This post was contributed by a community member. The views expressed here are the author's own.

Politics & Government

Church of Scientology Coughs Up Over $400,000 to Pay Code Enforcement Fines

The church ended a five-year struggle with the City of Clearwater Thursday, a day before the city would have begun a collections process to obtain the sum of the fines.

In what may have been the largest monetary city code violation in Clearwater's history, the Church of Scientology paid a six-figure sum of money Thursday to end a five-year battle with the city over code violations in a downtown building.

Thursday, the Church of Scientology paid the city $413,500 that had built up over code violation's at the church's Flag Building, 215 S. Fort Harrison Ave., which takes up an entire city block.

$Had the church waited another day, the fines would have been over $450,000 and the city would have begun a collections process to obtain the fines.

Find out what's happening in Clearwaterwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

The genesis of the fines began when, during construction of the building, the church began building up $250 in fines daily as the city code enforcement believed the building had turned into an eyesore due to neglect.

The church had previously sought to negotiate a lower fine and offered to pay $45,250 of the $413,000. The offer was rejected by the city and Pat Harney, spokesman for the church, in a last month, suggested the church may fight the fine in court.

Find out what's happening in Clearwaterwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

“I’ll leave that up to the legal guys,” she said. “Our argument is that we were in functional compliance in 2007.” Harney said.


Code Enforcement Timeline:

  • October 1998: Church of Scientology makes plans for property at 215 S Ft. Harrison
  • March 28, 2000: Permit 1 issued for construction of seven story shell/core building
  • Nov. 21, 2004: Permit 1 expires; “The church stopped construction for internal planing purposes and to change general contractors,” is written on page three of a brief to the city.
  • 2006: Notice of violation issued for expired permit 1
  • March 22, 2006: Code Enforcement Board orders Church to activate required permits within 90 days (June 25, 2006) and to complete work and obtain inspections within 180 days (Sept. 23).
  • April 26, 2006: Because the church’s first certified site plan expired in 2004, they file a Flexible Standard Application 
  • Aug. 31, 2006: Development Review Committee reviews application.
  • Oct. 2, 2006: Development order is issued for Flag site
  • Oct. 6, 2006: New permit application for shell/core completion and completion of permit 1 which includes curbs, sidewalks, sod and stairwell doors.
  • Jan. 17, 2007: Permit 2 is issued. 
  • Oct. 21, 2007: Permit 2 expires but is extended five more times; Oct. 26, 2007; Dec. 12, 2007; Jan. 24, 2008; Aug. 18, 2008; and Oct. 17, 2008.
  • 2008: Application for Permit 3 to complete interior including air conditioning, exterior landscaping and hardscaping
  • Sept. 17, 2009: Permit 2 is closed because the work is subsumed by Permit 3
  • June 1, 2009: Permit 3 is issued
  • June 6: Certificate of Occupancy is issued
  • Aug. 24: Church offers to settle the case by paying $45,250. This offer is rejected by the city.
  • Oct. 6: Chuch pays the fine in total, $413,500. 
We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here

The views expressed in this post are the author's own. Want to post on Patch?