West Palm Beach magistrate issues compliance deadlines, fines and reductions across multiple property cases

The City of West Palm Beach Special Magistrate on March 6 issued orders across more than 20 code-enforcement cases, setting deadlines for repairs, permitting and business registration and levying daily fines where properties remained out of compliance.

Magistrate rulings ranged from short compliance windows and daily fines to negotiated reductions of previously assessed liens. The most prominent outcomes included a reduction of a multi‑thousand dollar lien to $5,000 in one long-running case and reductions to several older liens after property managers or owners proposed payment plans.

City code compliance officers presented evidence and photographs for each matter, and property owners or representatives either agreed to schedules for repairs and reinspection or contested the daily-fine amounts. The magistrate regularly adopted the officers’ findings of fact and law and issued orders that require properties to come into compliance within the time periods listed below or face the stated fines.

Votes at a glance (case number, address — order):

- CE25013211 — 5808 50 Eighth Way: Property found in violation; respondent has 90 days to obtain required permits and correct ventilation; $200 per day may issue until compliance. (Order adopted by Magistrate.)

- CE25013114 — 2741 Village Blvd, Unit 104: Property found in violation; Magistrate granted 120 days for compliance (owner/representative said contractor and permit application were in progress); $200 per day may issue after deadline.

- CE25023407 — 610 Clematis St, Unit A36: Repeat rental-license violation; Magistrate found an 8‑day repeat violation and assessed $50 per day for that period for a total fine of $400.

- CE25013196 — 1000 State St: Parties agreed to allow 45 days to complete a pending sale and renovations; $100 per day after 45 days may issue.

- CE25013335 — 4104 Greenwood Ave: Violations for plantings in swale, pressure washing, fence permit and related items; Magistrate granted 60 days to comply or $100 per day may issue.

- CE25013224 — 5807 Georgia Ave: Sign-permit and business-tax-receipt violations; Magistrate ordered 90 days to comply or $100 per day may issue.

- CE25013188 — (address on file): Multiple exterior, landscaping and structural violations; Magistrate ordered 90 days to comply or a fine of up to $300 per day may issue (officer reported no contact from owner and ongoing violations on reinspection).

- CE25013265 — 5701 Georgia Ave: Obsolete signage and landscape maintenance (tree stumps); Magistrate gave 90 days or $100 per day may issue.

- CE25013327 — 3025 Windsor Ave: Outdoor auto‑repair and storage violations (repeat auto‑repair in residential district). Magistrate issued a split order: 10 days to remove repair materials/clear outdoor storage or $50 per day, and a repeat‑violation fine of $100 per day beginning Jan. 30, 2025, until compliance.

- CE25013284 — 94xxx Fourth St: Trash container in public view plus rental-license/certificate-of-use requirement; Magistrate ordered 45 days to comply or $100 per day may issue.

- CE25013197 — 1011 17th St: Rental-license and certificate-of-use required; Magistrate ordered 10 days to comply or $100 per day may issue.

- CE25013173 — 41220 Third St (Mount Olive Church of God): Certificate of use renewal required; Magistrate ordered 10 days to comply or $100 per day may issue.

- CE25013160 — 5730 50 Seventh Way: Failure to obtain building permit for shower work and rental-license violation; Magistrate ordered 90 days to obtain permit and complete inspection or $200 per day may issue.

- CE25023359 — 1897 Palm Beach Lakes Blvd, Unit 204: Business operating without a business tax receipt; Magistrate ordered 45 days to come into compliance or a one‑time fine of $250.

- CE25023348 — 3515 Village Blvd, Unit 104: Rental license and certificate-of-use required; Magistrate ordered 30 days to come into compliance or $200 per day may issue.

Other‑matters docket (fine reductions and negotiated orders):

- CE23111044 — 6285 Third St: This long-running case previously accrued a $32,200 fine for a 322-day noncompliance period. The city had offered a 75% reduction to $8,050; the magistrate reduced the lien to $5,000 and allowed additional time for payment (magistrate: "I'll reduce it to $5,000"; magistrate discussed an extended payment period on the record).

- CE23060286 — 815 Sixth St and related matters (cases CE22120197 and CE22120195 at the same address): The magistrate reduced a previously assessed $48,750 lien to $9,315 payable within 60 days. The two related permit‑fine cases were each reduced to $987.50 payable within 60 days.

- CE21070384 — 411 Pilgrim Rd: A prior $32,850 lien was reduced by agreement to $4,927.50 payable in 60 days.

- CE21070381 — 410 Puritan Rd: A prior $18,600 lien was reduced by agreement to $2,790 payable in 60 days.

What the orders mean: Magistrate rulings typically adopt the code officer’s findings of fact and law and then direct owners to correct violations within a specific period or face daily fines. Several respondents showed evidence of permit applications, contractor engagement or ongoing efforts to repair; the magistrate routinely accepted those representations and set deadlines tied to inspections or permit issuance. Where cases were older with large accrued liens, the magistrate accepted negotiated reductions in several matters and set payment schedules.

Context and next steps: Code compliance officers said reinspection will be required in cases where repairs or permit issuance were reported as pending. In several cases renters or tenants were occupying units while the city pursues a certificate of use or rental‑license compliance. Failure to meet the magistrate’s deadlines could result in daily fines resuming and additional enforcement steps recorded in the public case files.

Ending: The magistrate concluded the docket after addressing all cases on the agenda and recessed to reconvene at a later time for additional matters on the calendar.