INDIAN RIVER COUNTY — The county appears to be in a strong position to recover its costs from mowing the Vista Garden golf course, according to County Attorney Alan Polackwich.
Polackwich made a full report back to the Board of County Commissioners this week, informing them that they are second in line to claim liens against the defunct golf course’s owner. “That’s, generally speaking, not a bad place to be,” he said, explaining that the Florida Department of Revenue is first in line to collect about $13,000 in taxes.
Polackwich said he did not expect the state to pursue the funds.
He recommended to commissioners that they do not pursue more severe code enforcement measures against Vista Golf because that could derail discussions between the golf course and the homeowner’s association.
The two parties are “making reasonably good progress,” Polackwich said, based on his understanding of the confidential discussions.
To date, the county has approved four mowings at Vista Gardens to cut back the weeds and overgrown grass, which county officials have deemed could be a fire hazard and pose a public safety risk.
Each mowing has cost the county $850. The county has then passed that cost, along with an additional $250 in administrative fees, to Vista Golf. Those bills have been filed as liens against the company, adding to the original $5,700 lien from a $100-daily code enforcement fine between August and December last year.
Polackwich said he would like the county to continue to encourage Vista Golf to maintain its property.
