Eyesore Building Escapes Code Enforcement for Another Year

City action may at last be pending against a long-derelict eyesore property that confront thousands of travelers each day passing by on Scenic Highway.

The former "Five Points" Shell station at the intersection of Scenic, Fourth Street and Polk Avenue has been abandoned for nearly two decades and has been through a number of ownership changes, including two different tax deed sales in 2015 and 2021.

The property has been repeatedly battered by hurricanes, and was damaged in Hurricane Charley in 2004, and other storms since that time. The repeated accumulation of litter and growth of weeds has required repeated action by city employees, and the cost of that cleanup will also be added to the foreclosure action.

The Lake Wales Codes Enforcement Board voted to imposed fines in October of 2021, and those penalties, running at $500 a day, now amount to about $215,000. According to city Codes Enforcement Officer Jose Lozada, "it's a prime candidate for foreclosure."

If the building is foreclosed upon by the city, it is likely to be demolished, making the property available for redevelopment.

The current registered owner of the property is called Owners Self Finance, headed by Jon G. Krizmanich of Clearwater. The registered agent of the company is Brown & Associates Law & Title, PA, of Tampa.