North Port code net snags another
The used car was a blessing, a gift from her church to help Diane Pearson, a single mother with three children and a long commute to work. And after receiving the 1998 Mercury from her church, Pearson found her drive to Sarasota a bit less stressful.
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Source: North Port code net snags another
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But Pearson lives in North Port, a city that has targeted citizens for violating rules regulating everything from how often you mow your grass to the cars in your driveway. North Port took Pearson to court this month over fines of more than $27,000 for keeping her old car in the driveway without a license plate. If the city wins its case, Pearson could be facing bankruptcy. "It's been a nightmare," said Pearson, 49, who works two jobs to stay afloat as she raises three teenagers. Pearson is one of dozens of North Port residents caught in the city's crackdown on code violations. Officials promised to ease up last year, following complaints that the get-tough approach was too heavy-handed in a community slammed by the recession. But North Port has been anything but soft on Pearson and others. It recently sought to foreclose on one homeowner for unpaid fines. And it has many more court cases scheduled besides Pearson's. Almost 30 new code cases -- those reaching $15,000 in fines -- had been forwarded to North Port's lawyers as of November. |
Source: North Port code net snags another
