Special magistrate finds public nuisance after shooting tied to 828 Southwest 16th Street short-term rental; $2,500 fine imposed

A Fort Lauderdale special magistrate on June 10 found that activity tied to a short-term rental at 828 Southwest 16th Street constituted a public nuisance after multiple late-night police responses and a shooting that involved guests of the address, and imposed a $2,500 fine.

The finding followed testimony from Leonard Champagne, a city code inspector, and Don Geiger, homicide sergeant with the Fort Lauderdale Police Department, who described calls to the property, an on-site police response and a later shooting that involved patrons of the rental. "There was a homicide that occurred…on May 19," Sgt. Don Geiger said during testimony. Champagne told the magistrate the property was operating as an Airbnb and that police had been called multiple times because a party got out of control.

The city argued the disturbances and repeated responses fit the municipal nuisance code, 18-1, which forbids maintaining property in a way that "threatens or endangers the public health, safety or welfare." City attorney Ron Montoya Hassan and Champagne said the pattern of disturbances, pepper-spray injuries at the scene, and the return of patrons to the rental after police left supported an irreparable public-nuisance finding; the city asked the magistrate to impose a fine up to $15,000.

O'Neil Dror, the property manager who appeared on behalf of the owner, described attempts to manage the incident while abroad and said she repeatedly contacted guests and police. "I was constantly on my cameras communicating back," Dror said, describing calls she made from Japan to try to clear the property and to urge officers to remain on scene.

Neighbors and nearby residents told the magistrate the property has been a recurring source of disturbance since the rental began operating months earlier. "The police were there until 9 at night. It impacted my neighborhood greatly," neighbor Millicent Porter said. Neighbor Leo Singleton said his family has three young children and that the property hosted frequent parties that reached the adjacent driveways and pool areas.

Defense counsel argued that the shooting occurred off the property and that the owner could not be held responsible for a violent act committed in public by an unknown perpetrator. The owner’s attorney said the ordinance language focuses on boarded or vermin-infested buildings and urged dismissal.

Special Magistrate's ruling and penalties: After hearing testimony from the inspector, police sergeant and neighbors, the magistrate concluded the late-night disturbance and subsequent shooting met the code’s standard for a public nuisance and imposed a single fine of $2,500. The magistrate noted the city did not ask for immediate suspension of the rental license at this hearing and said a suspension would be a separate process requiring notice. "I will find that there certainly existed a public nuisance that night," the magistrate said, then ordered the $2,500 fine.

What happens next: The city attorney indicated the city may pursue further enforcement — including a future licensing or suspension proceeding — but that any suspension would require separate notice and process. The magistrate advised the parties that fines already imposed will remain subject to later processes (including amnesty applications if the owner later seeks fee reductions) and that the owner retains appeal rights.