West Palm Beach orders repairs, gives 45 days to fix missing sod and swale damage on Electronics Way

The City of West Palm Beach Special Magistrate ordered a series of property owners along Electronics Way to repair missing sod and clear obstructions in parkway swales, giving each respondent 45 days to comply or face fines of $100 per day.

Code enforcement officer Donald Lattimore told the magistrate he first inspected several properties on Electronics Way in September 2024 and found recurring missing sod in the swale and trees or hedges obstructing sidewalks. "Per Ryan, he's working on obtaining a few quotes to site the swell areas for the entire street," Lattimore said of one owner; for multiple properties he recommended 45 days to fix the swales.

The ruling grouped cases covering multiple addresses on Electronics Way (case numbers tied to the hearing include CE24102805, CE24102810, CE24102804, CE24102809, CE24102813, CE24102811, CE24102817 and CE24102812). For each, the magistrate found a violation of the city code provision on required sod/parkway maintenance and ordered 45 days for compliance or a $100-per-day fine. The magistrate accepted the officers' testimony and photographs as the city's composite exhibits and adopted the officers' recommended timeframes.

Lattimore described a practical cause for the problem: a tenant business (trucking) used the swale areas for parking and heavy vehicles were compacting the soil. "So 18-wheelers are parking in this well area, primarily for the company at 33100 Electronics Way," he said, adding that the compaction makes drainage slow and raises mosquito concerns for nearby residents. He and property representatives told the magistrate they were seeking quotes to sod the entire street.

The magistrate repeated the standard compliance language used across these cases: the respondent was given 45 days to bring the property into compliance or face the daily fine indicated in each case file.

The orders are administrative enforcement of city code provisions that require parkway and swale areas be sodded or planted with approved materials and kept free of obstructions that impede drainage and pedestrian access. Several respondents indicated to officers they were coordinating contractors or collecting bids and asked for the 45-day period allocated by the magistrate.

The magistrate also noted that evidence packages and photographs were admitted without objection for each case. The magistrate's rulings instruct respondents to notify the enforcement officer when compliance is achieved in order to stop fines from accruing.

The ruling affects a cluster of adjacent properties and follows repeated complaints and multiple inspections, reflecting a streetwide maintenance issue rather than isolated one-off violations.

Copies of the magistrate's orders and the case files are part of the public record; enforcement will proceed if owners do not meet the 45-day deadlines.