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Nassau commissioners cut code-enforcement lien to $7,937 after owner documents cleanup
Summary
After the new owner of a Callahan lot testified he removed 200+ tires and about 15 tons of trash, the Board of County Commissioners reduced a $588,905.79 lien to $7,937.50, noting a magistrate's earlier 35% cap and seeking consistency for future cases.
The Nassau County Board of County Commissioners voted Feb. 23 to reduce a code-enforcement lien on a Callahan property to $7,937.50 after the new owner documented prompt cleanup.
Michael Pearson, Nassau County's code-enforcement manager, told commissioners the case (CE22-7011) began with an initial inspection on Jan. 14, 2022, and that compounding daily fines produced a lien of $588,905.79. The code-enforcement special magistrate recommended a reduction to $14,437.50 under the county code, which caps liens at 35 percent of assessed value.
The property owner, identified in board materials and by staff as David Sturgis, said he purchased the lot on Sept. 16, 2025, obtained bids and brought the parcel into compliance within 30 days. “We removed excess of over 200 tires and close to 15 tons of garbage and trash,” Sturgis said, and asked the board to reduce the lien to reflect his cleanup costs.
Commissioner Greg Gray proposed lowering the magistrate’s recommended amount by Sturgis’s documented cleanup expense, saying the original $588,500 figure was “egregious” for a small parcel. Gray moved to set the lien at $7,937.50 “in recognition of the special magistrate’s recommendation and the expenses that the property owner...spent,” which Commissioner Martin seconded.
County Attorney Denise May explained the magistrate’s recommendation was constrained by ordinance but said the board has discretion to forgive or reduce liens because liens run in favor of the Board of County Commissioners. The board discussed precedent, the varying costs required to bring different properties into compliance and the importance of treating cases on their individual facts.
The motion passed 4–0; Commissioner Farmer had earlier recused himself from discussion because of a personal relationship with the property owner. The approved figure reflects the magistrate’s recommendation minus the owner’s claimed cleanup cost and administrative fees as discussed by staff and the attorney.
The board did not nullify the lien entirely; commissioners said their decision balanced the magistrate’s legal limit, the owner’s documented expenses and fairness to neighbors who benefited from the cleanup. The owner said he can provide receipts to county staff to substantiate the out-of-pocket costs discussed at the hearing.
What happens next: The reduced lien amount will be reflected in county records; commissioners said they will continue to evaluate similar appeals on a case-by-case basis rather than adopt a single blanket policy.
