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St. Pete Beach to crack down on nuisance properties

 
Published April 9, 2015

ST. PETE BEACH — New nuisance regulations that could result in higher property tax bills for offending property owners are expected to go into effect Tuesday.

The commission wants to cut down on criminal and nuisance activities, particularly in the city's downtown Corey Avenue area and in neighborhoods where homes are illegally rented to rowdy, short-term guests.

The commission unanimously approved the "Chronic Nuisance Property Code" last month and unless there is an outpouring of opposition, an identical and final vote is likely at Tuesday's commission meeting.

"Hallelujah. This is a long time coming," said resident Deborah Scheckner. "We have some properties in certain areas that have been abused by the owner."

She urged residents to report inappropriate activities and code violations to ensure they go on a property's record.

The ordinance defines specific activities the city would consider nuisances and sets limits on the number of incidents reported over periods of time.

If those limits are exceeded, the city can require the property owner to create a plan to correct the violations.

The next step would be to issue a formal notice of violation, which would be heard before the city's magistrate.

Just how much a property could be assessed for being declared the site of a chronic nuisance has yet to be determined. But whatever the level of fines and assessments, they would appear on the property's tax bill and be paid directly to the city.

This is in sharp contrast to how fines are handled in other code violation cases where the city is often forced to go to court to collect the fines.

At least one property owner, John Michael, co-owner of the Baywaters Inn on Bay Street, is adamantly opposed to the ordinance, describing it as open season for residents in "bad moods" to harass hotels, bars and restaurants.

"There are way too many opportunities for property owners to be utterly harassed," Michael said, calling the ordinance "utterly and ridiculously inappropriate."

Michael called on the commission to rewrite the ordinance to protect hotels and other businesses from unfair complaints.

"There are a lot of people who hate the Postcard Inn," Michael said. "Every time somebody laughs too loud or screams because they got splashed with cold water and somebody calls the police, that is going to go against that motel."

He warned there could be legal action from "a lot of people adamantly opposed to this (who) will do everything they can to keep it from coming into fruition."

The ordinance is virtually an identical copy of a similar Madeira Beach ordinance created primarily to give that city power to control undesirable and criminal activities among both short- and long-term renters.

Mayor Maria Lowe cited at least three complaints last summer from neighbors upset over homes being rented to weekend guests.

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"It became a party scene. There were upwards of 20 or 30 vehicles converging on one home," she said, adding she was unsure the nuisance ordinance would allow the city to halt illegal renting practices.

Activities the city can declare nuisance violations include criminal behavior including assault, prostitution, burglary, dealing in stolen property, illegal possession of alcohol or drugs, and cruelty to animals. Non-criminal nuisance activities include excessive noise, junk or abandoned cars visible on property, harboring dangerous dogs, harassing people participating in a neighborhood crime watch program, and rowdy open house parties.

"This gives us a better way to address the nuisances we have," said City Manager Wayne Saunders.