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North Miami magistrate gives Windward Condor condos 30 days to file engineering report, delays fines
Summary
A special magistrate hearing on Windward Condor Condos in North Miami was continued after the condo association said it has hired a second engineer; the magistrate ordered the engineering report submitted to the building official by the end of the week and reset the abatement date to June 16.
A North Miami special magistrate on Wednesday delayed fining Windward Condor Condominiums and gave the association 30 days to submit an engineering report to the city after the association said it hired a second engineer and needs time to secure financing for repairs.
The magistrate’s order matters because the case, tied to deteriorating balcony stucco and other building repairs, was opened in February 2023 and previously carried an abatement date of July 24, 2024 with a $350 fine plus a $300 cost assessment. Inspector Brentley Daniel, City of North Miami, told the hearing, "As it pertains to 1225 Northeast 120 Fourth Street, this was an AHI that was initiated back in February 2023." Daniel said his final reinspection showed the balconies had not been repaired.
Guillermo Porto, the condominium managing agent and a resident, said the association engaged AB Plus Engineering in May 2024 and received a proposal that the association felt was excessive. "He pretty much gave the a bid assessment of approximately $2,000,000 to repair, not only the balconies, but all the building," Porto said, summarizing the association's view that the first estimate would amount to roughly $30,000 per unit. Porto said the board instead engaged another firm, identified in the hearing transcript as Douglas Mercado of Inspection Engineers, to perform an independent inspection and provide a fresh assessment.
Porto described the association as low-income and said many owners are on fixed incomes; he added that obtaining a construction loan or line of credit would be a lengthy process because the association's financial records need cleanup. "That is my main concern really ... it's at least a month or 2 month process," he said.
The building official confirmed she had not received the association's engineering packet during the hearing. The magistrate ordered that the association submit the engineering report to the building official by the end of the week so the city could determine whether any immediate safety measures were required. "So my ruling is, that I I'm not gonna ratify the the amount today. So I'm gonna give you another 30 days. Let's reset it in 30 days, which will be June 16," the magistrate said, adding that if the city later sees no movement she would ratify fines retroactively.
Background documents in the record include photos from November 2024 and April 2025 and prior engineering materials uploaded to the city's portal during earlier hearings. Inspector Daniel noted the case has been open since February 2023 and that prior filings included a milestone inspection recommendation tied to the building’s age. Porto told the magistrate that an earlier engineer had required immediate shoring of a garage beam but did not characterize balconies as a life-safety hazard.
The magistrate’s direction was procedural: submit the second engineer’s report to the building official by the end of the week and return for a hearing on June 16; fines will not be ratified today but may be imposed retroactively if the city finds insufficient progress.
The hearing record shows the case remains open and contingent on the city’s review of the new engineering materials and any subsequent building-department determinations.
