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Commissioners pause foreclosure, give resident time to correct code violations
Summary
After a resident described years of dispute over occupation of his property, Sumter County officials said staff would halt foreclosure proceedings while the owner brings the property into compliance and the board will review fines and options at the board’s first February meeting.
During public forum on Jan. 13, 2026, a resident raised a long‑running code enforcement dispute that county staff said had produced a recorded lien and possible foreclosure. County attorneys told the board fines and fees related to the code enforcement matter totaled $29,829.06; that figure included $26,450 in fines, approximately $668.21 in staff costs, $2,695 in attorney fees and foreclosure costs of $15.85.
The county attorney described the standard process: liens are recorded when code violations are not cured, pre‑suit notices are sent and foreclosure is pursued oldest to newest; certified notices are sent to titled owners and recorded occupants. Staff confirmed the property had been brought into compliance in January 2026 with regard to the items originally cited, but that a new violation (an occupant living in an accessory structure without a permitted primary structure) remained and would need corrective action for the county to stop a foreclosure.
Board members discussed options including settlement agreements, payment plans, and conditional withholding of fine waivers in exchange for actions such as applying for a primary‑structure permit and an interim temporary use permit for RV occupancy. The chair recommended stopping foreclosure and giving the property owner until the board’s first meeting in February to show compliance; the board agreed to review fines and options at that time.
The action paused a pending enforcement step and directed staff and the county attorney to work with the resident on compliance steps and a potential settlement that may include a payment plan and conditions for potential lien release. No final waiver or lien release was approved at the Jan. 13 meeting; the board scheduled further consideration for the February meeting.
