The Village of Royal Palm Beach special magistrate, Doug McGibbon, presided over a slate of code-enforcement hearings on Jan. 8, 2025, issuing findings, assessing fines and approving several mitigation agreements and compliance deadlines for property owners and businesses.

The hearing covered a mix of fine-assessment, violation and mitigation appeals. Village attorney Amity Barnard and code enforcement officer Margaret Hancock presented evidence in multiple matters. Magistrate McGibbon opened the session by explaining the process and swearing in witnesses: “My name’s Doug McGibbon. I’m the special magistrate,” he said as the hearing began.

Why it matters: these enforcement decisions affect property owners’ liabilities and can restore code compliance that the village says protects public safety and neighborhood character. Several large fines were reduced after petitioners showed progress toward correction or demonstrated new ownership or operational changes.

Notable outcomes included reductions in large outstanding fines, findings of compliance where violations were corrected, and new compliance deadlines for owners who had not yet completed permits or repairs. For example, representatives for US Bank Trust, which faced fines on a Thornbank Lane property, negotiated a payment reduction and was ordered to pay $6,604.40 by March 10, 2025; the magistrate accepted the village’s mitigation figure.

Several homeowners and small-business respondents were given time to complete permits or remove noncompliant structures. In a case involving a commercial property on Royal Palm Beach Boulevard, the village recorded that grease traps and other parking-lot items had been removed and entered a finding of compliance for that violation, while approving a continuing fine on outstanding landscaping violations until the property is restored to plan.

Magistrate McGibbon repeatedly encouraged owners to resolve permitting or correction issues quickly to stop daily fines. He also noted the limits of village authority when notices had been mailed or posted according to Florida statutory service rules — “whether you got it or not is kind of irrelevant according to the law,” he told one respondent, quoting his reading of state service requirements.

Votes at a glance (case number — address — outcome / amount / compliance date when specified):
- 24-0437 — 157 S. State Road 7 (309,315 11th St, 101) — Order entered; fine assessed (amounts disputed in the transcript; order admitted without objection; amount not specified in the record provided).
- 24-0594 — 200 Royal Palm Beach Blvd. (Yellowbird International Corp.) — Finding of compliance on grease-trap/storage violation; landscaping violation remains (daily fine continuing; magistrate recorded 13 days at $50/day = $650 and continuing as of the hearing).
- 24-040749 (second Yellowbird matter) — 200 Royal Palm Beach Blvd. — Finding of fact entered (magistrate warned that a new fence requires a permit).
- 24-0929 — 11416 Sage Meadow Terrace (Joseph and Susan Cutrone) — Compliance deadline set (permit/repair work): comply by Feb. 27, 2025, or appear at the March 12 hearing (or a daily fine applies if not in compliance).
- 24-0805 — 973 Orchid Drive (Melanie Hiles) — Finding of fact (roof/structure cleaning confirmed; no further fine assessed at this hearing).
- 24-0287 — Country Club Views Homeowners Association — Fine mitigation granted: reduced to $500, payable by March 10, 2025.
- 21-0388-1398 — Thornbank Lane (US Bank Trust, NA, Trustee) — Mitigation granted: fine reduced to $6,604.40, payable by March 10, 2025.
- 24-047819 — Royal Palm Beach Blvd. (Margarita I. McPherson) — Mitigation granted: reduced to $500, payable by March 10, 2025.
- 23-1093 — 1001 N. State Road 7 (Biscayne Friendly LLC / Dirty Dogs Car Wash lessee) — Mitigation granted: reduced to $2,000, payable by March 10, 2025; order requires proof of property-owner authorization be submitted to village staff.
- 72-1475 (10553 Bobby Lane family matter) — Order mitigating outstanding fines to $1,000, payable by March 10, 2025, in light of the respondent’s medical and caregiving circumstances (magistrate referenced documentation of dementia submitted by the respondent’s family).
- 24-0135 — 266 Lehi Mancha Ave. (new owner Hoang Nguyen) — Mitigation denied (transcript records denial; lien remains).
- 24-0089 — 229 Park Road North (Fortuna Pottsdam) — Mitigation granted: reduced to $500, payable by March 10, 2025.
- 24-0698 — 10711 Bobby Lane (Jasmeet & Thelma Petit) — Fine assessed: $325 and continuing (magistrate ordered; owner counseled to obtain permits or remove unpermitted work).
- 24-0719 — 853 Hibiscus Drive (Portela/Rodriguez) — Service stipulated by respondents; matter heard (respondents accepted service and the case proceeded); magistrate instructed owners to obtain required permits or remove unpermitted work and set follow-up process for compliance inspection.
- Multiple other cases on the hearing docket: magistrate entered a series of fines and findings (amounts and compliance instructions recorded on the record). Examples include fines of $275 (single non-continuing collections), $325 continuing, and several $650 (13 days × $50) orders for properties that remained out of compliance at the time of hearing.

What happened next: magistrate McGibbon said orders would be mailed and encouraged parties to provide updated contact information or email to speed follow-up. He reminded respondents that filing for permits and contacting code enforcement when corrections are complete stops daily fines; several respondents were told to call Officer Andrew (code inspector) to schedule reinspection once work was finished.

The hearing combined routine compliance enforcement with several mitigations for respondents who showed progress, new ownership, or hardship. Where homeowners or contractors had begun repairs or had permits pending, magistrate McGibbon frequently gave brief extensions and set explicit compliance dates rather than immediately escalating daily fines.

Quotes: “Whether you got it or not is kind of irrelevant according to the law,” Magistrate Doug McGibbon said while explaining Florida statutory service requirements in one exchange. Veronica Espelleta, an officer for Yellowbird International, told the magistrate, “We were working with the city … the landscaping is by our renovation,” describing a pending site-plan revision. Margaret Hancock, the village’s code enforcement officer, repeatedly introduced exhibits to support each case: “Exhibit 1, order of finding violation,” she stated when entering evidence in multiple matters.

Ending: Orders from the hearing will be issued by mail; several respondents were directed to provide email addresses or contact code-enforcement staff so inspections or additional documentation can be confirmed before fines continue to accrue. The magistrate closed the docket after addressing the remaining pulled items and reminding attendees of the process for requests to mitigate or appeal in future sessions.