Special magistrate orders lien for Palatka property with collapsed roof, $63,875 in fines

Ron Brown, the special magistrate appointed by the City Commission of Palatka, Florida, on March 18 found three code violations at a burned and decayed house at 606 North Eleventh Street and approved the city’s request to record an official lien on the property.

The ruling follows testimony and photos presented by Christie Lowe of the City of Palatka Code Enforcement showing a collapsing roof, rotten front wood and an accumulation of man-made debris visible from the public right of way. Lowe said the city’s records show the case first produced a finding in October 2022 and that fines have been accruing since then. Lowe told the hearing the fines “as of today” total $63,875.

Why it matters: the magistrate’s order allows the city to record a lien that would attach to the property and remain until the violations are resolved or the commission grants a reduction. The magistrate also noted that repair work for the roof and structural wood will require city permits, and that demolition — if performed with required permits and the yard cleared — could also be used as a path to compliance and to reduce the lien amount.

At the hearing, owner Robert Jackson acknowledged he had been absent and that neighbors and others had added debris to the porch, saying, “I pick up all the trash. I clean it up.” Brown told Jackson the law places maintenance responsibility on the owner even when the owner is absentee. Brown said the city is “entitled to their lien” and said he would issue an order finding no improvement sufficient to avoid the lien.

The magistrate specified compliance tasks: repair the front facade wood and the roof (work that requires permits) and remove all man-made debris from the yard. Brown warned that fines will continue to accrue and stressed contact with code enforcement staff to report progress. He told Jackson the lien could later be reduced by the City Commission if the owner demonstrates remediation or demolition costs are incurred and documented.

Quotations in context: Lowe stated, “As of today, $63,875.” Brown said the city was “entitled to their lien,” and Jackson said he had tried to clean the property, “I pick up all the trash. I clean it up.”

The magistrate entered an order allowing the City of Palatka to report the lien and to collect fines that continue to accrue until the property is brought into compliance or the commission acts to reduce the lien.