Seminole County, FL Property Maintenance: Property Blight (2026)
Key Facts
- Nuisance standard
- Unoccupied, dangerous, unsafe, or fire hazard
- Notice method
- Certified mail, Sec. 168.2
- Enforcement hearing body
- Special Magistrate
- Emergency abatement
- County may act immediately, Sec. 168.5
- Cost payment deadline
- 30 days after certification
- Unpaid cost result
- Recorded lien against the property
Summary
Seminole County declares any unoccupied, dilapidated, or unsafe building in the unincorporated area a public nuisance under Code Sec. 168.1, and Sections 168.2-168.8 give the Development Services Director, Building Official, Fire Marshal, or Code Enforcement Division authority to order repairs or demolition, with unpaid abatement costs becoming a lien on the property.
Sec. 168.1. - Nuisances and hazards declared. All buildings or structures within the unincorporated areas of Seminole County, Florida, which are unoccupied and unsuitable for occupancy and are dangerous or unsafe, or which constitute a fire hazard or a hazard to the safety or health of the general public whether by reason of inadequate maintenance, dilapidation, obsolescence, abandonment or otherwise are hereby declared to be public nuisances under the provisions of this Part. ... Sec. 168.6. - Certification of costs. (a)...The actual costs of said corrective action of abatement, including all administrative expenses, shall be assessed to the owner of the affected land or premises and shall become a lien against such land or premises as provided in Section 168.8 of this Part.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 23 Update 1 | Land Development Code: Supplement 2).
Full Breakdown
Chapter 168, rewritten by Ordinance No. 2025-24 in October 2025, targets buildings that are 'unoccupied and unsuitable for occupancy and are dangerous or unsafe,' including any structure that is a fire hazard or health hazard 'by reason of inadequate maintenance, dilapidation, obsolescence, abandonment or otherwise,' judged against the Florida Building, Electrical, Mechanical, and Plumbing Codes and the International Property Maintenance Code as adopted by the county; agricultural structures that pose no public hazard are excluded. 2 requires written notice by certified mail describing the property, the owner, the specific hazardous conditions, and the corrective action required, with a time-certain deadline to comply.
4 lets the owner present evidence before the Magistrate orders repair, demolition, or removal by a set date. 5 authorizes the Code Enforcement Division Manager to remedy the nuisance right away at the owner's expense, with notice following within seven days and a right to a cost hearing. 7 preserves a right to a hearing to challenge those costs as excessive. 8, foreclosable and payable with interest, court costs, and attorney's fees before release.
Violations & Fines
There's no separate criminal fine in Chapter 168; enforcement runs through cost recovery. If the county performs the repair or demolition itself, Section 168.6 certifies the costs against the owner, due within 30 days, and Section 168.8 turns any unpaid balance into a recorded lien against the property, foreclosable and carrying interest, administrative expenses, court costs, and attorney's fees until satisfied.
Frequently Asked Questions
What makes a building a public nuisance in Seminole County?
How much notice do I get before enforcement starts?
Can the county fix my property without asking me first?
What happens if I don't pay the county's abatement costs?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Seminole County
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