Bay County magistrate affirms abatement costs, sets compliance deadlines and reduces fines in multiple code-enforcement cases

PANAMA CITY BEACH, Fla. — Bay County Special Magistrate Tiffany Sardo on July 10, 2025 accepted code-enforcement recommendations in a series of hearings that imposed abatement costs, adjusted fines and set compliance deadlines for several properties across the county.

Most immediately, the magistrate left in place a February 13 order for the property at 9407 Indian Bluff Road and gave the respondent 30 days to comply. Austin Bruce Savage, who identified himself as living at 300 Johnson Bayou Drive, told the magistrate he had removed “close to about 15,000 pounds of trash” from the structure and that an engineer was scheduled to walk the house around July 14. The magistrate said she was “completely inclined to keep that order in place and now give you the 30 days to get that taken care of,” and instructed code enforcement to report back; a compliance hearing was set for Aug. 14 at 1 p.m.

Why it matters: the magistrate’s rulings can require property owners to pay abatement costs that may become liens against the land and, if unpaid, may be placed on property tax rolls under Bay County’s enforcement procedures.

What the magistrate decided and other results

- 9407 Indian Bluff Road (Case 20241067): The magistrate ordered that the respondent be responsible for abatement costs the county had incurred as of July 10 — recorded by code enforcement as $3,300 plus statutory interest — and kept the February 13 order in force, giving the respondent 30 days to comply. Austin Bruce Savage described ongoing interior cleanup and said contractors and an engineer were lined up; the magistrate said the 30-day timeframe should spur progress.

- 1624 Melissa Road, Unit 5 (Case 20240401): Code enforcement reported county abatement for junk and trash costing $7,320. The magistrate accepted the abatement cost and found the property in compliance as of March 19, 2025, and reduced the previously imposed $1,000 fine to $750.

- 9909 N. Highway 231 (Case 23-00098): Property was claimed and partially abated by a county contractor at a reported cost of $8,390 (plus related costs). Owner Rob Manns testified that he and family spent roughly $23,366 on repairs after Hurricane Michael and that they spent about $3,000 repairing a tractor shed that was later demolished. The magistrate accepted code-enforcement recommendations on abatement costs but reduced the requested $1,000 fine to $100. The magistrate and staff emphasized that repairs without the required engineering reports or building permits would not substitute for the formal permitting and compliance process.

- 7204 Taunton Lane (Case 22-01209): Bianca Ingram, who said she had paid property taxes and was arranging financing, asked for relief. The magistrate reduced the $1,000 fine to $100 and waived interest, noting the county would expect the smaller fine to be paid promptly to avoid new interest accrual.

- 3919 Cedar Bluff Road (Case 20250018): Counsel for Lakeview Loan Servicing told the magistrate the servicer had hired vendors to cure violations (mowing and other work). The magistrate found the property in compliance as of May 27 and accepted code-enforcement recommendations; the magistrate noted any noncompliance fine would be assessed against the property owner, not the bank that paid for the cure.

- 8916 North Lagoon Drive (Case 20240727): The property was found in compliance on March 28, 2025. Code enforcement reported a shortfall of $13.04 in statutory interest; the magistrate accepted the recommendation that the respondent pay $13.04 to finalize the payoff figure.

- 8230 Klondike Road (Case 20242915): County-contracted cleanup cost was reported as $4,424 and code enforcement’s recommended total (including fines and fees) was $5,224. The magistrate accepted the recommendation and found the property in compliance as of March 31, 2025.

- 101 Sale Road (Case 20230401): County abatement was reported at $8,865; code enforcement recommended a total levy of $9,665 plus statutory interest. The magistrate accepted the recommendation and found the property in compliance as of April 7, 2025.

- 3936 Scurlock Lane (Case 20241841): Code enforcement reported county cleanup costing $1,500; owner Sandra Scurlock paid abatement costs and the property was found in compliance as of March 13, 2025.

Quotes and testimony

“I’ve gotten rid of, I guess, close to about 15,000 pounds of trash,” Austin Bruce Savage told the magistrate about cleanup at 9407 Indian Bluff Road. Rob Manns, appearing for 9909 N. Highway 231, said his family had spent “over $3,000 repairing the tractor shed” and that total out-of-pocket repairs since Hurricane Michael were about $23,366.

Magistrate Tiffany Sardo told respondents the permitted design and building-permit process is central to determining whether repairs cure violations: “They needed permits to be repaired,” she said regarding structures repaired without permits, and noted that work done without the required engineering and permit review could still be subject to abatement.

Procedural and enforcement notes

- Where county contractors performed abatement, code enforcement recorded the contractor costs and sought to recover them from property owners; the magistrate repeatedly noted that recorded abatement costs and any imposed fines could become liens recorded against the property. - Several hearings included notices of intent, asbestos-survey costs (commonly $800–$1,000 per survey), pre-bid inspections and multiple re-inspections before county contractors were mobilized. - The magistrate reduced several fines from $1,000 to smaller amounts (most commonly $100 or $750) when circumstances — such as partial self-cleanup or owner payment of abatement costs — were presented.

Ending

The magistrate adjourned the session at about 2:30 p.m. and scheduled follow-up compliance hearings or required reporting to code enforcement where needed. Property owners and agents were advised to keep in contact with code-enforcement staff about permits, engineering reports and payment arrangements to avoid new fines or liens.