Pensacola magistrate orders compliance deadlines, daily fines and court costs in five code-enforcement cases

Special Magistrate John Trawick on Feb. 18, 2025, found multiple Pensacola properties in violation of city property-maintenance rules and set compliance dates, daily fines and court costs in a single hearing at Pensacola City Hall.

The orders address accumulations of rubbish, exterior disrepair, vehicle-registration violations and overgrown vegetation at addresses across the city. The magistrate set compliance deadlines, generally for March 3, 2025, and directed $25-per-day fines to begin if properties were not brought into compliance by the listed dates. Court costs of $200 were ordered in each case where the property remained noncompliant; one case was dismissed as compliant after a vehicle registration was renewed before the hearing.

Code-enforcement officers presented photographs, certified-mail efforts and posting affidavits as evidence. In one hearing a resident, Ginger Smith, who said she lives at 3440 Rothschild Drive and is the daughter of the listed owner, disputed some of the photos and told the magistrate she was actively cleaning the property. "It's getting there. I've been working on it every single day," Smith said.

Votes at a glance: 5 enforcement matters heard - Case 24-6294 — 3470 Brookshire Drive (Owners: Tracy Ellis and William Ellis). Violation: International Property Maintenance Code (IPMC) 308.1 (accumulation of rubbish/garbage) and Pensacola Municipal Code §14-4-3 (nuisance). Compliance date originally set at Feb. 17, 2025; code officer reported violations still present on Feb. 18. Special Magistrate ordered fines to begin on Feb. 18; the record presented the fines as $25 per day (officer testimony) though a clerk read the figure differently on the record. Outcome: Property found in violation; daily fine to accrue beginning Feb. 18, 2025; court costs not specifically stated in the record for this case.

- Case 24-6407 — 2222 Magnolia Avenue (Owner listed in property appraiser records as Brianne Kelly). Violations: IPMC 308.1 (accumulation of rubbish/garbage) and Pensacola Mun. Code §14-4-3 (nuisance). A roll-off dumpster initially cited as an obstruction of the public right-of-way (Mun. Code §11-4-66) was later permitted and removed from violation status. Magistrate ordered compliance by March 3, 2025; a daily fine of $25 per day to begin March 4 if not corrected; court costs of $200 to be paid within 30 days. Outcome: Property found in violation; compliance date March 3, 2025; $25/day fine beginning March 4; $200 court costs.

- Case 24-5647 — 3440 Rothschild Drive (Owner: Nancy Modisette, trustee of the Nancy Modisette Revocable Trust dated Jan. 5, 2022). Violations: IPMC 308.1 and Pensacola Mun. Code §14-4-3. Resident Ginger Smith spoke in her defense, saying she is working to clean and reorganize the property and raising concerns about privacy during inspections. Magistrate ordered compliance by March 3, 2025; $25/day fine to begin March 4 if not corrected; $200 court costs. Outcome: Property found in violation; compliance date March 3; $25/day fine begins March 4; $200 court costs.

- Case 24-6928 — 708 North N Street (Owner: Estate of Jerry Gully). Violations cited include IPMC 301.3 (vacant structures and land), IPMC 304.6 (exterior walls), IPMC 304.13 and 304.13.1 (windows/glazing), IPMC 308.1 (accumulation of rubbish), Pensacola Mun. Code §4-3-18 (excessive weeds over 12 inches), Pensacola Mun. Code §11-4-72 (maintenance of right of way by property owner) and Pensacola Mun. Code §14-4-3 (nuisance). The code officer reported no improvements after the compliance period and no contact with the owner. Magistrate ordered compliance by March 3, 2025; $25/day fine to begin March 4 if not corrected; $200 court costs. Outcome: Property found in violation; compliance date March 3; $25/day fine begins March 4; $200 court costs.

- Case 24-5208 — 6880 Davis Street (Owners: Douglas Collier and Kimberly Howard). Violation: IPMC 302.8 (motor vehicles stored on property with expired registration). A white Kia Forte on the property bore an expired plate through earlier inspections; the vehicle owner renewed the registration before the hearing and confirmed renewal to the officer. The city requested court costs of $200; no daily fine was imposed because the property was in compliance at the time of the hearing. Outcome: Case closed as compliant; $200 court costs ordered.

Magistrate Trawick opened the Feb. 18 session by approving minutes from the Feb. 4 hearing and then proceeded through the scheduled enforcement matters. Officers Kevin Smith, Jason Hendricks and Ron Bowden presented the evidence in the respective cases. The hearing record shows certified-mail attempts, posting affidavits and multiple inspection photographs for each noncompliant property. The magistrate closed the hearings after stating there were no requests to increase fines or place liens and noting no unfinished or new business.

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