The Saint Cloud City Council voted unanimously on Aug. 14 to reduce a code-enforcement lien tied to a rental property from $120,592.90 to $48,785.80, after the property owner’s attorney described permitting and inspection failures that the owner said were corrected.

Mickey Grindstaff, an attorney for THR Florida Limited Partnership (an Invitation Homes subsidiary), told the council the company “botched the permitting process” and failed to call for a final inspection after repairs to an air-conditioning system. Grindstaff said the mechanical problem had been addressed and that the company had relied on a third-party property manager that failed to complete required steps. He asked the council to accept a negotiated settlement and reduce the lien amount.

City staff noted that the property is now in compliance and that the owner’s other properties in the city do not have outstanding violations. The special magistrate and city manager had earlier recommended a smaller reduction; the council approved a larger compromise on Aug. 14. Deputy Mayor Gilbert and other council members commented that the owner’s responsiveness and remediation were factors in their vote.

Motion and vote: Council member Urban moved to approve the lien reduction; the motion passed 5-0.

Why it matters: Reductions of code-enforcement liens are formal council actions that affect city enforcement policy and revenue collection. The council cited remediation and cooperation while still applying a substantial financial penalty.

All direct quotations are taken from remarks on the record at the Aug. 14 meeting.