The Safety Harbor City Commission unanimously reduced a recorded code-enforcement lien associated with the common area of Willow Pond Villas to administrative costs only — $4.25 — after hearing that the property was brought into compliance on May 13, 2025.

City staff briefed the commission that the code-enforcement board found violations on Oct. 19, 2022, and set a compliance deadline of Feb. 1, 2023; a daily fine of $100 per day and administrative costs accrued and a lien was recorded March 15, 2023. The total lien amount shown in staff materials was $83,625 as of the hearing. The homeowners association requested a reduction and staff evaluated the petition under the procedures set out in Resolution 2011-18 and Resolution 2024-02 and recommended a 70% reduction; staff presented options for further commission action.

Lauren Rubinstein of Hill Ward Henderson, representing the HOA, described the history: the work began when a property owner (identified in the record as Mr. Vogel) had built terraces and stairs on a steep HOA-owned slope to address erosion. The city determined the improvements functioned as retaining walls and required permitting; an after-the-fact permit was submitted in March 2023. Rubinstein said the applicant worked with utility companies to vacate and re-plat an affected portion of a utility easement, obtained letters of no objection, secured the county building permit and had engineer-reviewed as‑built drawings. She also said the work stood up through subsequent storms.

Commissioners discussed whether the owner should have sought city permits before performing the work but noted the homeowner (who paid the costs on behalf of the HOA) incurred substantial expense and the HOA has now come into compliance. After discussion, a commissioner moved to reduce the lien to zero except for administrative filing fees (total $4.25). The motion passed 5-0.

The commission’s action reduces the recorded lien to administrative costs and filing fees; staff will document the reduced amount and next steps for lien release. The commission noted this decision applies to the recorded lien against the homeowners association, not to any separate obligations of the individual property owner who paid for the improvements.