.

The applicant is not the individual or owner of the property that has been liened.

5.

The property owner has previously had a lien reduced pursuant to this section.

c.

If rejected by the county administrator or his or her designee, the applicant will receive a notice by U.S. Regular Mail at the address listed on the application stating that their application has been denied.

d.

If approved by county administrator or his or her designee, the applicant will receive a notice by U.S. Regular Mail, to be sent to the address listed on the application, stating the date and time that their application will be presented to the board of county commissioners for action. The applicant may elect to be present when the application is presented to the board of county commissioners, however, such appearance is not required. The board of county commissioners' consideration of a request for lien reduction is quasi-legislative in nature and will not constitute a public hearing.

e.

The applicant will be noticed by U.S. Regular Mail of the board of county commissioner's decision. The board's denial of a request for lien reduction is final.

f.

Within ten (10) days of the approval of an application for lien reduction by the board of county commissioners, the applicant must remit to the Hernando County Code Enforcement Department the full amount of the reduced lien, together the full amount of the initial recording fees for the lien and the recording fees for the satisfaction of lien. The board of county commissioners shall not issue a satisfaction of any lien unless these conditions precedent have been satisfied.

(Ord. No. 2010-10, § 1, 3-24-10)