May 9, 2008 11:52 pm US/Eastern
Unpaid Fines May Leave A Broward Man Homeless
FORT LAUDERDALE (CBS4) ―
Here's a story about foreclosure you probably haven't heard: The City of Ft. Lauderdale is foreclosing on a man's house because he's racked up more than one-hundred thousand dollars in fines. But the man says he's fixed the problems; he simply can't pay the city.
CBS4's Carey Codd shows us why the man feels he's being unfairly targeted.
"I wasn't running from my responsibilities," said Hezzekiah Scott. He admits he has not always kept his home in pristine condition. The grass grew wildly, the fence needs work, and some time ago the house desperately needed a paint job, but he says each time Ft. Lauderdale code inspectors slapped him with one of these violations, he fixed the problem.
"At the time I wasn't able to pay them," said Scott. "Then they started compounding the interest and late fees."
Now the fees stand at a staggering $135,000.
"This homeowner has been begged for 10 years to bring his property into compliance and we have a responsibility to the entire neighborhood," said Ft. Lauderdale City spokesman Ted Lawson.
Lawson says the city's last resort is foreclosure. It costs them money to take the property, maintain it then sell it.
George Castrataro, from Legal Aid of Broward County, is representing Scott. Castrataro claims city code inspectors target homeowners in this largely African-American neighborhood.
"Since 1998 there's been pretty aggressive code enforcement sweeps which seem to occur with far greater volume here than anywhere else in the city," said Castrataro.
"That's entirely untrue," Lawson said.
He explained that the city rarely forecloses on a home to begin with, but Hezzekiah Scott faces that reality.
"I think it's my house. I pay the taxes on it."
This case is now in the hands of a judge. Scott says he wants to keep the home to fix it up for his daughter. The city meanwhile says they will move forward with the foreclosure action.
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