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Commission approves partial release of code-enforcement lien to allow Habitat for Humanity sale to proceed
Summary
The board voted 5-0 to partially release county code‑enforcement liens on a lot so the owner can complete a sale to Habitat for Humanity; the board accepted $250 as the clearing amount and said the funds would go to the county general fund, leaving fines on the other noncompliant property intact.
The Escambia County Board of County Commissioners voted 5-0 Oct. 2 to grant a partial release of code-enforcement liens tied to a lot so the owner can complete a sale to Habitat for Humanity.
What the owner said: Charles Charbonneau, who identified himself as a local real-estate investor, told the board he purchased a distressed lot, demolished the dilapidated structure and brought that parcel into compliance. He said the title company flagged a separate property still owned by the same seller that carried continuing code-enforcement liens. Those liens prevented clear title for the lot Charbonneau sought to sell to Habitat for Humanity.
Board action: Commissioners approved a motion to issue a partial release for the Q Street parcel in exchange for a $250 payment; the board specified the payment would be placed into the county general fund and would not be credited to the noncompliant Gonzales Street parcel. The board record shows the motion passed unanimously.
Why it matters: The partial release clears a legal obstacle so Habitat for Humanity can close on the lot and proceed with affordable-housing construction, while leaving fines and potential abatement actions pending against the other property still out of compliance.
Clarifying details: County staff said the original lien figure on the first property had exceeded $17,000 but had previously been reduced and the owner paid $536 to resolve that case. For the other property still in violation, fines were continuing to accrue at a daily rate; county staff told the board the current total was not final because fines are ongoing.
Ending: The board’s action removed a title impediment to a planned affordable-housing sale while preserving county ability to pursue fines and abatement on the remaining noncompliant parcel.
