Magistrate finds 2680 Northwest 20th Court operating as boarding house; owner given inspection and 56 days to comply or face fines

A Fort Lauderdale special magistrate on Feb. 20 found that the property at 2680 Northwest 20th Court was being operated as a boarding house and ordered the owner to allow an inspection within 14 days and to apply for required permits or demolition within 56 days, or face fines of $100 per day.

The finding came after Senior Inspector Jose Saragusti presented photographs and an eyewitness report that, he said, showed multiple beds inside the house and confirmed the property had been the subject of an earlier code case. "This property have been cited by city ordinance in section nine-two 59 for building is unfit for human habitation," Saragusti said during his presentation. He also told the magistrate the state agency that inspected the site corroborated that the building was being used for boarding.

The order matters because operating a boarding house without required permits can trigger daily fines and, if owners do not act,…