Environmental Health

Sanitary Nuisances

Main Number

By Florida Statues:

CHAPTER 386

PARTICULAR CONDITIONS AFFECTING PUBLIC HEALTH

SANITARY NUISANCES

(ss. 386.01-386.051)

PART I

SANITARY NUISANCES

386.01 Sanitary nuisance.

386.02 Duty of Department of Health.

386.03 Notice to remove nuisances; authority of Department of Health and local health authorities.

386.041 Nuisances injurious to health.

386.051 Nuisances injurious to health, penalty.

386.01 Sanitary nuisance.—A sanitary nuisance is the commission of any act, by an individual, municipality, organization, or corporation, or the keeping, maintaining, propagation, existence, or permission of anything, by an individual, municipality, organization, or corporation, by which the health or life of an individual, or the health or lives of individuals, may be threatened or impaired, or by which or through which, directly or indirectly, disease may be caused.

History.—s. 1, ch. 4346, 1895; GS 1153; RGS 2157; CGL 3386.

386.02 Duty of Department of Health.—The Department of Health, upon request of the proper authorities, or of any three responsible resident citizens, or whenever it may seem necessary to the department, shall investigate the sanitary condition of any city, town, or place in the state; and if, upon examination, the department shall ascertain the existence of any sanitary nuisance as herein defined, it shall serve notice upon the proper party or parties to remove or abate the said nuisance or, if necessary, proceed to remove or abate the said nuisance in the manner provided in s. 823.01.

History.—s. 11, ch. 4346, 1895; GS 1154; RGS 2158; CGL 3387; ss. 19, 35, ch. 69-106; s. 148, ch. 77-147; s. 75, ch. 97-101.

386.03 Notice to remove nuisances; authority of Department of Health and local health authorities.—

(1) The Department of Health, upon determining the existence of anything or things herein declared to be nuisances by law, shall notify the person or persons committing, creating, keeping, or maintaining the same, to remove or cause to be removed, the same within 24 hours, or such other reasonable time as may be determined by the department, after such notice be duly given.

(2) If the sanitary nuisance condition is not removed by such person or persons within the time prescribed in said notice, the department, its agents or deputies or local health authorities, may within the county where the nuisance exists, remove, cause to remove, or prevent the continuing sanitary nuisance condition in the following manner:

(a) Undertake required correctional procedures, including the removal of same if necessary; the cost or expense of such removal or correctional procedures shall be paid by the person or persons committing, creating, keeping, or maintaining such nuisances; and if the said cost and expense thus accruing shall not be paid within 10 days after such removal, the same shall be collected from the person or persons committing, creating, keeping, or maintaining such nuisances, by suit at law; but this paragraph shall not authorize the department to alter, change, demolish, or remove any machinery, equipment, or facility designed or used for the processing or disposing of liquid or smoke effluent of a manufacturing plant.

(b) Institute criminal proceedings in the county court in the jurisdiction of which the condition exists against all persons failing to comply with notices to correct sanitary nuisance conditions as provided in this chapter.

(d) Institute administrative proceedings authorized by the department as set forth in s. 381.0061.

History.—s. 12, ch. 4346, 1895; GS 1155; RGS 2159; CGL 3388; s. 1, ch. 63-64; ss. 19, 35, ch. 69-106; s. 1, ch. 77-119; s. 149, ch. 77-147; s. 5, ch. 80-351; s. 53, ch. 91-297; s. 76, ch. 97-101.

386.041 Nuisances injurious to health.—

(1) The following conditions existing, permitted, maintained, kept, or caused by any individual, municipal organization, or corporation, governmental or private, shall constitute prima facie evidence of maintaining a nuisance injurious to health:

(a) Untreated or improperly treated human waste, garbage, offal, dead animals, or dangerous waste materials from manufacturing processes harmful to human or animal life and air pollutants, gases, and noisome odors which are harmful to human or animal life.

(b) Improperly built or maintained septic tanks, water closets, or privies.

(d) Unclean or filthy places where animals are slaughtered.

(e) The creation, maintenance, or causing of any condition capable of breeding flies, mosquitoes, or other arthropods capable of transmitting diseases, directly or indirectly to humans.

(f) Any other condition determined to be a sanitary nuisance as defined in s. 386.01.

(2) The Department of Health, its agents and deputies, or local health authorities are authorized to investigate any condition or alleged nuisance in any city, town, or place within the state, and if such condition is determined to constitute a sanitary nuisance, they may take such action to abate the said nuisance condition in accordance with the provisions of this chapter.

History.—s. 2, ch. 63-64; ss. 19, 35, ch. 69-106; s. 150, ch. 77-147; s. 77, ch. 97-101.

386.051 Nuisances injurious to health, penalty.—Any person found guilty of creating, keeping, or maintaining a nuisance injurious to health shall be guilty of a misdemeanor of the second degree, punishable as provided in s. 775.082 or s. 775.083.