Zoning rules and parking in Florida

Be very careful if anyone suggests that code enforcement is "very light" in Florida. There are counties in SW Florida that constantly monitor their areas through either sat-images or aerial for new structures, buildings, sheds, etc., that were placed without permits.

All Florida counties want to be sure to collect their impact fees if someone is setting up shop to live in their great sunshine state.

jk123 wrote:
My wife and I saw pretty nice piece of property near Jupiter recently. The home on the property was ruined a total eyesore and wreck. I'm curious if anyone on the forum knows if it would be possible to buy the home demolish it, put a concrete pad down and link to existing sewer system and live in our RV for the winter then pull on out for hurircane season. I have not seen or spoke to anyone who has done this so I'm thinking maybe local zoning won't allow it? Looking for more info if anyone has some.
Seems to me it would be an ideal situation we would get a lot right where we want it without the expense of having to build a new home. which we could elect to do later when we can afford it.

I am not saying this is impossible, but we have been checking to do something similar for the last two years in SW Florida and found we could not.

What we have found, after a ton of searching, is a lot in a resident owned park. We purchased it yesterday for a very good price. After a new 1300 square foot manufactured home is placed on it our HOA fees per month will be $125 (water, sewer, mowing). And this lot is located on a canal.

It would have been nice to have found a lot to park our fiver on for a few years and then build, but from what we were seeing that was not going to happen. We will still full time in our RV, the only difference is when we migrate to SW Florida for the winter the fiver will get stored temporarily.

lizzie wrote:

majorgator wrote:
It all depends on how "above-board" you want to be. If you're in the city limits, you'll more than likely need a demo permit, then also a plumbing permit to modify the sewer connection. However, its very likely that you CAN do what you want without violating any rules.

If it were me and you wanted the property anyway, then heck, I'd do it and make someone come along and tell me not to. Chances are that'll never happen unless the neighbors complain...

This is really bad advice. Palm Beach County is one of the most regulated places in the world and it isn't exactly in the back woods where you won't be seen. If you don't see any RV's or mobile homes in the area the chances are very good that they are not allowed. The old rules of "better to ask forgiveness than permission" no longer apply. Check everything out thoroughly or you may find yourself owning a piece of property that you can't get rid of. lizzie

Don't be quick to assume the advice is bad. Let's not forget that there are LOTS of mobile homes and mobile home parks in SE FL. I lived in Palm Beach County at one time in my life so I know a little about the area too. The key is in how you present the information to the code enforcement people. You're not "living" in your permanently parked RV. The question simply is whether or not you can park your RV on the property. Don't lie to them, but don't tell them anymore information than you need to. The OP might be on the right track to just leave the house in place for the time being. Get everything permitted appropriately, check with zoning to make sure you can live within the guidelines (however that may be), and proceed on with a happy and fulfilling life.

We bought a lot in 2009 in Sarasota on the Canal. Neighbours were so pleased to see us start building as worried about it being vacant (bank owned for long time during recession), and the amount of unknowns parking on it and fishing off the seawall.

Bottom line is neighbours were so nosey and welcoming at first, hubby was living in RV very unobtrusively, no slideouts out totally self contained. Within the first week, neighbour reported him, lady that came around was kind enough to say "As far as I can see you are not living in your RV, not connected to sewer, water spigot etc - nope you are not living in your RV = wink". She was very nice and accommodating realizing he was doing no harm to anyone, she was grateful a Canadian was investing in their weak economy and he was totally unobtrusive, just a nosey neighbour with nothing better to do. He had to move to a CG though due to zoning and avoiding any ongoing hassles.

Heads up before you commit to anything especially in Fla, and especially if higher priced RE areas make sure you know the zoning and by laws requirements from the horses mouth. Neighbours will and do report. By the way we are in the process of very sadly selling ours now due to the crazy non-homesteaders tax rates, rules as foreign ownership, and the fact as someone else once warned us, feels like they just want our money, then we can leave.

Florida is not such a great place even if you were born and raised there. Too much money for homeowners insurance, more and more restrictive zoning and building requirements, and generally a change from live and let live to NIMBY enforced by people who moved down from up North bringing their ideas of government and dealing with their neighbors with them.
My DW and I got tired of it all and moved to Southern Middle Tennessee three years ago. Best move we ever made.

What the OP said yesterday about abutting the Intracoastal and having a house on it, he isn't talking about a mobile home park or an agricultural parcel.

1 Go to the Property Appraiser's web site for that County. Find the parcel on a map and determine the zoning class currently assigned.

2. Go to the Zoning Department web site (be sure you are in the right County) and look up the standards and restrictions for that class. You might be amazed. Setbacks from property lines and streets; minimum square footage of structures; parking regulations for cars, trucks, boats, and RVs; etc.

Most waterfront property is a high zoning class (R1A, R1AA, Multi 3+, etc)

The OP might get lucky, but is more likely to get burned.

W4RLR wrote:
Florida is not such a great place even if you were born and raised there. Too much money for homeowners insurance, more and more restrictive zoning and building requirements, and generally a change from live and let live to NIMBY enforced by people who moved down from up North bringing their ideas of government and dealing with their neighbors with them.
My DW and I got tired of it all and moved to Southern Middle Tennessee three years ago. Best move we ever made.

As a lifelong Floridian, I can agree with that! If it weren't for family, fishing and having an established business, we wouldn't be here now. We live in a very rural area, but still have to deal with a lot of what you mention.

Regarding another statement, anyone who thinks there aren't mobile home parks on the ICW or near the coast is fooling themselves. 95% of the areas mint be high end zoning, but trailers and trashy places exist all up and down the coast.

We had that same idea, except to buy a lot in the Florida Keys. It turned out, the zoning won't allow it. You can have an rv lot on your property only if you have a house there too. Of course parking the Rv would depend on any homeowners rules in each particular community. We ended up buying an RV lot in a resort style community where we can park the Rv when we're there, rent it out when we're not, and eventually put a park model, trailer, or home on the lot and live there. It's the best we could find in the Keys.