08 - Release of Lien 1204 Fitzhugh

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No. 8 TO: Mayor, Mayor Pro Tem & City Council FROM: Grayson Path, City Manager SUBJECT: Release of Lien / Waiver Request DATE: February 13, 2023 BACKGROUND: On February 18, 2013, the Buildings and Standards Commission (BSC) issued a demolition order on 1204 Fitzhugh Street for a dangerous structure to be torn down. The owner of the property at that time was John Leonard Brown. The structure was to be demolished within 30 days or $1,000/day civil penalties would be applied. The structure was subsequently torn down on (about) May 1, 2013. The demolition order and civil penalties were never addressed at that time and have remained with the property since then, although civil penalties stopped accruing when the structure was torn down in 2013. STATUS OF ISSUE: Mr. Brown has since this time passed away and an heir, Keiunta Jones, became owner. She subsequently sold the property to Carlton Cooper on 7/5/2019. Mr. Cooper has requested that the civil penalties be forgiven as the demolition order and removal of the structure all occurred long prior to his ownership of the property. The ability to issue civil penalties is given to the BSC in City Code 4.03.004. There is not a listed procedure for waiver of civil penalties, therefore it falls to the City Council to make this decision to either enforce the civil penalties for payment, or waive all or a portion of it. BUDGET: The estimated total of civil penalties accruing 30 days after February 18, 2013 to approximately May 1, 2013 is about $34,000.00. There are no known public expenses on this matter. There are no structure liens on this property.