§ 27-707. Abandoned signs and removal.

(a)

Abandoned signs shall be removed by the owner or property lessee within thirty (30) days of the cessation of business or activity conducted on the property where the sign is located.

(b)

A business shall be considered to have ceased or be inactive where the property: (1) is vacated; (2) no longer has a valid certificate of occupation or business tax receipt; (3) no longer provides the service or product advertised on the sign; (4) has no active utility service account(s); or (5) displays a blank sign.

(c)

Any sign which pertains to a business or occupation which is no longer using the property on which the sign is situated, or which relates to a time or event that no longer applies, constitutes abandonment, as well as false advertising or false identification.

(d)

A sign or sign structure shall also be considered abandoned or discontinued when its owner fails to operate or maintain a sign for a period of sixty (60) days or longer after receipt of notice from the city manager or designee of apparent abandoned status.

(e)

Failure to remove an abandoned sign shall result in a civil fine of one hundred ($100.00) dollars per day of non-removal after notice from the city manager or designee, and shall constitute a lien upon the property upon which the sign is affixed, subject to enforcement and collection, as provided in this Code and the Florida Statutes.

(Ord. No. 2007-15, § 1, 10-1-07; Ord. No. 2015-02 , § 2, 3-2-15)