SEMINOLE COUNTY, FLORIDA Header Image
File #: 2024-1023   
Category: Consent Item Status: Passed
File created: 7/15/2024 Type: Board of County Commissioners
On agenda: 7/23/2024 Final action: 7/23/2024
Title: Request for authorization for the County Attorney's Office to file a code enforcement lien foreclosure case for property located on Granby Street in Sanford, Florida 32771 and having a Tax Identification Number of 32-19-31-513-0000-1060 and to authorize the County to pay the Seminole County Tax Collector an amount not to exceed $3,000.00 for the outstanding tax certificates and other costs. District5 - Herr (Kate Latorre, County Attorney)

Title:

title

Request for authorization for the County Attorney’s Office to file a code enforcement lien foreclosure case for property located on Granby Street in Sanford, Florida 32771 and having a Tax Identification Number of 32-19-31-513-0000-1060 and to authorize the County to pay the Seminole County Tax Collector an amount not to exceed $3,000.00 for the outstanding tax certificates and other costs. District5 - Herr (Kate Latorre, County Attorney)

end

Division:

division

County Attorney Office

body

Authorized By:

Kate Latorre, County Attorney

Contact/Phone Number:

Kate Latorre/407-665-7250

Background:

The current owners of record for the subject property are Mary Mae Haddock, Lenon Haddock, Lemuel Haddock, Franklin D. Haddock, Sherman Haddock and Norman Haddock. These individuals acquired the subject property in 1945 as tenants in common and are now all believed to be deceased. The property is vacant and, therefore, not homestead.

On December 16, 2018, the Code Enforcement Board of Seminole County entered an Order Finding Noncompliance and Imposing Fine/Lien on the subject property. Under the order, a fine in the amount of $9,100.00 for 91 days of non-compliance from September 7, 2018 through and including December 6, 2018 at $100 per day, was imposed. The order provided the fine would continue to accrue at $100 per day for each day the violation continues or is repeated past December 6, 2018. The order was recorded on January 10, 2019, thereby imposing a lien on the property for the accruing fine. The property remains out of compliance with the order and the fine continues to accrue. As of July 8, 2024, the fine and lien amounted to $213,300.00.

The subject property includes the area of Parcel 1-826 for the Midway Drainage Improvement Project, on which the County requires a drainage easement for this project. Upon completion of the drainage project, it is anticipated the subject property could be made available for affordable housing if the foreclosure of the code enforcement lien were to be authorized and the County acquires the property at the foreclosure sale.

According to the Seminole County Tax Collector’s Office, no real estate taxes have been paid on the property since 2017. Multiple tax certificates have been issued and one tax certificate holder has applied for a tax deed sale. If the tax deed sale were to proceed, the property would be put up for public auction, at which a new owner might buy the property subject to the County’s code enforcement lien.

Foreclosing the code enforcement lien would put the County in the best position to acquire the property directly because the County may credit the amount it bids at the foreclosure sale against the amount due the County under the final judgment, plus interest and costs through the date of the sale. To proceed with foreclosure of the code enforcement lien and end the tax deed sale process, the County would have to pay the Tax Collector for the outstanding tax certificates and other costs totaling $2,443.38, a payoff that is valid through July 31, 2024. In the event payment is delayed until after July 31, 2024, authorization is requested to pay the Tax Collector up to $3,000.00 for the amount actually due on the date of payment.

Requested Action:

Staff requests the Board authorize the County Attorney’s Office to file a code enforcement lien foreclosure for property located on Granby Street in Sanford, Florida 32771 and having a Tax Identification Number of 32-19-31-513-0000-1060 and to authorize the County to pay the Seminole County Tax Collector an amount not to exceed $3,000.00 for the outstanding tax certificates and other costs.