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Response to a seawall code violation notice

A notice about your seawall usually gives you a short window to respond. This letter does four things in that window: asks the city to confirm the code section it is relying on, pins down every deadline in writing, asks for what the inspector actually saw, and puts your plan and timeline on the record. Fill in the lines, keep a copy, and send it in a way that leaves proof of delivery.

This is a template, not legal advice. Have an attorney review anything you sign or send in a dispute.

Before you use it

Read the notice twiceFind the response deadline, the hearing date if there is one, and the case number. Those three go at the top of the letter.
State facts, not guessesDescribe what you have done and what you will do. Do not agree to a cause, a cost or a finding you have not had checked by an engineer.
Send it with proofCertified mail with a return receipt, or the city's own portal or email address for the case, keeping the confirmation. Either way, keep a copy of exactly what you sent.
Know your city's clockSome cities set their own deadlines once a notice issues. We publish them where we have verified them, for example on the Miami Beach and Deerfield Beach pages. Check yours with the height lookup.

The template

Fill in the lines by hand or copy the text into your own document.

Response to a seawall code violation notice

Date: ______________________

To: Code Compliance Division, City of ______________________
Address: ____________________________________________
Email: ______________________________

Re: Notice dated ______________ · Case number ______________
Property address: ____________________________________________
Folio or parcel number: ______________________

Dear ______________________,

I own the property above and have received the notice dated ______________ about the seawall. I am responding within the time the notice allows, and I intend to resolve it. So that I can do that correctly, I am asking for the following in writing.

1. The section cited

Please confirm the code section or sections the notice relies on. If the notice concerns the height of the wall, please confirm the required elevation and the datum it is measured in (for example NAVD88), and the edition or ordinance date of the section that applies.

2. The deadlines

Please confirm each date the city expects me to meet, and what counts as meeting it:

  • A response to this notice: ______________
  • Evidence of progress: ______________
  • A permit application filed: ______________
  • Work completed and inspected: ______________

Please also tell me whether these dates are paused or extended while a permit is under review by the city or by another agency, and how to request an extension if one is needed.

3. What the city observed

Please send copies of the inspection report, photographs, measurements and any other records the notice is based on.

4. My plan and timeline

These are the steps I have taken or will take:

  • Engineer or licensed marine contractor engaged: ______________________, license number ______________, on ______________
  • Survey of the wall's location and elevation ordered on ______________
  • Permit application expected to be filed by ______________
  • Work expected to start by ______________ and finish by ______________
  • Interim measures in the meantime: ________________________________________

I will tell you promptly if any of these dates changes, and why.

5. Written confirmation

Please confirm in writing that you have received this response, whether the timeline above is acceptable, and the date of any hearing. I can be reached at ______________________ (phone) or ______________________________ (email).

Sincerely,

______________________________
Printed name: ______________________________
Owner of the property above

Enclosures: copy of the notice; ______________________________

This is a template, not legal advice. Have an attorney review anything you sign or send in a dispute.

From walldockdeck.com/free/templates/seawall-code-violation-response/

Your city's height sheet

The elevation your city requires, the datum it is measured in, and the section of code that says so. One page.

Available for the cities whose rule we have verified and sourced.

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