Special magistrate orders repairs, vehicle removals and vegetation cleanup at Saint Johns Avenue property; 120-day deadline set

Ron Brown, the city’s special magistrate, on May 20 entered findings that a property at 1406 Saint Johns Avenue is out of compliance with Palatka’s code because of overgrown vegetation, parts of the roof in disrepair and multiple vehicles that appear abandoned or untagged.

Brown reviewed photographs submitted by city staff, including images taken by inspector David Green and others, and questioned staff witness Miss Dreyer about the property conditions. Dreyer described overgrown shrubbery and ground-level grass that must be trimmed to a level “consistent with that of the rest of the neighborhood,” and she identified two roof areas with missing material that she recommended be repaired and the existing tarp removed.

On vehicles, staff testified the photographed cars have been in place since February 2024 and appear not to have been moved. Dreyer said some vehicles were covered with tarps and that prior photographs showed lack of visible valid license plates. The magistrate applied the city code’s abandoned-vehicle standard and found the evidence sufficient to treat those vehicles as abandoned or derelict under the code.

Brown ordered the owner to: mow and trim vegetation and tend shrubbery; remove or license and tag the identified vehicles; and repair the damaged roofing and remove the tarp. He set a compliance deadline of Sept. 17, 2025 (120 days from the hearing) and warned that fines of $25 per violation per day will begin Sept. 18, 2025, if the issues remain uncorrected. Brown emphasized the city’s objective: “The city’s asking…we’re very sympathetic…but I don’t have any jurisdiction to handle anything but determine whether there’s a violation and whether there’s an appropriate compliance order.”

Owner William Neely addressed the magistrate and said he is attempting repairs and cited resource constraints; he told the board he is “trying to clean it up” and described staggered income affecting timing of work. Magistrate Brown acknowledged resource difficulties but indicated the city must set an enforceable timetable.

Formal action: Brown entered an order finding violations of the city code for overgrown vegetation (section 30-32), abandoned/untagged vehicles (section 30-32(b)), and roofing disrepair (section 30-32 a10/related code language) and set the Sept. 17, 2025 compliance date with fines to begin Sept. 18 if the property remains out of compliance. Code-enforcement staff were directed to follow up with inspections and compliance notifications.