In 2019 there were over 290,000 single-family homes sold in the state of Florida. Unfortunately, many homes in Palm Beach County have preexisting permit violations. Realtors can not be held responsible for selling a home with permit violations.  As the new homeowner in Palm Beach County, once you purchase your new home any permit violations now become your responsibility and not the original owner who created them.

Depending on the type of permit violation you might have to fix the issue prior to moving into the home or getting home insurance. At K-Boys Construction the most common type of permit violations we see are door, window, and shutter permits, damages to an existing structure, expired permits, and additions made without a permit such as an additional bedroom or garage that has been added to the existing structure.

When you have a permit violation is it crucial that you correct the problem right away. If a Palm Beach County inspector finds that you have unpermitted work on your new home you could be facing enormous penalties, or even having to tear out the unpermitted work. At K-Boys Construction we can help you with any permit violations, our knowledgeable staff has worked with Palm Beach County Building Divison for many years.

If the problem is not resolved in a timely manner fines on the property can continue to accumulate. That is why it is important to hire  K-Boy Construction to bring your home into compliance.

Permit Violations Process

An enforcement officer in Palm Beach County is allowed to give notice of citation to you after an investigation has found evidence that your home/building has committed an infraction. The enforcement officer will give you a reasonable amount of time to correct the issue, usually no longer than a period of 30 days.  If you receive a notice of citation time is a factor and you should call K-Boys Construction right away to look at the citation and bring your home/business up to code.

If after the time frame the issue is not corrected the Palm Beach County enforcement officer will then issue a permit violation. If the enforcement officer finds that the issue is a serious threat to health and safety or if the violation is irreparable he can issue a permit violation without a time frame. Once the issue has been corrected it is the responsibility of the property owner to inform the Palm Beach County enforcement officer so that another inspection can be completed.

Permit violations that have not been addressed in the allotted time frame the enforcement officer then will send the original citation and a copy to the county court. A second notice of violation is then sent to the property owner with a summons to appear in court.

If the property owner is disputing the case they can present their evidence and along with the city and will, be able to cross-examine any testimony given about the permit violation under oath. This is where our team at K-Boys Construction can become your best asset. As the property owner, you can also request more time from the special Magistrate to address the permit violation.  An extension could be granted from the Magistrate depending on the property owner's circumstance.

The case is heard in front of a special Palm Beach County Magistrate who then determines if in fact, a property violation does exist and that the property owner has been given a proper amount of time to come into compliance. If a judgment is found against the property owner, the Magistrate will complete what is called an Order of Enforcement and can order a daily fine for non-compliance until the permit violation has been resolved.

If after the court has heard the case and the property owners still do not fix the permit violation the Magistrate can issue an Order Imposing Penalty/Lien against the property. The Magistrate can also impose additional fines which could include civil penalties, cost of city-provided services, and administration cost.

Help with Permit Violations