Walton County Launches Program to Settle Code Fines for 10% of Balance
Walton County property owners with outstanding code enforcement fines can now settle up for a fraction of what they owe under a new temporary program approved by the Board of County Commissioners.
The Code Enforcement Lien Mitigation Program, announced Monday, gives property owners the chance to resolve code fines and liens by paying just 10% of the total balance — a steep discount that county leaders hope will clear a backlog that has been mounting for years.
How We Got Here: $14 Million in Lost Revenue
The program comes in response to a staggering discovery. Commissioner Dan Curry brought the issue to light at a recent commission meeting, revealing that over the past 10 to 20 years, Walton County has lost roughly $14 million in code compliance fines that can no longer be collected. The fines continued piling up at a rate of about $14,000 per day.
Records show the county can still collect on approximately $9.8 million in outstanding fines and another $600,000 in liens on properties that have since come into compliance. Commissioner Danny Glidewell acknowledged the problem, calling it “a shame” and noting that an outdated ordinance was partly to blame.
“It’s really a shame, and through no fault of our staff, because we were operating under a rather antiquated ordinance,” Glidewell said. “The ordinance needs to be updated, and we need to take advantage of tools that have been added to our toolbox as far as enforcement.”
What the Program Covers
Under Resolution 2025-80, the Lien Mitigation Program allows eligible property owners to pay 10% of their total outstanding code compliance balance to resolve fines and liens in full. This includes fines that have accrued over time for code violations ranging from unpermitted construction and land clearing to junk, debris, and other land development code infractions in unincorporated Walton County.
The program applies to properties in the unincorporated areas of the county — which includes Freeport’s surrounding areas, since Freeport itself is an incorporated city with its own code enforcement.
Why It Matters for Freeport Area Residents
While Freeport proper handles its own code enforcement, many residents in the surrounding unincorporated areas of Walton County fall under the county’s Code Compliance Department. If you own property in those areas and have outstanding code violations — whether from past land clearing without permits, unpermitted structures, or other compliance issues — this program offers a rare window to clear those fines and liens at a significant discount.
Settling these fines also clears liens from property records, which can be a roadblock to selling or refinancing a home.
How to Apply
Property owners interested in the program should contact the Walton County Code Compliance Department at (850) 622-0000 or visit mywaltonfl.gov/90/Code-Compliance. Applications for code lien searches and related services can also be filed through the county’s online self-service portal at waltoncountyfl-energovweb.tylerhost.net.
This is a temporary program, and the county has not yet announced a closing date. Property owners with outstanding fines are encouraged to apply sooner rather than later.
Background: A Growing Problem
The Lien Mitigation Program addresses what Curry described as a problem that has gone unchecked for nearly two decades. The county’s $14 million in uncollectable fines represents revenue that could have funded public infrastructure and services. Curry said that as far as he knows, no one had brought the scale of the problem to the board’s attention in the last 20 years.
The county is also working on updating its code enforcement ordinance to prevent similar backlogs from building in the future, including potential changes to how fines accrue and how the county pursues collection.
Originally reported by MyPanhandle (WMBB) — Resolve code fines for 10% of balance in Walton County program
