Code Enforcement Disappointment

**joho** · 08-06-2011, 12:39 PM

I am perturbed with the abandonment of the building sitting on the west end of 30A adjacent of Van Ness Butler Elementary. Tim Pauls had his real estate office Top Sail located there at one time before he sold it.

It's been slowly in the process of dilapidation over the last three years right before our eyes as we head towards Sandestin.

I called Walton County Code Enforcement to ask if they could contact the owners to clean up and mow the yard of the eye sore on our "Scenic Highway". Plus it's a potential fire hazard with pine straw covering the roof and porches. Also it is not secure I have seen the side door open as if intruders have been in and out.

I finally received a reply from CE several days later and the bottom line is they have no regulation to enforce such an act.

They mentioned they would write a letter to the property tax roll address in hopes the property owners might be enticed to do something but couldn't guarantee a response.

How about that one?

**kurt** · 08-06-2011, 02:00 PM

Do we really want our government enforcing lawn mowing and roof cleaning?

Why not ask the owner to be a good neighbor?

**TheZohan** · 08-06-2011, 02:39 PM

I agree just be a good neigbor

**beachmouse** · 08-06-2011, 05:46 PM

When it's a wildfire hazard and the owners refuse to do anything about it, then yes, it becomes a code enforcement matter.

**kurt** · 08-07-2011, 08:34 AM

Tall grass and leaves on the roof a fire hazard? Not so sure.

If it's bank owned then they might be happy to get a call and be a good neighbor.

Tall grass is kind of nitpicky don't y'all think? I know some neighborhoods where you'll get fined if you don't cut your grass. Sounds like crazy talk to me. But I've also heard they make you cut your hay in Maryland.

**joho** · 08-07-2011, 01:11 PM

Originally Posted by kurt

Tall grass and leaves on the roof a fire hazard? Not so sure.

If it's bank owned then they might be happy to get a call and be a good neighbor.

Tall grass is kind of nitpicky don't y'all think? I know some neighborhoods where you'll get fined if you don't cut your grass. Sounds like crazy talk to me. But I've also heard they make you cut your hay in Maryland.

1) Unsecured dilapidation of an abandoned building with pine straw on roof and porches.
2) Just one intruder with cigarette.
3) Dry conditions.
4) Adjacieant to elementary school and neighborhood.
5) Alarming!

**Rita** · 08-07-2011, 02:58 PM

Originally Posted by joho

1) Unsecured dilapidation of an abandoned building with pine straw on roof and porches.
2) Just one intruder with cigarette.
3) Dry conditions.
4) Adjacieant to elementary school and neighborhood.
5) Alarming!

.
I'm with you joho. It's usually obvious if a property has been abandoned. That's not the same as letting the grass get too tall for a neighbors tastes or having some pine needles on your roof or needing a paint job.

I think we all could tell the difference between that and dilapidation, abandonment, etc. In cases where this happens and owners can't easily be found, it's better to notify someone who has authority to check into the situation before something does happen - beyond just being an eyesore.

.

**heartbren** · 08-06-2011, 07:56 PM

I have a very similar problem where I live. I cannot be a good neighbor because no one knows who owns the place and it is not lived in. The only choice I would have is to call code enforcement since they can find out who the owner is and contact them. It is not always so simple; I wish it was. It sits on 30A and the grass is growing taller every day. I live by this house and keep my grass cut and this house is very unsitely especially sitting on scenic 30A.

**idlewind** · 08-07-2011, 09:19 PM

If the tall grass bothers you steer your lawnmower over and cut it. Unless it is a hayfield I can't imagine anyone caring. And you get good neighbor points.
But I do not want the government telling citizens when to cut their lawn.

**heartbren** · 08-08-2011, 10:40 AM

The house by me is bank owned I believe so no one is taking care of it. I could not cut it if I wanted to it is so out of control. My physical limitations do not even allow me to cut my own grass; I pay someone to do it for me. This is on 30A and people notice it since they have mentioned it to me also. I cannot understand why people on here are so disagreeable. I keep my house looking nice and just expect the same of others at least cutting the grass or weeds as it is now. It needs to be cut irregardless of what anyone thinks and it needs to be done by the owner whether it be the bank or whoever,

**LuciferSam** · 08-08-2011, 02:39 PM

Not cutting your grass is is like letting your pants hang down so that your underwear and butt crack shows. It should be legal, but nobody wants to see it.

**whatiscmr** · 08-08-2011, 06:56 PM

And what are we suppose to do about ugly neighbors? Maybe we could pass out county issued paper bags. I can see it now..."Sir we've received a number of complaints and given you several warnings. If you refuse to wear the bag we'll have no choice but to bring you downtown."

**joho** · 08-08-2011, 10:30 PM

It's not so much the overgrown grass and vines all over the building but the potential fire hazard it could bring for the neighborhood and elementary school. I have seen cars parked in the parking lot on the property for a number or reasons whether it's picking up students or just checking out the building. Like I said with the pine straw that has accumulated all over the building in the last three years of abandonment it only takes one careless/irresponsible person or teenager.

**joho** · 09-19-2011, 04:44 PM

Once again "The squeaky wheel gets the grease!"

Thanks Code Enforcement for following through and getting the dilapidated building next to Van Ness Butler Elementary school cleaned up. Now it's not so much of a fire hazzard! The residents of 30A appreciate your effort.

**heartbren** · 09-20-2011, 10:40 AM

Originally Posted by joho

Once again "The squeaky wheel gets the grease!"

Thanks Code Enforcement for following through and getting the dilapidated building next to Van Ness Butler Elementary school cleaned up. Now it's not so much of a fire hazzard! The residents of 30A appreciate your effort.

I was also able to get the house on 30A (abandoned) cut. I called and they said they had several calls on this one and after that they came right out and cut it. It looks so much better. Now I just have to get someone to come get the 100 plus empty white paint bucks as well as small ones. Someone came and dumped all of this stuff in the back of this empty house anc they put it all along my fence line. There's rebar, wood, sooo many paint cans, canvas, and more. What are people thinking. Besides being a mess to look at it is also a potential fire hazard if a spark from my dryer were to hit it. They should be ashamed of themselves for doing this. I guess they did nmot feel like going to the dump.

**HD Lady** · 09-20-2011, 11:08 AM

There is a property near us that was abandoned several years ago and is now bank owned. During this time, we have been cutting the grass so we wouldn't have to worry about the fire hazard, vandalism and look at an unsightly yard.

**heartbren** · 09-21-2011, 11:29 AM

Originally Posted by HD Lady

There is a property near us that was abandoned several years ago and is now bank owned. During this time, we have been cutting the grass so we wouldn't have to worry about the fire hazard, vandalism and look at an unsightly yard.

Unfotunately I cannott even cut my own so I have to pay som,eone to do my grass so I certainly cannnot cut anothers. They are only be asked to do what others expect of themselves, cut the grass and not use it as a junkyard.

**Murray Balkcom** · 09-21-2011, 07:27 AM

So if I don't cut my grass, I could call the county and complain and the county would come out and cut it? What a great county government benefit we have! Who knew?

By the way, if you talk about fire hazards, our fire department will also tell you that pinestraw/mulch used right up to your house as landscaping around your flower beds, is also a fire hazzard, so let's not start getting the government to make laws that will harm us.

**beachmouse** · 09-21-2011, 07:35 AM

They'll also be glad to give you a bill for far more than the cost a lawn service would. This summer, we had a code enforcement issue in my neighborhood- guy who cut down several trees in his back yard, assumed that the trash guys would pick them up even though they didn't meet Waste Management's 'yard waste' criteria, and they sat for a couple weeks sitting half along his grass and half in the street. (It looked like post-hurricane debris piles for a while there)

And because he refused to pay a tree service maybe $200 to pick up his debris piles, he ended up with something like an $800-$900 charge from the county to pick up his tree bits.

**tsutcli** · 09-21-2011, 11:33 AM

Ran into this issue recently. Called about landscaping tree debris removal from curb. Was told that if I cut and piled debris they would remove. If I paid to have work done then it was the responsibility of the company to remove but county would pick up for a charge.

**joho** · 09-21-2011, 02:56 PM

Originally Posted by tsutcli

Ran into this issue recently. Called about landscaping tree debris removal from curb. Was told that if I cut and piled debris they would remove. If I paid to have work done then it was the responsibility of the company to remove but county would pick up for a charge.

We had some landscaping debris on our street, I called Waste Management to have them pick it up and they came around to get in a timely manner.

**agrier57205** · 09-21-2011, 09:45 PM

Add Content

**heartbren** · 09-22-2011, 07:24 AM

Code enforcement would love to know who threw all of the paint buckets (100's), wood, wood with lighting fixtures, rebar and goodness knows what else is under the pile in the backyard of a home no one has lived in for the year and 5 months I have lived her. The house is clearly not lived in, but someone does come cut the grass. Code enforcement said they would have to find out who owns the house, send them a letter to have it removed (since it is a hazzard). If they do not than they will take other measures. It is ashame that the owner (whoever that may be) of the house did not put the trash there and should have to pay to have it rectified. This stuff was dumped there by someone who knew the house was abandoned. What worries me is that it is starting to slowly slide closer to my fence than it already was. It is flamable and a real problem if any of the wash off from the paint gets into my yard since I have a small dog that goes out there.

They are attending to the issue, it just takes so long that it is not safe. If that caught on fire so would my house next door. They said it is tresspassing for anyone to be on that property so they cannot do anything about it. They were hoping I saw who did it so they could do something sooner. It is a very strange pile of stuff, not sure if someone was painting and renovating or an artist since there was also a canvas an artist paints on thrown in there and a piece of wood that looks like someone was painting on it. Even though the house is not lived in and has not been for clearly sometime, does not mean it does not harm others to use it as a dump. My fence is not very sturdy and made out of wire and this stuff is about to come through the bottom of it. When we have a hard rain or wind issue it slides a little more bending the fence in towards me as it does. I suppose someone on here will say something about my cleaning it up. I cannot because I could get in trouble, but I don't think that anyone that lives here year round would approve of anyone dumping garbage in an abandoned house next to them or anywhere. Especially with flamable materials thrown in.

**heartbren** · 09-22-2011, 07:25 AM

Sorry last post so long. Just a little frustrated.

**scooterbug44** · 09-23-2011, 05:57 PM

How is it so hard to figure out who owns the house? www.waltoncountypa.com

I didn't remember exactly where you lived/figured you didn't want it posted, but you can search for it that way.

**Lake View Too** · 09-23-2011, 06:43 PM

It's actually a little harder than you think. Once the deeded owner stops making his payments for about a year or two, the bank, or banks, kinda "own it", and they send "representatives" by, every coupla months, who mostly just make sure the the door is locked and the broken windows haven't collapsed. They are not too concerned about the collapsed porch roof or the pieces of asphalt shingles that blow off into your property in a big storm. The neck high weeds in the yard? gimme a break. No one "owns" these properties for the several years that the banks take to kinda think about foreclosing on. Once they foreclose on it, they have to take the loss on their books, and that makes them closer to insolvent. What a drag.

**idlewind** · 09-24-2011, 07:50 AM

In some jurisdictions the banks are giving these type of properties to the local government after they demolish the structures. It is cheaper to give them away than to pay taxes and upkeep and they get a tax break for the donation. The local government can then resell them for dvelopment when the market recovers.

**heartbren** · 09-24-2011, 03:36 PM

They found the owners and sent themn a letter in which they have 30 days to cleaan it up. Meanwhile that garbage just sits and it is not very healthy. I am not sure what happens after the 30 days is up. I hope it means they will take matters into their own hands, get it done and send them a bill????