Royal Palm Beach magistrate fines Aldi contractor $1,000 over Aug. 21 truck staging that blocked State Road 7

A special magistrate on Oct. 8 ordered a one‑time $1,000 fine against Florida South Division LLC after deputies and village staff presented evidence that semi‑tractor trailers staging to deliver to the company’s Aldi distribution operation were blocking public lanes on South State Road 7 on the night of Aug. 21, 2025.

The village presented photographs, a site plan and sworn testimony from Deputy Michael Garza of the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office, who said the trucks were queuing on southbound State Road 7 and on nearby eastbound routes such as Fox Trail and Okeechobee, sometimes forming lines he estimated “maybe 30 to 50” trucks deep. Garza testified that the trailers’ rear ends sometimes extended into adjacent travel lanes, creating what he described as a “safety issue.”

The magistrate, Doug MacKibben, described the matter as an “irreparable and irreversible” violation tied to modifications in how the facility has been operating and granted the village’s request to assess the one‑time fine for the Aug. 21 incident. MacKibben also warned the company that repeat irreparable violations could trigger higher penalties: “If it continues tonight, tomorrow night, etcetera, you can expect to be back here,” he told the company representative, noting fines can rise to $5,000 per incident.

Why it matters

The magistrate’s finding focuses on public‑right‑of‑way safety and the village’s…