Public Integrity Statement
Introduction
Introduction
SNITCH files Florida code violation complaints on behalf of residents. This page sets out the standards we hold ourselves to: complaints made in good faith, based on conditions the client has seen firsthand, and filed only where the jurisdiction will accept them. We file as the named complainant of record, so the client's name isn't the one on the filing.
Ethical Commitment
We file complaints about real, observable code violations. We do not file frivolous, malicious, or retaliatory complaints, and we decline submissions that read as a personal dispute dressed up as a code issue. SNITCH is a filing service for genuine violations, not a way to aim code enforcement at someone you have a grudge against.
Compliance With Florida Law
SNITCH operates under Florida law, including Senate Bill 60 (2021), which ended anonymous code enforcement complaints statewide. Under SB 60 a complainant's name and address go on the record, and that record is public under Chapter 119. Because we file as the named complainant of record, a public-records request returns our information instead of the client's. That reduces the client's exposure; it does not erase it, and the exact posture depends on the municipality. We are honest with every client about where they stand before they file.
What We File and What We Don't
We file complaints about documented property conditions that violate a local municipal or county ordinance: overgrown vegetation, inoperable vehicles on private property, unpermitted construction, junk and debris, illegal land use, short-term rentals that violate local ordinance, and similar conditions. We do not file complaints based on hearsay, complaints aimed at something outside the jurisdiction's enforceable code, or complaints that contain false or misleading information. Knowingly filing a false complaint is illegal in Florida, and that responsibility rests with the client.
Privacy and Public Records
A complainant's name and address are public record under Chapter 119. SNITCH files in its own name, so the public record returns our information, not the client's. We handle client information only to process the filing, and we comply with lawful disclosure requests. We don't promise a client's identity can never be traced; a determined party can sometimes infer the source of a single complaint regardless of whose name is on the paperwork. We tell clients that plainly.
Reducing Retaliation Risk
Florida law requires a named complainant, so the protection SNITCH offers is specific: our name goes on the complaint instead of the client's, which keeps their name out of the public-facing part of the process. That reduces the chance a violation is traced back to them. It is not a guarantee against retaliation, and we don't present it as one. Where filing could still expose a client, we say so and let them decide.
Vetting
Before filing, we confirm the complaint describes a fileable violation category and that the jurisdiction will accept an agent-filed complaint. We may request supporting evidence such as photographs or documentation. We decline service to clients who repeatedly submit baseless complaints. We are an administrative filing service, not a legal authority; we do not decide the outcome of any complaint.
Conclusion
SNITCH exists to get real code violations addressed by people who would otherwise stay silent for fear of retaliation. We file in good faith, within the limits Florida law sets, and we're straight with clients about what filing through us does and doesn't protect.