Homestead special master fines mobile vendor $5,000, grants multiple extensions and dismisses one dumping charge

Special Master Michael Styles opened the Homestead City code compliance special-master hearing on April 10, 2025 and issued a series of rulings affecting dozens of properties, including a $5,000 fine for a repeat mobile-vendor violation, multiple deadline extensions for 40-year building recertifications and fence permits, and a dismissal of an illegal-dumping citation for insufficient evidence.

The hearing matters affect property owners, property managers and contractors across Homestead. The decisions addressed mobile vending without a permit, defective sidewalks and tree limbs, fence installations without permits, bulk-trash and illegal-dumping citations, and outstanding 40-year recertification filings for older buildings.

Most consequential enforcement action: repeat mobile-vendor fine Special Master Michael Styles imposed the maximum penalty in a repeat mobile-vendor case, saying, “Im going to do the maximum penalty and my maximum penalty is $5,000,” for case CE25030070 involving Jacinta Lucia Tercero. The ruling followed testimony from Homestead Police and code officers that the vendor had been stopped multiple times and had paid a prior citation but not the later one. The order in the record is a $5,000 civil fine; no administrative-fee assessment was recorded in the transcript for that ruling.

Extensions granted for building recertifications and repairs The hearing granted time to several property owners and managers to complete required work or to obtain permits: - Case CE2520065 (clubhouse renovation for a community/clubhouse project): 120-day extension and an $80 administration fee to allow the remodel to finish before a 40-year recertification could be completed. - Case CE25020058 (ancillary maintenance building at the same community): 45-day extension and an $80 administration fee. - Case CE25020071 (Ohio Asset FL Homestead LLC): 60-day extension and an $80 administration fee while city reviews were pending. - Case CE25020057 (First National Bank / South State Bank building): 90-day extension and an $80 administration fee to allow engineers and inspectors to finish a 40-year recertification and structural reviews. - Case CE25020054 / CE25010124 and several other 40-year recertification matters were routinely granted 30- to 60-day extensions with the standard $80 administration fee stated in the hearing record.

Fence permits, contractor disputes and first-time offenders Multiple owners who had fences installed without permits were given short extensions to obtain permits and come into compliance; the hearing repeatedly emphasized that owners are responsible even when contractors handle work. Representative rulings include: - Case CE25020222 (Gamba Uvia LLC): 45 days, $80 administration fee. - Case CE25020223 (E2 Real Estate Investments LLC): first‑time appearance; 60 days, $80 administration fee, and the magistrate set a $100 fine amount to be ratified only if noncompliance continued to a subsequent hearing. - Case CE25010096 (Franklin): permit applied April 8; case determined becoming compliant and was given 30 days with no administration fee assessed at the hearing.

Bulk-trash and illegal-dumping outcomes - Case CE25030072 (Esperanza Sanchez): A $500 civil citation for improper bulk-trash disposal was imposed, the $80 administrative fee was waived, and the record shows 30 days to come into compliance. - Case CE2502048 (Caridad Baez): an illegal-dumping citation supported by video evidence was discussed in detail, but Special Master Styles ruled there was not enough evidence to hold the respondent liable and the citation was not sustained at this hearing.

Sidewalks, tree limbs and association repairs - Case CE25020068 (Royal Center LLC / Seascape): photos of lifted sidewalks from trees; property manager Jessica Feliciano requested time and the special master granted a 45-day extension and an $80 administration fee with instruction to begin permit and work-order submissions immediately. - Case CE25020072 (Keysgate Community Association): 60 days and an $80 administration fee; the association reported pending board approval of repair proposals and asked city staff to coordinate regarding semi-truck parking concerns potentially contributing to sidewalk damage.

Unsafe structures and referral to building official One property with significant structural and blight concerns (case CE25030118, GHH Properties LLC) drew extended discussion about public-safety risks and proximity to an elementary school. After input from code staff and police, the magistrate revised an initial informal 90-day consideration and set a 30-day compliance deadline with an $80 administration fee and a $75-per-day penalty to begin if the property remained noncompliant. The record also notes the case was or will be referred to the building official for potential unsafe-structure action.

How the court handled fines and ratification The special master repeatedly set administrative fees ($80 is the standard stated in many rulings) and, in some first‑offense situations, set a fine amount to be imposed only if the case returned for ratification at a second hearing. The hearing record reiterates that fines are often set at the first hearing and ratified at a later certification hearing when compliance is not achieved.

Next steps and follow-ups Several matters were continued, returned as "complied," or scheduled for reinspection. Where the special master set deadlines, code enforcement will recheck compliance and, where appropriate, return matters for fine ratification or refer files to the building official for unsafe-structure proceedings.

The hearing transcript lists dozens of individual case numbers and explicit rulings; the summary above highlights the items with financial penalties, notable public-safety concerns, or attorney/owner disputes that the special master singled out for follow-up.

Ending City staff and the special master instructed property owners to begin the permitting process immediately when an extension was granted, and several cases were referred to other city divisions for inspection or potential building-official action. The hearing concluded with instructions that noncompliance after set deadlines may trigger daily fines or further enforcement.