Penalties

The goal of code enforcement is to obtain voluntary compliance.  In cases where compliance is not obtained, the Code Enforcement Officer has the authority to issue a Notice of Violation or Citation.  Penalties can include, but are not limited to fines and / or required appearance in Municipal Court.

If you are a issued a citation: Please appear in municipal court on your scheduled court date and time and provide any documentation which shows that the violation(s) have been corrected. Fines can be assessed, but that will be determined by the city solicitor and judge.  

Related terms:
Misdemeanor – A misdemeanor is any crime other than a felony.  Local ordinance in Georgia are defined as misdemeanors and are tried in the municipal and/or magistrate courts.  Punishment for most misdemeanors can be fines up to $1,000 and up to 12 months in jail.

 Misdemeanor of a High and Aggravated Nature –  Like a regular misdemeanor, a misdemeanor of a high and aggravated nature can only carry a sentence up to 12 months in jail. However, if you receive a jail sentence, the maximum good time credit you can get per month is only four days. In other words, in a month with 30 days, you will have to do 26. Fines can be as high as $5000.

Misdemeanors – Other Punishment – In addition to jail, probation, fines, and restitution, some common punishment for a misdemeanor conviction is as follows:

• Community service
• Loss of right to possess a firearm (e.g. family violence offenses)
• Loss of Federal financial aid for your education (Drug Offenses)
• Precluded from certain job opportunities
• Loss of driving privileges
• Suspension of license plate
• Publication of your photo in the newspaper