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Magistrate gives homeowner 30 days to secure final building-permit approval, delays fines
Summary
The special magistrate ordered Kathleen Berman to complete the building-permit process for 123 Sunset Drive within 30 days; the city will schedule a follow-up hearing to consider fines if the permit is not issued.
Special Magistrate Lonnie Groot ordered that homeowner Kathleen Berman complete the building-permit process for 123 Sunset Drive within 30 days; if the permit is not issued within that window the city will schedule a MASI hearing to determine whether fines should be imposed.
The order matters because it resolves ongoing code concerns by tying relief to the permitting process: city staff told the magistrate that the homeowner had pulled a building permit on May 6, 2025, and the magistrate accepted a compliance plan that gives the homeowner time to secure final approvals before fines are pursued.
City staff presented photographs and a chronology showing work at the property began after an earlier roof permit expired and included additional work without permits (electrical work, window removals and other changes). The city said an updated notice of violation was sent in April 2025. At the hearing the city confirmed Ms. Berman had since pulled a building permit on May 6, 2025, and was awaiting one final inspection/approval before issuance. The city asked for a 30-day window for the permit to be issued and then up to six months for the work to be completed under normal permitting timelines.
Groot said the order would require the respondent to have the building permit issued within 30 days; if that does not happen the city will schedule a MASI hearing to determine continued violation and any fines. The magistrate also noted the city was not seeking fines at the present hearing, reflecting ongoing cooperation between the homeowner and staff.
A friend of the homeowner, Renee Cropp, spoke during the hearing to say the only outstanding permit documentation related to the windows was the manufacturer's Florida-approval number matching the impact-window certification; Cropp said that information was the only missing item. The magistrate urged that the window supplier provide the required certification within the 30-day period to avoid further enforcement.
The magistrate will issue a written order reflecting the 30-day permit-issuance requirement and the possible follow-up procedure if the permit does not issue.
