Titusville special magistrate orders businesses to pay overdue business tax receipts; one business given 30 days

A special magistrate in Titusville, Florida, ordered multiple businesses and properties on record to obtain business tax receipts and pay city costs after finding violations of the city code governing business tax receipts and fire inspections.

The finding and orders issued at the city's code enforcement hearing covered Walkabout Ministries (801 Orange Street), Palmetto Ridge Estates (1202 Prairie Lane), United Christian Fellowship (609 Dummit Avenue), Infinity Affairs Venue (3550 South Washington Avenue, Suite 16), LBJ Services LLC (60 North Christmas Hill Road), Revive Exterior Cleaning (835 Cleveland Street), Christ Community Presbyterian Church (4295 Garden Street), Quantum Construction (2050 White Sands Drive), Shonuff Suga's Cakery (839 Gibson Street) and Nicole's Appliances by Danny (3304 South Hopkins Avenue).

The magistrate found that required notices were provided in accordance with Chapter 163, Florida Statutes, and city code, and that respondents had been given reasonable time to correct the violations but had not done so. For most respondents the magistrate ordered immediate payment of city costs and the outstanding business tax receipt fees; the amounts assessed were read into the record for each property.

The orders listed city cost recoveries and BTR amounts as follows: Walkabout Ministries, city costs $146.14 plus $65 for the BTR, total $211.14; Revive Exterior Cleaning, $146.14 + $136.50 = $282.64; Christ Community Presbyterian Church, $128.53 + $100 = $228.53; Palmetto Ridge Estates, $146.14 + $1,468.00 = $1,614.44; United Christian Fellowship, $146.14 + $50 = $196.14; Infinity Affairs Venue, $146.14 + $254.75 = $400.89; LBJ Services, $181.36 + $68.25 = $249.61; Quantum Construction, $163.75 + $307.12 = $470.87; Shonuff Suga's Cakery, $128.53 + $136.50 = $265.03. The magistrate ordered that these amounts be paid immediately and that code enforcement confirm compliance; repeat violations would be classified as repeat violations and a certified order may be recorded in the public records of Brevard County.

Nicole's Appliances by Danny received a different timetable. The magistrate found the business operating without a business tax receipt and set a 30-day compliance period ending with the city's June 9 hearing. The magistrate set a $200 fine to be entered if the business failed to come into compliance by that date and again noted that future identical violations would be classified as repeat violations and could be recorded as a certified order in county records.

City staff presented documentary evidence and sworn testimony supporting the notices, the resulting code violations under city code section 11-31 (business tax receipts and fire inspection), and the city's cost recoveries. Staff reported attempts to contact respondents in several cases, noted returned checks or overpayments in one church case, and provided status updates from the fire inspector and state business registration checks (Sunbiz) where available. For example, staff said Walkabout Ministries had submitted an updated BTR application and that a fire inspection review was completed the morning of the hearing; Palmetto Ridge Estates and several other respondents had received posting notices and had not responded.

No vote tally or council motion was recorded; the magistrate's rulings were issued as findings and orders on the record. The magistrate instructed respondents to notify code enforcement when corrections were complete so officers could confirm compliance.

The hearing concluded with the magistrate noting the orders and the possibility that certified orders could be placed in the public records of Brevard County if respondents failed to comply.