Special magistrate gives Deltona Square 60 days to repair plaza parking lot or face fines

Special Magistrate Bill Reisman found the Deltona Square shopping center parking area at 577 Deltona Boulevard in violation of the City of Deltona's property-maintenance code and gave the property owner 60 days to complete repairs.

The city's code compliance officer, Dennis Muse, presented photographs and testimony describing cracked asphalt and potholes that the city said created trip hazards. Muse said the owner received certified notice and the city posted notices as required under chapter 162 of the Florida Statutes.

Wayne Scott, identified at the hearing as the property manager for Deltona Square LLC, told the magistrate that the owner had a $27,000 proposal and expected to obtain two additional quotes before starting work. Scott asked for 60 days because contractors had been delayed.

Reisman said the property remained noncompliant at the hearing and granted the 60-day extension. He warned that if repairs were not completed by the end of the 60th day, a monetary fine of $100 per day would begin to accrue. Reisman stated the purpose of a fine was to create an incentive for compliance, not to punish, and asked that the owner notify the city's code officer when work was finished so fines would not be assessed in error.

Discussion only: city evidence and the property manager's request for time. Direction: property owner given 60 days to complete repairs and directed to notify code staff when work is done. Formal action: magistrate order granting 60 days; $100-per-day fine to begin if deadline not met.

The magistrate's order did not set a specific follow-up inspection date; owners and the city must verify compliance within the 60-day window to avoid fines.