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Magistrate confirms abatement and trims fines for multiple Lory Avenue properties after county abatement

5916595 · October 9, 2025
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Summary

Bay County magistrate found several properties on Lory Avenue and adjacent lots brought into compliance after county‑contracted abatement and accepted reduced fine arrangements, with the magistrate offering a 30‑day payment window to avoid recorded liens and interest.

The magistrate on Oct. 9 accepted code enforcement’s record that multiple nuisance properties on Lory Avenue (case numbers including 20243465, 20243467 and 20243339) were abated by county contractors and found in compliance. Code enforcement asked the magistrate to assess abatement costs and fines; the property representative negotiated payment terms and the magistrate reduced the fine exposure and gave a 30‑day window to pay the abatement costs to avoid recorded liens and interest.

Code enforcement said the properties had contained trash, vehicles and derelict structures; staff obtained an asbestos survey where required, posted notices and brought in contractors. The county’s abatement invoices for the properties ranged from a few thousand dollars to roughly $5,589 for another separate lot; code enforcement recommended levying abatement cost liens and a $1,000 fine for noncompliance at final hearing. Rick Clop, who appeared for the owner representative, explained that the mobile homes sited on the lots were owned by tenants and titles were not in current records, complicating the county’s attempts to contact individual owners.

Magistrate Surdy said the county’s record shows the properties were brought into compliance as of Aug. 5 and Aug. 13 for the respective lots and accepted that record. To avoid protracted lien recording while the owner resolved payment, the magistrate reduced the fine exposure and set a 30‑day payment window for the abatement costs; if the owner pays within 30 days, no interest will be recorded and the magistrate will not move forward with lien recording. The magistrate directed code enforcement to provide written payment instructions and the orders to the owner’s representative by email.

Why it matters: these cases show how abatement, asbestos surveying and contractor cleanup can be used when property ownership is unclear; the magistrate balanced collection of the county’s abatement costs with an administrative decision to soften fines and allow the property owner time to pay before liens and interest are recorded.