HomeMy WebLinkAboutOrder No. 20-010 - Code Enforcement Amnesty Program Code Liens Tolled (04-08-20)Order No. 20-010
AN ORDER OF THE ST. LUCIE COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR
REGARDING
(CODE ENFORCEMENT AMNESTY PROGRAM)
CODE LIENS TOLLED
WHEREAS, the St. Lucie County Public Safety Director has made the following
determinations:
1. Novel Coronavirus Disease 2019 ("COVID-19") is a severe acute respiratory illness
that can spread among humans through respiratory transmission and presents with symptoms
similar to those of influenza; and
2. In late 2019, a new and significant outbreak of COVID-19 emerged in China; and
3. The World Health Organization previously declared COVID-19 a Public Health
Emergency of International Concern; and
4. On March 1, 2020, the Governor of the State of Florida issued Executive Order
Number 20-51 directing the Florida Department of Health to issue a Public Health Emergency;
and
5. On March 1, 2020, the State Surgeon General and State Health Officer declared a
Public Health Emergency exists in the State of Florida as a result of COVID-19; and
6. On March 7, 2020, the Governor of the State of Florida directed the Director of the
Division of Emergency Management to activate the State of Emergency Operations Center to Level
2 to provide coordination and response to the COVID-19 emergency; and
7. On March 9, 2020, the Governor of the State of Florida issued Executive Order
Number 20-52 declaring that a state of emergency exists in the State of Florida; and
8. On March 13, 2020, the President of the United States issued a proclamation of a
declaration of national emergency; and
9. On April 1, 2020, the Governor of the State of Florida issued Executive Order
Number 20-91 Essential Services and Activities During Covid-19 Emergency;
JOSEPH E. SMITH, CLERK OF THE CIRCUIT COURT
SAINT LUCIE COUNTY
FILE # 4697491 04/09/2020 12:43:34 PM
OR BOOK 4407 PAGE 1408 - 1411 Doc Type: ORD
RECORDING: $35.50
WHEREAS, on March 17, 2020, the St. Lucie County Public Safety Director declared a State
of Local Emergency Covid-19 Public Health Emergency and is extended by emergency
declarations every seventh day thereafter ("St. Lucie County Declaration of Emergency'); and
WHEREAS, paragraph 2 of the St. Lucie County Declaration of Emergency provides that
the County Administrator or designee may take all actions necessary and appropriate to protect
human life and property, to the extent necessary to accommodate the emergency; and
WHEREAS, United States Department of Labor April 2, 2020, News Release states, " In the
week ending March 28, the advance figure for seasonally adjusted initial claims was 6,648,000, an
increase of 3,341,000 from the previous week's revised level. This marks the highest level of
seasonally adjusted initial claims in the history of the seasonally adjusted series." See attached
Exhibit A; and
WHEREAS, St. Lucie County Code Enforcement Board levies fines for failure to abate Code
violations by a given date. The fine may be recorded as a lien against the property. The recorded
fine order will be reflected on the title of the property; and
WHEREAS, the County's goal is for the violator to abate the violation and bring the
property into compliance with St. Lucie County Codes; and
WHEREAS, the State of Florida had 227,000 unemployment insurance weekly claims for
the week ending March 28, 2020. This is 152,687 increase from the prior week of 74,313
unemployment insurance weekly claims; and,
WHEREAS, property owners may not be able to transfer title to their property due to the
recorded lien.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT ORDERED AS FOLLOWS:
1. The determinations, orders, and declarations identified above are incorporated herein.
2. To best protect the health, safety, and welfare of the County and its residents, St. Lucie
County Code Compliance will commence the Amnesty Lien Program. The Amnesty
Lien Program will assist property owners who have outstanding code enforcement
liens and have abated all code violations on the entire property. The specifications of
the programs are attached as Exhibit A.
3. To best protect the health, safety, and welfare of the County and its residents, all St
Lucie County Code liens are hereby tolled starting March 1, 2020 until the current Local
State of Emergency expires or is rescinded.
4. Any provision(s) within this Emergency Order that conflict(s) with any state or federal
law or constitutional provision, or conflict(s) with or are superseded by a current or
subsequently -issued Executive Order of the Governor or the President of the United
States, shall be deemed inapplicable and deemed to be severed from this Emergency
Order, with the remainder of the Emergency Order remaining intact and in full force
and effect. To the extent application of some or all of the provisions of this Emergency
Order is prohibited on the sovereign land of a federally or state recognized sovereign
Indian tribe, such application is expressly excluded from this Emergency Order.
5. Effective Date; Duration. This order shall be effective as of 8:00 (am) on the date signed
below.
6. This Order shall be filed in the Office of the Clerk of the Circuit Court.
Signed this0 day of April 2020 at 8:00 am.
o—w'a irAj. Tipton
ounty Administra or
SERVICES
EXHIBIT A
ST. LUCIE COUNTY
BOARD OF COUNTY
St. Lucie County Code Compliance
COMMISSIONERS
Amnesty Lien Program
LINDA BARTZ
St. Lucie County is offering its annual Code Enforcement Amnesty Program
CHAIR
DISTRICT 3
as an assistance to owners who may have outstandingcode
property wy
enforcement liens reflected on the title to their property.
CATHY TOWNSEND
VICE -CHAIR
Program Duration: Aril 1 thru Jul 31 2020
g p y
DISTRICT 5
Terms of Amnesty Lien Program:
CHRIS DZADOVSKY
DISTRICT 1
• Available to all residential and commercial property owners with outstanding
Code Enforcement liens.
SEAN MITCHELL
DISTRICT 2
• Eligible for a 90% reduction of lien if property is brought into 100%
Compliance.
FRANNIE HUTCHINSON
DISTRICT 4
• The entire property must be in compliance with all County Codes and
Ordinances.
HOWARD N. TIPTON
COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR
• Property owner shall NOT have any active code enforcement violations on
Any other properties owned in the unincorporated areas of St. Lucie County.
DAN MCINTYRE
COUNTY ATTORNEY
. Properties will be inspected to confirm there are no code violations.
MAILING ADDRESS
. Upon approved inspection, the reduced lien (10% of original lien) must be
2300 VIRGINIA AVENUE
FORT PIERCE, FL 34982
Paid within thirty (30) days.
PHONE
Please fill out the attached application or for your convenience, you can submit
(772) 462-1 567
the application online at: http://www.stlucieco.gov/amnesty
TDD
Please mail, fax, or email the application before the deadline.
(772) 462-1 428
FAX
Mailing Address: 2300 Virginia Avenue, Fort Pierce, FL 34982
(772) 462-1 148
FAX E-mail
E-MAIL
(772) 462-1148 Code_Enforcement@stlucieco.org
dVI LLIAMSDA@STLUCI ECO.ORG
WEBSITE
WWW.STLUCIECO.GOV
ST. LUCIE WORKS