Clay County, FL Property Maintenance: Property Blight (2026)

Chapter 6, Article VIII of the Clay County Code, titled the Clay County Property Safety and Maintenance Code, applies only in the unincorporated area (Sec. 6-168) and reaches any building or structure that is decayed, fire or flood damaged below current structural minimums, unsanitary, a public nuisance, abandoned, boarded up more than 24 months without electric service, boarded up more than 6 months with the boarding breached, or used for criminal activity twice in six months (Sec. 6-166(u)). Historic buildings and homestead real property under Article X, Section 4 of the Florida Constitution are exempt (Secs.

6-179, 6-180). The building official must first get written authorization from the county manager before inspecting a suspect building or issuing any notice (Sec. 6-181). Once a building is found unsafe, the building official can order repair, vacating, boarding up and securing, or demolition, and if repair, restoration or replacement cost exceeds 50 percent of the just value on the property appraiser's roll, the official may go straight to demolition (Sec. 6-182). A notice to repair gives the owner 60 days to commence the required repairs and a further deadline the official sets to finish them (Sec.

6-185(b)); a notice to secure or a notice to demolish similarly requires the building to be vacated within 60 days, with the county authorized to board it up, secure it, or demolish it if the owner fails to act (Secs. 6-186, 6-187). 00 filing fee, or the right to appeal is waived (Secs. 6-211, 6-212, 6-213). 03 legal rate, and is delinquent if unpaid within 60 days of the assessment resolution (Sec. 6-252).