Port St. Lucie magistrate certifies fines, sets deadlines and orders abatements in Jan. 15 hearing

Special Magistrate Keith Davis opened the City of Port St. Lucie special magistrate hearing on Jan. 15, 2025 and issued orders across dozens of code-enforcement cases, certifying fines for some properties, setting compliance deadlines for others and authorizing city abatement where owners failed to act.

Davis said during the hearing, "I find that the property remains in violation as cited," when announcing multiple certifications of fines and compliance dates. The proceedings covered commercial and residential code violations, including missing site‑plan items, open storage, unmaintained swales, damaged dumpster corrals and high grass.

The most immediate orders included a $50-per-day fine (up to $5,000) plus administrative costs of $411 against James A. Freese for unresolved site‑plan and open‑storage violations at 2732 Southwest Kinsella/Casella Street after repeated noncompliance. Freese told the magistrate he was "planning on selling the property" and asked for more time; Davis denied further continuances and certified the fine.

Commercial properties also faced stiff deadlines. The magistrate certified a $100-per-day fine (up to $10,000) plus $411 administrative costs against Bridal Frontier Plaza LLC for landscaping, site‑plan and right‑of‑way violations at 2130 Southwest Hayworth Avenue. Ron's Auto Body Specialist Inc. (8890 S. US-1) was given a compliance date on April 16, 2025; if not compliant the case will accrue $175 per day up to $17,500 plus $411 in administrative costs. Several other commercial property owners — including St. Lucie Enterprises LLC and Mavitt Service Inc. — received 90‑day continuances or…