Commission rejects request to reduce $28,750 code enforcement lien after board's split recommendation

On March 6 the City Commission of the City of Eustis voted to leave an outstanding code enforcement lien at $28,750 against the property at 1601 East Orange Drive rather than accept a partial reduction recommended by the city's Code Enforcement Board.

Eric Martin, code enforcement supervisor, told the commission the city previously received $66,578.11 from the tax deed sale surplus and that the remaining code fines for the property totaled $28,750. The Code Enforcement Board (CEB) had voted unanimously to recommend reducing that balance to $13,230; staff originally recommended the reduction. "The code enforcement board recommended ... to reduce the outstanding code enforcement fines ... to $13,230," Martin said.

During the hearing, the CEB chair told commissioners that new material had come to light after the board hearing: the owner who purchased the property at a tax deed sale, Tributa Investment LLC, is owned by a Florida‑licensed attorney, Geraldo Zadra. The chair said the fact was not disclosed in the board's proceedings and said the board would have reached a different recommendation had it known the purchaser was an attorney. "Had the fact that Mr. Zadra was an attorney ... been known by the CEB, I believe ... we would have unanimously voted to completely deny his request for any fine reduction," the CEB chair said.

The commission heard public comment urging the city to require full payment. Brian Broomfield, an Eustis resident, told the commission: “You can't be that dumb and that smart at the same time. I think you ought to go back to the 28,000 and charge him.” Jeff Griswold, who said he lives across the street, said some work on the house was done without required permits.

Commissioners debated competing policy goals: the city's interest in collecting fines and the board's judgment to give some relief in light of compliance and property improvements versus the buyer‑aware nature of tax deed sales. Martin explained that tax deed purchasers are typically responsible to investigate outstanding liens and that the county's tax deed process does not extinguish government liens.

After discussion, a motion to approve the resolution as written — leaving the outstanding lien at $28,750 and requiring full payment — passed on roll call: Commissioner Aspadi — Aye; Commissioner Holland — Aye; Vice Mayor Ashcraft — Nay; Mayor Hawkins — Aye. The motion was presented as approval of Resolution No. 25‑11 with the full payment option selected.

The commission and staff noted that the CEB decision remains advisory to the commission and that the city's claim to surplus funds from the tax deed sale already satisfied part of the liens. Staff recommended approval of the resolution as drafted to preserve the lien balance.