Bay County magistrate orders clean-up, repair or permits for 2628 Lorry Avenue parcels; multiple tenants and owners involved

The Bay County special magistrate accepted code enforcement recommendations Thursday for three related cases tied to 2628 Lorry Avenue, a mobile-home park in unincorporated Panama City Beach, setting deadlines for removal of derelict vehicles and for either applying for permits to repair or to demolish unfit mobile homes.

The actions affect multiple lots on the parcel (referred to in the record as Lots A, C and E). Magistrate Tiffany Sutter accepted evidence of recurring violations, ordered a 10-day compliance period for removal or storage of derelict vehicles, and set 30-day deadlines for owners or interested parties to apply for demolition or building permits for the unfit mobile homes. Code enforcement staff warned that failure to comply could trigger fines and liens against real and personal property.

Why it matters: the cases combine public-nuisance issues (derelict vehicles, junk and overgrowth) with safety concerns about mobile homes the county has determined are unfit or unsafe. The magistrate’s orders create a short timeline for action and preserved the county’s ability to abate and recover costs if owners do not act.

Code enforcement testimony and timeline Catherine Ashman, Bay County code enforcement manager, said the initial complaints for derelict vehicles on the parcel were received Nov. 4, 2024, and investigators inspected the site Nov. 7. Investigator Brandon Erwin and Inspector Scott Thorpe documented multiple vehicles without tags, trash, tires, mattresses and other debris scattered across the parcel and adjacent lots. Reinspections on Dec. 31, Feb. 4 and March 4 showed vehicles and debris remained; notices of violation and notices of hearing were mailed and posted at the property and at the Bay County Government Center.

For the derelict-vehicle case (code enforcement case 20243339 focused on the parcel generally), Ashman recommended the magistrate give the property owner 10 days to remove junk, trash and to store or remove vehicles, allow only one operable vehicle per parcel to remain, and impose an initial fine of $200 with a $25-a-day penalty after the tenth day (for up to 20 days) if the property remains in violation. Magistrate Sutter accepted that recommendation for the vehicle case at the hearing.

Separate but related cases address unfit, unsafe mobile homes on Lots C and E. Inspector Thorpe and Tony Burney documented severe rot, missing siding, holes patched with spray foam, compromised rim joists and other structural deterioration. For Lot E and Lot C code enforcement recommended 30 days to either apply for a demolition permit or submit building permit applications and structural plans; if work is not initiated, code enforcement recommended imposing a $1,000 fine that would become a lien against the respondent’s property in Bay County. The magistrate accepted those recommendations and scheduled a compliance hearing for May 15, 2025, at 1 p.m.

Owners, tenants and property manager Rick Klop, who said he represents a property management company for the owner, said management sent certified lease-violation notices to tenants and had been working with tenants to remove vehicles and debris. Klop asked for extensions to allow tenants who own their mobile homes time to comply; the magistrate permitted limited extensions in specific circumstances (for example, the magistrate stated she would consider written requests documented with DMV or title-transfer delays).

Mercedes Christie, who identified herself as a Lot C tenant, said she has removed multiple vehicles and planned to remove remaining debris and two drivable vehicles by the end of the week; she described caregiving and health issues that complicated oversight of another resident whose behavior contributed to re-accumulation of items.

Darren Young, who said he is the owner of Lot E, told the magistrate he had purchased a mobile home without receiving title paperwork, that the structure already had significant roof and framing damage when he acquired it, and that he planned to apply for permits or demolish the unit once he resolved title issues. The magistrate agreed to allow up to three 10-day extensions if DMV or title-transfer delays were documented and proactively communicated to code enforcement.

Enforcement steps ordered - Derelict-vehicle case (case 20243339): 10 days to comply with removal/storage requirements; initial fine $200, then $25/day after day 10 for up to 20 days; fines become liens if imposed. Compliance hearing: May 15, 2025, 1:00 p.m. - Lot E (case 20243467): apply for demolition or building permits and submit a detailed action plan and manufacturer/engineering documentation within 30 days; $1,000 fine and lien if noncompliant; magistrate allowed written requests documenting DMV/title delays and said she would consider three 10-day extensions in such cases. Compliance hearing: May 15, 2025, 1:00 p.m. - Lot C (case 20243465): same 30-day permit-or-demolish directive and $1,000 fine if not addressed; compliance hearing: May 15, 2025, 1:00 p.m.

The magistrate’s order and next steps Sutter said she would accept code enforcement’s recommendations on all three matters and emphasized that the orders address parcel-level derelict vehicles separately from structural deficiencies. She instructed property owners, tenants and any authorized agents to notify code enforcement of progress or delays and reiterated that the county can abate violations and place liens if orders are not followed.

The cases were continued to a compliance hearing in the same courtroom on May 15, 2025, at 1 p.m. for the county to review whether the ordered actions were completed.

Ending The 2628 Lorry Avenue matters highlight overlapping responsibilities among tenants who own their mobile homes, a property manager, and the recorded property owner. The magistrate’s orders gave short timelines for vehicle removal and for beginning the permitting process on seriously deteriorated structures while preserving the county’s abatement authority if work is not started.