Gainesville › Unified Land Development Code

Article 20 — Administration and Enforcement, Chapter 20-2 — ENFORCEMENT

current as of 2025-12-16verified current · checked 2026-08-24Officialofficial source ↗14 sections · full chapter

§ 20-2-1

Complaints

Whenever a violation of this Code occurs or is alleged to have occurred, any person may file a complaint with the designated code enforcement officer of the city. Complaints may be submitted by phone, electronically or in person, and may be anonymous. Such complaint shall state clearly and fully the causes and bases of the complaint. The designated code enforcement officer shall record properly such complaint, investigate, and take action thereon as may be appropriate to enforce this Code.

§ 20-2-2

Enforcement Responsibilities Generally

(a)If, through inspection, it is deemed that a person engaged in land-disturbing, development, building construction, or use or other activities has failed to comply with any provision of this Code, the city through the appropriate official as provided in this article shall enforce the provisions of this Code as more fully set forth in this chapter.

(b)The Director of Community and Economic Development, the Director of Public Works, the Director of Water Resources, and the Building Official shall have responsibilities and the authority to enforce the provisions of this Code as provided in this chapter. Code enforcement officers, land development inspectors, planners, Department of Water Resources inspectors, and building inspectors, if delegated such responsibilities, shall have such authority and responsibility to enforce the provisions of this Code assigned to the officer delegating such authority.

§ 20-2-3

Enforcement Responsibilities Specifically

Without limiting the generality of this chapter, enforcement responsibilities are logically divided into different activities regulated under this Code. It is the intent of this chapter to assign enforcement responsibilities to the administrative personnel who has primary review responsibility for that particular activity, but that intent shall not preclude one or more administrative officers assigned enforcement responsibilities by this article from enforcing a provision of this Code that is not a primary review responsibility.

§ 20-2-4

Enforcement Techniques.

Administrative officers shall have at their disposal the enforcement techniques provided in this Chapter, subject to the limitations specified in this Chapter.

§ 20-2-5

Written Notice to Comply

(a)When violations are discovered, a written notice to comply shall be served upon the owner of the property, his authorized agent or the person or persons in charge of the activity on the property. Each of these persons shall be assumed to be individually responsible for compliance with this Code.

(b)The notice shall set forth the measures necessary to achieve compliance and shall state the time within which such measures must be completed. If the person engaged in the violating activity fails to comply within the time specified, he shall be deemed in violation of this Code.

§ 20-2-6

Stop Work Order

(a)Upon notice from the city, work on any project that is being done contrary to the provisions of this Code or in a dangerous or unsafe manner, shall be immediately stopped.

(b)Such notice shall be in writing and shall be given to the owner of the property, his authorized agent or the person or persons in charge of the activity on the property, and shall state the conditions under which work may be resumed. Where in the opinion of the Director of Community and Economic Development, the Director of Public Works, the Director of Water Resources, or Building Official an emergency exists (whichever has enforcement responsibilities), no written notice shall be required.

(c)Such stop work order may be lifted at such time as the enforcing officer is satisfied that a good faith effort is being made to comply with applicable provisions of this Code. Nothing shall prevent said officer from reissuing a stop work order where warranted.

§ 20-2-7

Injunction

The City through authorized personnel may issue an injunction to cause a violation of this Code to cease or to be corrected.

§ 20-2-8

Revocation of Permit or License

(a)The city may suspend or invalidate existing land development permits and building permits in order to enforce the provisions of this Code.

(b)The city is authorized and directed to deny and withhold permits or permissions on any new project or application pursuant to this Code where the applicant, applicant's business or agent has failed or refused to comply with this Code.

(c)The city may revoke any Certificate of Occupancy, Home Office Affidavit, Business or Occupational Tax Certificate, work permit, or other authorization for the unlawful conduct of any activities within the jurisdictional boundaries of the city.

§ 20-2-9

Bond Forfeiture

The city may deem that a person required to post a bond (e.g., performance bond or landscape bond) pursuant to this Code is in violation of the provisions of this Code and may find a violator of this Code to have forfeited such bond. The city may call the bond or any part thereof to be forfeited and may use the proceeds to hire a contractor to bring the unlawful activity into compliance.

§ 20-2-10

Withholding of Utility Service

The city may withhold municipal utility services or request or direct an applicable public utility service provider to withhold utility service to any property on which a violation is alleged to have occurred.

§ 20-2-11

Refusal of Plat Recording

The City may request or direct the Clerk of Superior Court to refuse or deny the recording of a final subdivision plat that is found to be in violation of this Code.

§ 20-2-12

Citation

The City shall have authority to issue citations and to prosecute violations before a court of competent jurisdiction.

§ 20-2-13

Other Necessary Actions

Administrative officers with authority and responsibility for enforcement as described in this Article shall be authorized to take any other appropriate or necessary action to ensure compliance with or to prevent violation of the provisions of this Code.

§ 20-2-14

Penalties for Violation

Any person found guilty of violating any provision of this Code shall, upon conviction by the Municipal Court of the City, be punished as provided in Section 1-1-7 of the City Code. Violations of this Code may be tried upon citation with or without a prosecuting attorney as well as upon accusations.