Daily code violation fines are adding up

Why the fine started

• The compliance date in the notice or the order passed with the violation still in place.
• The work was finished, but the re-inspection was never requested, so the case still shows as open.
• The repair needed a permit that was never pulled, so the city could not sign off on it.
• A repair was started and stalled, and the compliance date went by.
• The notice reached a tenant, a previous owner or an old address, and the owner heard about it late.

How we resolve it

1. 1We go through the order with you: what has to be corrected, the compliance date, and how the city wants compliance shown.
2. 2We inspect the violation as written and lay out the work, the permits and the inspections, with a free estimate.
3. 3We pull the permits the repair needs, including an after-the-fact permit where work was done without one.
4. 4We do the work and pass the final inspection, and the code office is asked for a compliance re-inspection.
5. 5With compliance confirmed, you can ask the city how the accrued fine is handled, including any reduction or mitigation process it offers. That decision is the city's.

The Florida angle

Chapter 162 of the Florida Statutes lets a local code enforcement board or special magistrate order a fine for each day a violation continues past the compliance date. The amount, how it is worked out, and whether a city will consider reducing it are set locally, which is why two neighboring cities can handle the same violation differently. Your order and the code office named on it have the details for your case.

Free tools for this

• Deadline checkerHow many days do I have?Enter the date on your notice and the days to correct, or the compliance date, and get the days left, a dated plan to get it corrected in time, a printable copy and a calendar file.Open →
• Hearing prep checklistWhat do I bring to my code hearing?Tell it where the work stands and when the hearing is, and get a checklist of what to bring — the notice, dated photos, permits, your contractor's letter and schedule, receipts — with a dated prep plan, tips for the day and a printable copy.Open →
• Notice decoderWhat does my notice mean?Tick the words you can see on your letter — notice of violation, compliance date, hearing, order imposing fine, lien — and get each one in plain English, where you likely are on the usual Florida timeline, and a next-steps checklist.Open →
• Proof-of-compliance photo guideWhat photos prove it's fixed?Pick the violation on your notice and get a shot list for before, during and after the work — the wide shot with the house number, the inspector's angles, close-ups, the permit card and the final inspection — plus a printable photo card to hold in the first frame.Open →
• Contractor license guideWhich licensed contractor fixes this?Tick the work your notice calls for — roof, structure, electrical, plumbing, AC, pool, fence or lot clean-up — and see the Florida license that usually does it, the DBPR codes to look for, who pulls each permit, and how to check a license.Open →

Questions people ask

How do I stop the daily fine?

In most Florida cities, the fine runs until the violation is corrected and the city confirms it. Getting the work done, permitted and inspected, then asking the code office for a compliance re-inspection, is the usual path. The code office can tell you exactly what it needs to see.

Can the fine be reduced?

Some cities have a process for asking about a reduction or mitigation once the property complies. Whether yours does, and what it decides, is up to the city, and nobody can promise an outcome. For legal questions, talk to a Florida attorney.

What if the work can't be finished by the compliance date?

Contact the code office named on the notice before the date and ask how it handles requests for more time. A written scope of work and a permit application on file can help show the work is under way.

Do I need a permit to fix the violation?

Often, yes. Under the Florida Building Code many repairs need a permit, including most structural and fence work. We check what yours needs and pull the building permit; electrical, plumbing and AC permits are pulled by our Florida-licensed subcontractor in that trade.

General information, not legal advice. Your notice and your city's code office have the final word.

Find your city

Florida: Jacksonville

Find your county's code office — the office named on your notice is the one to ask about deadlines, hearings, fines and liens.