TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – This week, Florida lawmakers approved a new bill that dubs certain properties as a “public nuisance.”
The bill — SB 168 — was first filed late last year by state Sen. Keith Truenow (R-Tavares), and it takes aim at gambling houses in particular.
More specifically, the bill considers any place that’s been used as a gambling house more than twice within a year as a “public nuisance.”
While keeping a gambling house is already considered a crime in Florida, the bill could let owners be further penalized under the public nuisance statutes.
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But it doesn’t just end with gambling houses. The bill also revises the penalties that local governments can impose on public nuisances in general, including:
Higher Fines: Increasing maximum daily fines from $250 to $500 if the nuisance activity persists beyond one year
Foreclosure: Allowing foreclosure on liens that remain unpaid for three months, and mandating foreclosure if the nuisance continues after two years
Court Jurisdiction: Permitting continued jurisdiction over the property in one-year increments that renew until the nuisance is abated
Beyond that, the bill also removes a $15,000 cap on total fines and eliminates restrictions that keep local governments from pursuing other remedies against public nuisances.
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Public nuisances have a limited definition, though, applying under current state law to anywhere that’s been used:
To manufacture or sell illicit drugs more than twice within six months
As the site of a murder, attempted felony murder, or aggravated battery with a deadly weapon more than twice within six months
For the illegal or unlicensed sale of alcoholic beverages more than twice within a year
SB 168 was approved unanimously by lawmakers in the House and Senate, meaning that the bill is now headed to the governor’s desk for final approval.
If he signs off on it, the legislation is set to take effect on July 1.
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