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 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.
The Florida Department of Health in Jefferson County is authorized to investigate reports of sanitary nuisance.
File a sanitary nuisance Report
A sanitary nuisance can include:
- Creation, maintenance, or causing of any condition capable of breeding flies, mosquitoes, or other arthropods capable of transmitting diseases, directly or indirectly to humans
- Untreated or improperly treated human waste, garbage, offal, dead animals, and noisome odors which are harmful to humans
- Improperly built or maintained septic tanks, water closets, or privies
When a nuisance is found to exist, a sanitary nuisance notice is issued giving a reasonable time for correction, based on the severity of the condition, and if correction is not completed, legal action is taken. Failure to comply is considered a second degree misdemeanor.