Attorney Nate Nolin to serve as special magistrate in property code violation case

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As the legal counsel for the Holmes County Board of County Commissioners, local attorney Nate Nolin is a familiar face at the Holmes BOCC meetings in Bonifay.

Nolin will eventually be crossing over to neighboring Washington County to serve as the special magistrate for a code violation case concerning an RV park in Vernon.

The Washington BOCC approved making Nolin the special magistrate during a meeting on Thursday, Feb. 15, to preside over Washington County’s dispute concerning property owner Edmond Zlotea and his RV park at 3523 Highway 79.

The park has been operating since at least 2022 without prior official local government approval and incurred a code violation due to being non-compliant and the physical appearance of the property, which Washington County Code Enforcement Officer Janet Riedel–who issued a citation–publicly called “pretty trashy” during a Planning Commission meeting on Feb. 5.

The Planning Commission called for a clean-up of the property, which has a history of drawing County scrutiny due to its non-compliance with local regulations and approval processes.

Planning Commission Chairman John Gay said the park at 3523 Highway 79 had people staying in it longer than six months–generally the limit allowed for an RV park.

“In the past, it appears it’s more of a trailer park than it is an RV park,” Gay said during the February meeting. 

Zlotea was ordered to cease and desist operating the park but did not do so.

People were also said to be living in a school bus on the property, with tinfoil put over the windows.

“I don’t think he has a standard of what he accepts there,” Riedel said.

The option of bringing the case to a special magistrate was mentioned during the Feb. 5 Planning Commission meeting.