LARGO, Fla. — More than 500 homes across Largo are racking up around $10 million in code enforcement fines. Now, city leaders are rolling out several new initiatives to eliminate blight.
Within the past few weeks, Largo launched a new easy to use online form where people can fill out where an abandoned home is located and detail the kind of dangers it is posing. City leaders say the form is key because the city only has four code enforcement officers and hundreds of nuisance properties.
City leaders are also working to speed up the foreclosure process on several abandoned homes to get them demolished as soon as possible. So far, the city has foreclosed on five homes and many more are on the list for action.
Largo's Community Standards unit says they've seen a surge in the number of calls about properties that are falling apart, overgrown, attracting vermin and starting to mold.
In just the three weeks since the city launched the new online form, dozens of people have come forward with complaints.
May began taking action to foreclose on five properties.
Tracey Schofield, who manages the community standards department, says they aren't focused solely on enforcement but also helping homeowners who have the right intentions to fix up their properties or sell them. Many times the liens are too large and the homeowner is unable to sell the property. That's where Largo's fine reduction program comes in to help those struggling homeowners to clean their title and sell the home.
Largo officials are hoping you can tell them which homes in your neighborhood are abandoned, vacant, derelict or blighted with the following violations:
-Properties left in a poor or unsafe condition and/or disrepair
-Grass growing too high
-Pool unclean and harboring mosquitoes
-Broken or collapsing fences
If you would like to report a code violation in Largo, click this link and fill out the form.
If you would like to report an abandoned, dilapidated home, fill out this form.
You can also call 727-587-6799 or email CommunityStandards@largo.com.
