§ 19-24. Penalties.

(a)

Any person issued a city parking ticket by a code enforcement specialist or law enforcement officer shall be deemed to be charged with a noncriminal violation and shall comply with the directions of the ticket. In the event that payment is not received, or a response to the ticket is not made within the time period specified thereon, the county court or its traffic violations bureau, shall notify the registered owner of the vehicle which was cited by certified mail or by service of notice by sheriff's deputy, of the ticket. Upon receipt of the notification, the registered owner shall comply with the court's directive. In computing any period of time prescribed for payment of fines, Saturdays, Sundays, and holidays observed by the office of the city manager shall be excluded in the computation. If the fine is paid by mail, the date of payment shall be deemed to be the date of the official postmark on the envelope.

(b)

Any person who fails to satisfy the court's directive and any person who elects to appear before a designated official to present evidence, shall be deemed to have waived his right to the civil penalty provisions of the ticket. The official, after a hearing, shall make a determination as to whether a parking violation has been committed and may impose a fine not to exceed two hundred dollars ($200.00) plus court costs. Failure to pay the fine within thirty (30) days from the date of imposition of the fine, shall constitute a separate civil infraction enforceable by the county court as provided in F.S. Ch. 318, and shall be punishable by a civil penalty as provided in F.S. Ch. 318, and enforceable in the same manner as are penalties imposed by F.S. Ch. 318, specifically including suspension of driver's license. Each month that the original imposed fine remains unpaid shall constitute a separate offense.

(c)

The county court is hereby designated as the court to enforce the infraction proceedings for the city.

(Ord. No. 82, § 15, 9-8-80; Ord. No. 114, § 7, 6-18-8-84; Ord. No. 94-9, § 1, 7-11-94; Ord. No. 08-02, § 3, 3-3-08)

State law reference

Similar provisions, F.S. Ch. 316, 1967.