Magistrate authorizes county abatement, waives initial fine for 29 McCormick Road

The special magistrate found 29 McCormick Road remained in violation of Bay County Code § 17-2 and authorized county staff to contract for abatement, with cleanup costs to be recorded as a lien on the property.

Inspector Scott Thorpe told the magistrate the property contained two unsafe mobile homes, derelict vehicles, accessory structures, junk and overgrowth; photographs in the record show a double-wide in front and a single-wide in back. The magistrate's earlier order gave the respondents 60 days to comply; follow-up inspections and a July 14 visit showed only partial cleanup. The respondent's daughter, Kyla Sherrill, described multiple dumpsters on the site and ongoing work to clear items and salvage personal keepsakes for the family.

After weighing the history of continued violations, the magistrate found the respondent had not complied despite extensions and authorized the county to solicit bids and hire a contractor to abate identified violations. The magistrate waived the initial $100 fine but said abatement costs and any fines could be reduced to a lien on the real property and on other real or personal property owned by the respondent per the Uniform Assessment Collection Act and county code chapter 21.

Thorpe testified no engineering reports or permit applications had been submitted as of the hearing. The magistrate urged the family to coordinate with planning and zoning about permitted structures and options for salvaging valued personal items before abatement contractors begin work.