Special Magistrate Richard Ellis presided over a City of Sarasota Code Compliance Special Magistrate hearing on Oct. 16, 2025, taking up more than two dozen cases ranging from unpermitted building work to overgrown lots and vacation-rental permit issues.

The hearing produced a mix of outcomes: several properties were found corrected after owners obtained permits or performed cleanup; magistrate orders paused some running fines while cases proceed to demolition or permit completion; other cases produced daily running fines or lump-sum civil fines and modest city cost assessments.

Why this matters: these enforcement actions affect property owners’ ability to rent or sell, can trigger multi‑thousand‑dollar fines, and show how the city is handling continuing post‑hurricane repair and vegetation complaints.

Ellis opened the docket by dismissing Arnold J. Jaskiewicz as a party after the city reported the property had been sold; Mariah Castillo remained a respondent. The magistrate paused that case’s daily running fine while the owners pursue permit issuance and possible demolition, and continued it to Dec. 4, 2025, at 10 a.m.

Other notable outcomes included cost or fine assessments in multiple cases: a Big Jim The Eighth LLC fence matter was found corrected (permit closed 9/3/2025); the city assessed administrative costs of $390 and required the owner to correct fence orientation under city code. A property listed as 3220 South Tamiami LLC had an after‑the‑fact permit and the magistrate imposed a $100 civil fine plus $3.90 in city costs. Several nuisance/overgrowth matters resulted in running fines (for example, Don Din and Dwight Ty Nugent were charged $8,400 to date, $100 per day to continue until compliance, plus $3.90 costs) and were continued for follow‑up inspections.

Multiple properties with hurricane‑related repairs were treated leniently. Where inspectors found extensive storm damage and owners later completed permits and final inspections, the city often recommended no fine; the magistrate accepted those recommendations in several cases (for example, Ringling Properties LLC and Fugates by the Sea LLC).

In several vacation‑rental enforcement matters, the city asked for monitoring before imposing fines. Two cases (Michael Thomas Kell and the Skripowski respondents) were continued for 60 days for city monitoring of compliance with vacation‑rental registration and minimum‑stay rules; two other vacation‑rental cases resulted in a one‑day $100 fine and $390 in costs.

The magistrate repeatedly noted the city code’s repeat‑violator provisions (higher fines for repeat violations within five years) when declining to impose larger fines in some hurricane‑related matters.

Votes at a glance (case number — respondent — key code(s) — outcome):
- 202500440 — City of Sarasota v. Arnold J. Jaskiewicz (dismissed) / Mariah Castillo — Florida Building Code §105.1 (permits required) — Arnold J. Jaskiewicz dismissed as a party; daily fines paused; continued to Dec. 4, 2025, 10:00 a.m.; compliance path: permit issuance/demolition pending.
- 202500964 — City v. Big Jim The Eighth LLC (Kyle Hembry) — FBC §105.1 / fence permit — Violation found corrected (finaled 9/3/2025); city recovered costs $390; owner directed to correct fence facing under zoning code; no civil fine.
- 20205716 (Sunbelt Investors Asset Co. LLC) — City code §§16‑47, 16‑49B — Overgrowth/trash — Continued to Oct. 30, 2025, 10:30 a.m. for additional cleanup; no running fine imposed at hearing.
- 202501063 — City v. 1540 Benjamin Franklin LLC — City code §16‑47 (junk/rubbish) — Found corrected 9/19/2025; no fine, no cost.
- 202500065 — City v. Oracle Veil Company LLC (Liliana Allen) — FBC §105.1 — Fire final passed 10/14; continuation for contractor to submit remaining private-provider inspections; continued to Nov. 20, 2025, 10:45 a.m.
- 202501118 — City v. 402–412 N Washington LLC (Venkatesh/Conaganti) — FBC §105.1 — Respondent requested time; continued to Nov. 20, 2025, 11:15 a.m., no fines imposed at hearing.
- 202500997 — City v. Avara LLC (Steve Saracito) — City code §16‑47 — Found corrected 9/17/2025; magistrate imposed civil fine $6,600 and city cost $3.90 (per inspector affidavit).
- 202501084 — City v. SRQ Holdings Company LLC — City code §§16‑47, 16‑49C — Continued out; magistrate found continuing violations and imposed a civil fine to date of $10,500 and cost $3.90; representative must appear Nov. 6, 2025, 10:00 a.m.
- 2025011331 — City v. Half Flint and Bichet Holdings LLC (Buffy Stachorowski) — City code §16‑47 — Found corrected 10/06/2025; assessed $3.90 city cost; no civil fine.
- 202501133 — City v. Don Din & Dwight Ty Nugent — City code §16‑49C — Continuing violation; civil fine to date $8,400 and cost $3.90; daily running fine $100/day to continue until corrected; continued to Nov. 6, 2025, 8:30 a.m.
- 202500797 — City v. Bobby F. McGee — Multiple codes (16‑49B, 16‑47, 16‑50, 7‑313, Standard Housing Code §305.30.1) — Continuing violations; civil fine to date $11,700 and cost $3.90; daily running fine continues; respondent required to appear Nov. 20, 2025, 1:15 p.m.
- 202500132 — City v. Whitney Bryant — City authorized to correct; continued to Oct. 30, 2025, 1:45 p.m.; violations remain continuing as of hearing.
- 202500355 — City v. Michael R. Clemons (Clemons family trust) — FBC §105.1 (carport work) — Building final passed 10/03/2025; magistrate imposed cost $3.90 and no civil fine.
- 2025729 — City v. 3220 South Tamiami LLC — FBC §105.1 — Permit completed 10/13/2025; magistrate imposed $100 civil fine plus $3.90 cost.
- 2025589 — City v. NXT Acquisitions Corporation — Housing code and zoning violations — Continued to Dec. 4, 2025, 11:00 a.m.; city to pursue permitting and inspections; violations remain.
- 20250401412 — City v. John Robert Ayers — City code §16‑49B — Found corrected 10/04/2025; magistrate imposed $100 fine and $3.90 cost.
- 2020‑580 (Fugates by the Sea LLC) — FBC §105.1 — Permit issued and building final 9/30/2025; city recommended no fine or cost due to hurricane damages; magistrate accepted no fine/cost.
- 202501041 — City v. Project 1 Design Inc. (Deepak Patel) — FBC §105.1 (fence) — Permit pulled/closed 9/4/2025; magistrate accepted city recommendation of no fine, no cost.
- 202500401 — City v. Yuri Compton — City code §16‑47 and Standard Housing Code §305.15 (fence) — Property brought into compliance (fence removed 10/13/2025); magistrate imposed a one‑day $100 fine and $615 costs (total $715).
- 202500312 — City v. Janetta M. Toler — Multiple violations including §16‑47, §16‑50, §305.15 and FBC §105.1 (shed) — City reports property out of compliance; case reset and continued to Oct. 30, 2025, 2:45 p.m.; magistrate warned fines will begin if no progress.
- 202500780 — City v. Dwight & Tiffany Henu — Vacation‑rental code & zoning — Corrected 9/22/2025; magistrate assessed $100 fine and $390 in costs.
- 202500843 — City v. Michael Thomas Kell — Vacation‑rental and zoning codes — Corrected 10/14/2025; city requested 60‑day monitoring before final recommendation; continued to Dec. 18, 2025, 1:15 p.m.
- 202500893 — City v. Ryan & Teresa Skripowski — Vacation‑rental codes — Corrected 10/14/2025; continued 60 days to Dec. 18, 2025, 11:15 a.m. for monitoring.
- 2025489 — City v. Kevin Kadakia / Evolve (vacation‑rental listings) — Vacation‑rental code & advertising — City found listings still showed a minimum stay under city code on some platforms despite blocked calendars; magistrate continued matter to Nov. 6, 2025, 1:00 p.m. for follow‑up and inspection scheduling.
- 2025262 — City v. Ringling Properties LLC — FBC §105.1 — Permits/repairs finaled 10/14/2025; city recommended no fine/no cost due to hurricane damage; magistrate accepted.

Across the docket magistrate Ellis repeatedly urged respondents to work with the permitting and inspections staff, cited repeat‑violator provisions in city code for future noncompliance, and set return dates for inspection or monitoring where necessary.

Looking ahead: cases continued for monitoring or further inspection return in late October, early November and in several instances December, as the city balances post‑storm repair timelines with enforcement of permitting and property‑maintenance rules.

The magistrate closed the docket after scheduling the next hearings noted above.