Special master finds Novich guilty of junk accumulation, defers right-of-way encroachment ruling

Special Master Christian Waugh found Michael R. Novich in violation of the county accumulation-of-junk ordinance and ordered him to clean the property within 30 days or face a $100-per-day fine.

Waugh said his ruling applies to the accumulation-of-junk case (listed in the hearing as case number 20Four-two117, a violation of Chapter 20, Article 3, Section 20-31A of the Citrus County Code of Ordinances). He declined to decide at the hearing whether Novich had illegally encroached in the public right of way, saying the right-of-way allegation required additional legal research and factual review and that he would issue a written order at the April hearing.

Waugh opened the Feb. 2025 code compliance hearing by taking evidence offered by county staff and admitting three exhibits (photos and notices). Julie Wilkinson, Citrus County code compliance officer, testified that inspections from December 2024 through mid-February 2025 documented piles of mulch, tree debris, loose trash, a discarded fish tank and “miscellaneous junk and debris” at 66 South Columbus Street in…