Martin County magistrate approves agreed orders, compliance deadlines and lien reductions in March 19 hearing

Jensen Beach, Fla. — The Martin County code enforcement magistrate entered a series of agreed orders, compliance deadlines and lien reductions at a March 19 magistrate hearing, resolving a mix of permit, nuisance and fine-reduction matters affecting properties across the county.

The magistrate accepted stipulations in several permit cases — including Ryo Garage LLC and Sailfish Club at Jupiter Point LLC — ordered owners to obtain permits or remove unpermitted structures by set dates, and approved lien reductions for properties whose fines were effectively covered by tax-deed sale proceeds.

The outcomes matter because they set firm deadlines for compliance (most commonly April 30 or June 30), prescribe $100-per-day fines for continued violations, and determine how much each respondent must pay toward county investigation costs and outstanding liens.

The county presented evidence including property-appraiser ownership records, photographs taken during inspections and permit-status screenshots. In most cases the magistrate accepted the county's exhibits into evidence and entered orders requiring compliance by specific dates or issued agreed orders when respondents or property representatives signed stipulations.

Key outcomes at a glance

- Ryo Garage LLC (case DNF2024070638-01, 1140 NE Dixie Highway, Jensen Beach): Agreed order entered requiring compliance on or before June 30, 2025; $100 per day thereafter; $350 in administrative costs to be paid at the time the order is signed. County investigator Tamika Bush presented photos and permit records; the respondent signed the stipulation and the magistrate approved it.

- Gregory J. Beshant (case ENF2025010345, 2682 NE Pine Avenue, Jensen Beach): Magistrate found violations for unpermitted fence and overgrowth, ordered compliance by April 30, 2025; $100 per day thereafter; $575 in county investigation costs to be paid at the conclusion of the hearing. Tamika Bush presented photographic evidence; property representative Nick Gulotta acknowledged repairs and accepted the April 30 deadline.

- Catherine Heron / Estate of Edward Heron (case ENF2024110083, 6460 SE Lake Circle Drive, Stuart): Magistrate found violations for damaged exterior walls and ordered compliance by April 30, 2025; $100 per day thereafter; $575 in costs. Investigator Michael Joseph presented photos from November 2024 and March 2025.

- Sailfish Club at Jupiter Point LLC (case EF2025010318, 18577 SE Federal Highway, Tequesta): Parties submitted a signed stipulated agreement. Agreed order to obtain permit or remove unpermitted sheds by June 30, 2025; $100 per day thereafter; agreed fees of $350 paid. Investigator Kelly Switzer testified; the magistrate will sign the order when the original signed copy arrives.

- Lawrence H. Grubb, Dana Collins and Teresa Collins (case ENF2024010023): Case dismissed after county testimony that the respondent removed the cited structure and is now in compliance.

- Denton 2 LLC / Dennis Limited LLC (case 100037252, 14959 SW 170th Ave, Indiantown): County staff recommended and the magistrate approved a lien-reduction to $0 because the county received surplus tax-deed sale proceeds ($2,923.91) and the current owner (Dennis Limited LLC) was not responsible for the original violation.

- Douglas Taylor (case 130074577, 6989 SE Ridgeway Terrace, Hope Sound): Lien reduction to $0 approved; county received $40,676.14 from tax-deed sale and the current owner (THWFL Group LLC) was not responsible for the original nuisance violations.

- Eric and Gabriela Gerson (case KCNF202300860, 3502 SW Cocoa Palm Drive, Palm City): Magistrate approved a stipulation and payment plan under which the respondents will pay $1,697.50 in monthly installments ($100 per month for 17 months) to resolve $16,400 in fines plus $575 in costs; the records show some payments already made.

- Coase Corner LLC (case EF2025010008, 1814 NE Dixie Highway, Jensen Beach): Magistrate found overgrowth violations on the property and adjacent right-of-way, ordered compliance by April 30, 2025; $100 per day thereafter; $575 in investigation costs. The county presented a signed USPS green-card receipt and photos; the magistrate found service adequate despite an administrative error in a posted notice date.

What the magistrate and county said

Tamika Bush, a co-compliance investigator for Martin County, presented photos, permit screenshots and the county's notices for multiple cases and repeatedly requested that respondents be ordered to comply by set dates and reimburse the county's investigation costs. For several cases the county also provided proof that return-receipts had not been received and therefore the property was posted as required.

In the Ryo Garage matter, property owner Ryan Timothy Dearing told the magistrate he had hired an attorney and that the tenant was pursuing a building permit application; Dearing said that, because the permit application was under county review, he could not evict the tenant immediately. The magistrate said an agreed stipulation would avoid a more costly hearing outcome and signed an agreed order once the parties executed the stipulation.

Procedure and next steps

For cases where compliance was ordered, the magistrate specified dates (most commonly April 30 or June 30) by which the respondent must obtain permits or otherwise come into compliance. The magistrate warned that failure to comply would trigger daily fines of $100 and that additional hearings or lien actions could follow if respondents did not meet the deadlines. For several fine-reduction requests, the magistrate approved reductions to zero where the county had already received tax-deed sale proceeds exceeding the ten-percent threshold staff uses in its review.

The magistrate also reviewed and approved the minutes for December, January and February, and scheduled the next hearing for April 16, 2025.

Ending

The hearing concluded after the magistrate signed agreed orders as appropriate and provided copies to respondents or their representatives. The magistrate reminded respondents that compliance deadlines and any required payments must be met to avoid fines or further proceedings.