Start Here: What You Need to Know
If your Florida home has code violations — an unpermitted addition, an overgrown lot, a failing roof, a condemned structure, or daily code-enforcement fines stacking up — you can still sell it, and you do not have to fix a thing. We buy houses with open violations and liens as-is, and the title company settles eligible code-enforcement liens at closing.
The important thing is to act before the fines, which often accrue per day, grow larger than the value of the house itself.
Quick facts at a glance
- Do I have to fix the violations?
- No. We buy as-is and take on the repairs and compliance.
- How do fines work in Florida?
- Cities/counties can fine per day until the violation is corrected, then lien the property.
- Condemned or red-tagged?
- Still buyable — we buy unsafe and boarded homes.
- What happens to recorded fines?
- Typically settled at closing from the proceeds; cities often reduce them on sale.
- Cost to me?
- No commissions or fees; lien payoffs come from the proceeds.
- Why act fast?
- Daily fines keep growing until the violation is resolved.
How Florida Code-Enforcement Fines Snowball
Florida cities and counties can fine a property owner daily until a violation is corrected, and they can record those fines as a lien against the home. What starts as a $250-a-day nuisance citation can become tens of thousands of dollars in months.
Many owners do not realize the meter is running until they get a lien notice. Selling stops your exposure and shifts the repair burden to a buyer who renovates for a living — us.
Common Violations We Buy Around
Unpermitted work and additions, roofs past their life, electrical and plumbing brought up out of code, structural and foundation issues, overgrown or junk-filled lots, boarded or condemned homes, and properties red-tagged as unsafe. None of it scares us off — it is what we do.
Liens and fines at closing
A title search surfaces every recorded fine and lien. Many municipalities will negotiate or reduce accrued fines when a property is sold and brought into compliance, and those payoffs are handled out of the sale proceeds. We and our title team do the legwork so you are not chasing the code office yourself.
How the Sale Works
- Send us the address and what you know about the violations or fines.
- We make a written cash offer based on as-is condition.
- The title company pulls the recorded liens; we work to reduce them where possible.
- We close; eligible fines are paid from the proceeds and the repair burden becomes ours.
Pros & cons
Pros
- Stops the daily fines from growing
- No repairs or compliance work on you
- Recorded fines often reduced and paid at closing
- We buy condemned and red-tagged homes
Cons / Trade-offs
- The cash price reflects the needed repairs
- If fines exceed value, you may net little
- A retail buyer's lender usually won't finance these homes anyway
Fines piling up on your property?
Let's stop the meter — get a cash offer and hand us the repairs and the red tape.
Get My Cash Offer Call 904-606-9163The Range of Violations We Buy
If you're not sure your situation qualifies, it almost certainly does. We buy across the full range of code problems.
- Unpermitted work — additions, conversions, electrical or plumbing done without permits.
- Structural & safety — failing roofs, foundation issues, homes red-tagged or condemned.
- Property maintenance — overgrown lots, junk and debris, derelict pools, boarded windows.
- Occupancy & nuisance — illegal units, repeat nuisance citations, accumulated daily fines.
A retail buyer's lender runs from every item on that list. We see them as a normal Tuesday — we have the contractors and the relationships with code offices to clear them after we close.
Hidden Things About Code Violations
- The fine often outruns the repair. A $400 permit problem can become a five-figure lien if it sits. The cost is rarely the fix — it's the delay.
- Cities usually deal at the closing table. Municipalities would rather see a property fixed and back on the tax roll, so they frequently slash accrued fines when a sale brings it into compliance.
- Unpermitted work is a hidden landmine for retail sales. It surfaces in inspection and kills financed deals — which is why these homes usually end up with cash buyers anyway.
- Condemned doesn't mean worthless. We buy red-tagged and boarded homes and bring them back; you don't have to demolish or rehab anything.
- Fines can follow you, not just the house. In some cases unpaid code liens attach to the owner — another reason to resolve them through a sale.
Chris Moore
"Code fines are designed to pressure you into fixing the house, but if you can't afford the fix, they just bury you. Selling hands the repairs and the negotiation with the city to us. I'd rather take on a condemned house than watch someone get fined into the ground over it."
"We're local, we're veteran-owned, and there's no call center and no script — just a straight, honest conversation about what actually serves you, even when the right answer is not selling to us."
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I have to fix the violations before selling?
No. We buy as-is and take on the repairs and the compliance work ourselves.
What happens to the fines I already owe?
Recorded fines are typically settled at closing from the proceeds, and cities often reduce them when the property is sold and fixed.
My house was red-tagged or condemned. Can you still buy it?
Yes. We buy condemned and unsafe structures and bring them back to life.
Will the city keep fining me while we sell?
Fines can keep accruing until the violation is resolved, which is exactly why a fast sale helps. We can usually close quickly.
Is there any cost to me?
No commissions or fees from us. The lien payoffs come out of the sale proceeds at closing.