Fraud Prevention

No Malicious or Retaliatory Complaints

SNITCH files Florida code violation complaints on behalf of residents. Because Florida's SB 60 (2021) ended anonymous code complaints, SNITCH files as the named complainant of record, so the resident's name isn't the one on the filing. This page describes how we keep that mechanism from being abused.

We take fraud prevention and ethical filing seriously. SNITCH exists to help people address genuine code violations, not to be a tool for harassment or frivolous complaints.

What Qualifies as a Legitimate Code Complaint

SNITCH accepts complaints involving documented, observable property conditions that violate a local municipal or county ordinance. Qualifying violations include:

  • Overgrown vegetation exceeding municipal height limits
  • Abandoned or inoperable vehicles on private property
  • Unpermitted construction or structural additions
  • Junk and debris accumulation on private property
  • Illegal land use or zoning violations
  • Short-term rental operations that violate local ordinance

A legitimate complaint is one where the complainant has direct, firsthand knowledge of the condition, can provide a specific property address, and can supply photographs of the condition. SNITCH reviews every submission against these criteria before filing.

What SNITCH Will Not File

SNITCH will not file complaints that are:

  • Retaliatory: filed in response to a personal dispute, a neighborly conflict, or as payback for an unrelated grievance
  • Based solely on hearsay, rumor, or secondhand accounts
  • Unsupported by photographs of the condition
  • Aimed at something that isn't within the jurisdiction's enforceable code
  • Containing false, fabricated, or materially misleading information

Clients who submit false or misleading information are in breach of SNITCH's Terms of Use and bear full responsibility for the content of their submission. Knowingly filing a false complaint is illegal in Florida, and that responsibility rests with the client. SNITCH assumes no liability for complaints filed on client-provided information that proves inaccurate or fabricated.

Our Verification Measures

To prevent abuse, SNITCH may:

  • Request supporting evidence (photographs, documentation) for any submission
  • Confirm the reported condition falls within the jurisdiction's enforceable code
  • Request original photo files where location needs corroborating
  • Decline service to clients who repeatedly submit baseless complaints

Important: SNITCH is an administrative filing service, not a legal authority. We confirm a complaint describes a fileable violation category and that the jurisdiction will accept our filing; we do not determine the outcome of any complaint. Complaints are filed under our name on behalf of the client.

Legal Consequences of Filing False Complaints

Knowingly filing a false code violation complaint is illegal in Florida and can carry legal and financial consequences. Responsibility for those consequences rests with the client who supplied the information, not with SNITCH. SNITCH will decline to file, and may permanently deny service, where it determines a client is acting in bad faith. If you have questions about your own legal exposure, talk to a licensed Florida attorney.

How to Report Abuse of the SNITCH Service

If you believe a complaint filed against your property through SNITCH was retaliatory, false, or filed in bad faith, contact us at go@joesnitch.com with your property address and any relevant documentation.

We take these reports seriously. Where a complaint is found to have been filed without legitimate basis, we will flag the submitting account and cooperate with any lawful investigation or disclosure request.

Ethical Reporting Builds Stronger Communities

We encourage responsible use of this service. SNITCH is built to get real violations addressed, not to settle scores. If you're unsure whether an issue qualifies, review your local code or ask us before filing.

SNITCH was founded by Chaz Stevens, a Florida First Amendment litigant whose work has been covered by NPR, Fox News, the Associated Press, Time, and Fortune. We support the right to petition the government for redress of grievances, and we take just as seriously the obligation not to turn that right against innocent parties.

Disclaimer

SNITCH files code complaints based on information clients provide. We verify that a complaint describes a fileable violation category and that the jurisdiction will accept our filing. We do not and cannot independently confirm the underlying facts a client submits, such as whether photographs are accurate or whether a described condition exists as represented. Clients are responsible for the truthfulness of their submissions. Knowingly filing a false complaint is illegal in Florida, and that responsibility rests with the client. SNITCH assumes no liability for false, inaccurate, or misleading information a client provides.