Bay County code enforcement recommended and the magistrate set a 30‑day compliance period on Oct. 9 for the owner of 334 Christmas Tree Lane to either obtain a demolition permit and remove unsafe structures or submit a full structural repair plan and building permit application, including a structural report from a Florida‑licensed design professional.

Tony Berning, Bay County code enforcement, summarized investigator photos that show a bowed carport, rotted rear deck framing, an elevated observation deck with missing or inadequate railings and a storm shelter with a missing door. Building inspector Scott Thorpe and code staff concluded the collection of structures presents fall and structural hazards and that the work will require a complete permit review; Berning said the county needs either a demolition permit or engineering plans before further repairs proceed.

Property owner Carrie Rodwin (on the telephone) told the magistrate, “We are planning to just demolish it,” and said two general contractors were lined up to bid the work. Neighbor Mark Chambliss, who testified in person, described prior attempts to help the owners clean the lot and told the magistrate he had been offering low‑cost removal help and believed the site posed hazards and depressed nearby property values. Chambliss said a makeshift storm shelter “is extremely close to the property line” and “I don’t see how anything like that could ever be permitted.”

Code enforcement’s formal recommendation requires submission of either a demolition permit and removal of debris, or a complete building permit submittal that includes a structural report and repair drawings; all required inspections must pass and permits must be finalized for repairs to be considered complete. The magistrate accepted that recommendation and gave the owners 30 days to commence the permitting process; if the owner fails to comply, the order sets a $1,000 fine and potential lien. The county advised the owner to contact Building Services inspector Scott Thorpe for guidance on permitting and demolition procedures.