The Orange County Special Magistrate is authorized under the same state law (Chapter 162,F.S) that provides for the code enforcement board. The Special Magistrate receives and evaluates evidence and testimony regarding alleged violations of Orange County codes and regulations.

The Special Magistrate functions just like the CEB. Examples of typical cases heard by the Special Magistrate include, but are not limited to: violations of regulations regarding land development, building standards, minimum housing standards, fire safety, etc.

Public hearings are held in the Commission Chambers on the ground floor of the Orange County Administration Center, 201 South Rosalind Avenue, Orlando, Florida 32802.

Public hearings are scheduled for specific dates and times. Typically, Special Magistrate hearings are held on the first (1st) Monday of each month, beginning at 9:00 a.m.

Notification is given as required by law.

The Nuisance Abatement Board (NAB) is a quasi-judicial board consisting of (9 members). The members of the NAB are appointed by the Board of County Commissioners (BCC). The OCSO presents violations to the NAB.

The NAB has jurisdiction to hear and decide complaints alleging that a place or premises constitutes a public nuisance and has jurisdiction for a period of one (1) year over any place or premises that has been declared a public nuisance.

A nuisance is described as any place that has been used more than twice, within a six (6) month period:

• for the purpose of criminal street gang activity
• as the site of prostitution
• as the site of unlawful sale, delivery, manufacturing or cultivation of any controlled substance
• as the site of unlawful possession of a controlled substance constituting a felony, when it was previously used as the site of the unlawful sale, delivery, manufacture or cultivation of any controlled substance
• for dealing in stolen property

Public hearings are held in the Commission Chambers on the 1st floor of the Orange County Administration Center, 201 South Rosalind Avenue, Orlando, Florida 32802.

Public hearings are scheduled for specific dates and times. Typically, NAB hearings are held on the fourth (4th) Thursday of each month, beginning at 9:00 a.m.

Notification is given as required by law.

The Code Enforcement Board, the Orange County Special Magistrate or the Nuisance Abatement Board determine the amount and the severity of fines that can be imposed on code violators.

• Fines can be up to one thousand dollars ($1,000) a day for the first violation and up to five thousand dollars ($5,000) a day for repeat violations.
• A lien can be placed on a property if it has been in non-compliance of a board or special magistrate order and the fine remains unpaid for over twenty (20) days.
• When a property has been under a county lien for three (3) months it becomes eligible for foreclosure.

The Code Enforcement Division enforces the cleanup of excessive trash, junk, dead plants and debris, as well as cutting overgrown grass, weeds and brush, etc. If the county cleans up a property, the cost of the cleaning will be added to the owner's yearly property tax bill.

Orange County also imposes penalties if a property is cleaned by the county more than once in a 12-month period.

• A second violation will cost the owner of the property a one hundred dollar ($100) penalty in addition to the cleanup cost.
• A third violation and all violations after that will cost the owner of the property two hundred dollars ($200) for each violation in addition to the county's cleanup cost.