Charlotte Sun Herald
"In 2001, a [North Port, FL] city inspector cited Robert Seckula for
a broken television antenna leaning against the side of his Talbrook
Road home. He was sent a registered letter telling him to appear
before the city's code enforcement board and, when he didn't show up,
he was fined $25 a day until he fixed the problem. The fines --
totaling $17,941.50 over two years -- were never paid, and the city
placed a lien on his property. But city officials didn't know Seckula
had a good reason for ignoring them. He had been dead since 1997."
(11/19/03)