Charlotte County reinstated its successful Lien Relief Program. The modified program was re-authorized by the Board of County Commissioners on May 13, 2014. It is open to all owners of residential real property encumbered with code enforcement liens in the unincorporated area of Charlotte County.
Purpose
The purpose of the program is to encourage property owners to bring their properties into compliance with county codes by offering relief from outstanding liens.
Application Fee & Lien Amount
There is a non-refundable $150 application processing fee that must be paid at the time of submittal. The reduced lien amount must be paid within 30 days of notification of the amount due.
Program Options
- Part A1: Gives existing property owners the opportunity to reduce the amount of liens assessed on their property as long as they ensure that there are no existing code violations. Liens will be reduced to $1,000 plus any costs associated with abatement of the property and administrative and prosecutorial costs incurred during enforcement.
- Part B1: Gives prospective owners with a bona fide purchase contract for the property the option to seek an anticipatory lien reduction. The property must be in compliance with all County codes or the prospective owner must enter into an agreement with the County to bring the property into compliance within 90 days of closing. Liens will be reduced to $1,000 or the County's actual abatement, administrative and prosecutorial costs incurred during enforcement, whichever is greater.
- Part C1: Gives NEW owners of properties purchased through a foreclosure sale, clerk’s sale or other judicially imposed sale, the opportunity to obtain a release of lien for any existing encumbrances for Code Enforcement Liens. The property in question must be in compliance with all county codes before the release will be granted. Tax deed sales and foreclosure short-sales are not judicially imposed sales and are not included in the criteria for the lien release program.
Important Notes
Following acceptance of your application, an inspection of the property will be performed to ensure that the property is in compliance with all County codes. This inspection will include a review of the County’s permitting database to ensure there are no outstanding expired permits.
There are numerous steps and agencies involved in releasing a lien either following payment via parts A1 and A2 or through a release through Part B. Please keep this in mind when applying for the program and if a closing or other transfer of the property is contingent on the release of the lien, please give us as much time as possible to ensure your closing is not delayed.