Criminal, but Not Prosecutable - Safety should not have a Time Limit
The Issue
Did you know that Building Code Violations have a statute of limitations? Meaning that it is a criminal act that cannot be prosecuted after a certain amount of time.
Do you know what that time is? SIX MONTHS, six months from the time the violation occurred. Think about that ... how long does it take to build a home? When do you reasonably think that a violation would be discovered?
For us, it was over THREE YEARS after the violation occurred. During the excavation process of putting in a pool, it was discovered that a trench of organic debris, foliage and tree trunks was buried in our land and directly under the foundation of our home. Expert after expert could not believe that this had happened as it was a clear violation of various building codes. So much so that the City deemed the house Unsafe.
So criminal yes, prosecutable no. People we trust with not only our biggest investment, but our safety get away with bad behavior and continue to commit violations because they are fully aware that the probability of them being held accountable is basically zero.
So in the end the homeowner is stuck having to deal with the ramifications of these violations. Is that just? Is that fair? Is that reasonable? Is that acceptable?
Building Codes are put in place to keep the public safe. We entrust a lot of people to make sure that they are following those codes along with a certain level of Professional Standard of Care to build a safe and habitable home for us and our families - City officials, building inspectors, builders, contractors, engineers, etc - so why should they not be held accountable when they fail to meet that standard of care, no matter when the failure is discovered?
The only people that can fix this is we - the people - by petitioning and demanding that the Florida Legislature and Governor DeSantis take immediate action to change, extend or eliminate the statute of limitations for building code violations.There should not be a time limit on our safety!
Read our story here https://twitter.com/kraywftv/status/1111971902661296129?fbclid=IwAR0_a3uL5WS70U8qLb0zQ9SrLeW2l9HVjEe9LJ1SKNXIVWm0SLPj_QQqz10
Petition Closed
The Issue
Did you know that Building Code Violations have a statute of limitations? Meaning that it is a criminal act that cannot be prosecuted after a certain amount of time.
Do you know what that time is? SIX MONTHS, six months from the time the violation occurred. Think about that ... how long does it take to build a home? When do you reasonably think that a violation would be discovered?
For us, it was over THREE YEARS after the violation occurred. During the excavation process of putting in a pool, it was discovered that a trench of organic debris, foliage and tree trunks was buried in our land and directly under the foundation of our home. Expert after expert could not believe that this had happened as it was a clear violation of various building codes. So much so that the City deemed the house Unsafe.
So criminal yes, prosecutable no. People we trust with not only our biggest investment, but our safety get away with bad behavior and continue to commit violations because they are fully aware that the probability of them being held accountable is basically zero.
So in the end the homeowner is stuck having to deal with the ramifications of these violations. Is that just? Is that fair? Is that reasonable? Is that acceptable?
Building Codes are put in place to keep the public safe. We entrust a lot of people to make sure that they are following those codes along with a certain level of Professional Standard of Care to build a safe and habitable home for us and our families - City officials, building inspectors, builders, contractors, engineers, etc - so why should they not be held accountable when they fail to meet that standard of care, no matter when the failure is discovered?
The only people that can fix this is we - the people - by petitioning and demanding that the Florida Legislature and Governor DeSantis take immediate action to change, extend or eliminate the statute of limitations for building code violations.There should not be a time limit on our safety!
Read our story here https://twitter.com/kraywftv/status/1111971902661296129?fbclid=IwAR0_a3uL5WS70U8qLb0zQ9SrLeW2l9HVjEe9LJ1SKNXIVWm0SLPj_QQqz10
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Petition created on February 17, 2021