Magistrate grants city authority to record lien for long-running violations at 1606 Green St.

A Palatka special magistrate on March 18 entered an order allowing the City of Palatka to impose a lien on 1606 Green Street after finding the property continues to display rotten and weakened siding and other structural deterioration.

Christie Lowe of Palatka Code Enforcement presented photographs dated January and March 2025 showing progressive deterioration on the left-side elevation of the building. Lowe testified she had taken recent photos and that conditions had worsened since 2023. The city requested imposition of an official lien to collect accrued fines.

Brown found notice and posting requirements had been met and, after hearing testimony and reviewing the evidence, granted the city’s request. Lowe reported the fines as of the hearing totaled $13,550 and that fines continue to accrue at $25 per violation per day. The magistrate’s order requires the owner to replace rotten siding on the left elevation; Lowe said that repair work will require a permit.

Why it matters: magistrate authorization to record a lien converts unpaid fines into an encumbrance recorded against the property. The order also reiterates that the owner must obtain required permits before performing structural repairs.

Quotations in context: the magistrate said he would “find appropriate to enter an order allowing the city to impose a lien” on the property. Lowe stated the current fines were $13,550. The city will record the lien and continue enforcement until compliance or action by the City Commission.

The magistrate closed the case after entering the order authorizing lien recording; the case will remain subject to follow-up by code enforcement and potential future commission action on any lien reduction request.