SEMNOLE COUNTY, Fla. – Seminole County is stepping in to get results for a neighborhood that has been asking for action. They plan to demolish a home they have deemed a “public nuisance.”
Neighbors on South Crystal View say the house has been a nightmare for years. News 6 visited the property Monday and saw the debris in the front yard, boarded up windows, and tarp on the roof.
The problems you can see from the outside are just the beginning.
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“It’s rat infested,” one neighbor told county commissioners in April. “It’s been a nuisance to me.”
Commissioner Amy Lockhart called the home, which is in her district, a “health hazard.” The county gave the owners an ultimatum: Fix it or they would step in and demolish it.
One of the owners, Mary Baker, said she planned on correcting the issues, despite the tight deadline.
“You guys will be surprised. It will be the best-looking house in the neighborhood,” Baker said. “I have finances behind me now. If you just give me a chance.”
More than two months have passed since the deadline the county gave her.
On Monday, a spokesperson for Seminole County told News 6 they have started the process to tear the house down, but it has been flagged for asbestos. They are currently working to remove that following state guidelines.
News 6 reached out to ask for perspective on how this process works, and when the county can come in and demolish a home.
Attorney Bridget Friedman says it is legal, but it is a very lengthy process.
“Most of the time these cases don’t just happen out of the blue. They don’t just happen by surprise,” said Friedman. “The county is required to send several notices to the homeowner prior to commencing a demolition.”
Friedman described what criteria is typically necessary for a home to be condemned and torn down.
“Typically, it’s when a property has structural damage or structural harm could result if the problem is not fixed,” Friedman said. “But there are also health hazards that can give rise to the county stepping in.”
Friedman says property owners can end up with hefty fines. There are hundreds of thousands of dollars in liens for the property on South Crystal View, according to county records.
“At $250 a day, that’s typically what they fine at code enforcement,” Friedman said. “I will say though that most of the time the homeowner can negotiate with the county so that they can reduce the fees and the fines that are due.”
Neighbors say they’re especially concerned about the number of calls to law enforcement over the years. Since January 2021, deputies have been called out 161 times for vandalism, loud parties, and even a shooting.
Friedman says it takes time before a demolition actually happens.
“The county wants the homeowner to remedy the problem,” Friedman said. “They’re not just out to demolition a house just for the sake of demolishing it.”
In Seminole County, any complaints about problem properties should be sent to code enforcement.
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