Magistrate waives $1,311.69 code-enforcement fine for 525 Elm Way owner

Bay County Special Magistrate Tiffany Sarto waived a $1,311.69 code-enforcement fine for the owner of 525 Elm Way during a March 20 hearing, after the owner described inheriting the property and obtaining satisfactions of certain hospital liens.

The owner, Donald Shroff, told the magistrate he had been awarded the property through probate and had arranged satisfaction of liens recorded by Bay County Hospital and another hospital. Shroff asked the magistrate to waive the code-enforcement fine and interest that had accrued. Sarto said, "I'm going to reduce the fine down considering that this originally was your brother's property and you have since inherited and been through the probate issue, we're going to reduce that $13.11 69 down to 0 so that you're not going to pay the fine or any interest that was associated with it." (amount as stated in the record: $1,311.69).

Code enforcement staff noted that separate costs for abatement that appear through the tax collector are distinct from the fine Sarto waived; those tax-collector charges relate to abatement work performed and remain a separate matter for the tax collector's office. The magistrate advised Shroff to work with the tax collector to resolve any outstanding tax-collector assessments and confirmed the county's code-enforcement fine and interest were waived in this hearing.

The magistrate concluded the hearing by reducing the enforcement fine and interest to zero and invited the owner to follow up with the tax office regarding abatement costs that appear on the tax bill.