(WSVN) - He got a letter from the city saying he was being fined $1 million for violations committed from the prior owner of his house. Is that legal? It’s Help Me Howard with Patrick Fraser.
Some people are good with their hands and some people are ridiculously talented.
The car was about to be crushed when Denny got it and restored it.
Now, let’s go inside.
Denny Dorcey: “I made them from scratch. A copy of the ones on the Ozzie and Harriet show.”
His made his cabinets after seeing them on the old TV show. Not needing handles because Denny carved them like to used to do
His oven is pristine, from the 70s.
Look at this old TV that still works, and remember these salt shakers from your grandmother’s house?
Denny Dorcey: “I’m, you know, I’m holding on to a little bit of the 70s that I enjoyed when I was a kid.”
He is a master craftsman, even bought his home that was in foreclosure 10 years ago and rebuilt it.
Denny Dorcey: “I mean, that’s just my nature.”
But then, he was handed something old that stunned him.
Denny Dorcey: “And when I opened them and read on, it’s like having a bomb dropped on me. I just couldn’t believe it.”
The City of Oakland Park sent him a letter notifying him he had to pay a fine.
Listen to the amount.
Denny Dorcey: “The letter said that I owe the city over $1 million for code violation fines from the time before I bought the house.”
To be specific, $1,097,400 for four minor violations the previous owner had committed before Denny bought the house in foreclosure.
Denny Dorcey: “Petty things like overgrown weeds trashing the carport.”
The title company had told Denny there were no fines or liens when he bought the house.
Denny says Oakland Park never notified him of the fines until now, 10 years later.
Denny Dorcey: “They were clearing our old files and they came across my file and that’s how this started.”
Obviously, Denny told the city official he couldn’t afford a $1 million fine.
The response?
Denny Dorcey: “You need to call the collection agency and negotiate a settlement.”
Denny can fix anything but not this thing.
Denny Dorcey: “Because this is a monster that’s way too big for me to handle. You guys are aces with helping people in predicaments.”
I don’t know about that Denny, but can a city allow fines to grow for ten years and then come after you? Howard?
Howard Finkelstein, 7News legal expert: “Yes, they can. Government agencies do not have to notify a new owner about the fines, allowing them to grow.
But in this case, the city cannot do this to Denny because he bought the property in foreclosure and that wiped out any existing liens and fines that the city had.”
I contacted Oakland Park.
They moved quickly. They checked into the case and wrote in this 2010 case the property was not brought into compliance before it was foreclosed upon. The city was not notified of the foreclosure.
The city then did what Denny wanted: removed the lien and wiped out the $1 million plus fines.
Denny Dorcey: “Without you guys, they would have destroyed my life completely. There’s no doubt in my mind.”
When we went back to tell Denny the good news, he had another car he had restored from the junk pile to show us. A 1960 Corvette.
Hearing the engine he had rebuilt hum along made him smile, making him almost as happy as knowing a $1 million headache was trashed.
Denny Dorcey: “Thank God. Thanks to you, Howard, Channel 7 news and Help Me Howard. I mean, you guys are like my guardian angels.”
One million dollars in fines. You’d think the city would check to see if the fines were legit before they sent that letter. Oh well, glad we could help you, Denny.
Now, before you buy any property, do a lien search to make sure there are no hidden surprises. If you can’t do it, you are spending hundreds of thousands on a house, so a few hundred for a professional to do the search is worth it.
Things not fine with you? Ready to restore your piece of mind? Lean on us to foreclose on the problem and leave you feeling like a million bucks.
With this Help Me Howard, I’m Patrick Fraser, 7News.
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