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Venice orders owner at 1316 Ridgewood to apply for permits; contractor cited
Summary
A Venice special magistrate found ACA Investors LLC in violation after an inspection found plumbing, electrical and window work done without permits at 1316 Ridgewood Avenue and set a September 30, 2025 compliance deadline. A related citation to a contractor named in the record carries separate civil penalties.
A Venice special magistrate on Sept. 3, 2025 found the property at 1316 Ridgewood Avenue in violation of the city's building regulations and ordered the owner to obtain permits and use a licensed contractor to complete work by Sept. 30, 2025.
The finding followed testimony from Community Resource Officer Wilbur de Acosta, who said an inspection on July 15, 2025 found new plumbing, electrical and replacement windows installed without permits and without a licensed contractor on site. Officer de Acosta introduced photographs of the work and a stop-work order issued the same day.
The magistrate granted the property owner, listed in city records as ACA Investors LLC, until Sept. 30, 2025 to come into compliance by applying for and obtaining required permits and using a licensed contractor. The magistrate warned that if the violation persists beyond that deadline the owner could face fines of up to $250 per day for each day the violation continues.
Separately, the record shows a civil citation was issued to a contractor named in the hearing as Christopher N. Balone (the hearing record contains alternate transcriptions of the surname). Officer de Acosta testified that the contractor previously told investigators he was working as a handyman and could not produce a contractor license; the city had issued a $3,000 citation to that individual earlier in connection with the same work. In a related contested matter later in the session that the city linked to the same property, the magistrate found that a respondent identified in the record as Christopher N. Malone violated the city's permit and unlicensed-contracting provisions and assessed a civil penalty of $2,500 for each violation (total $5,000) plus filing and recording fees if the amount is not paid within 10 days.
Officer de Acosta told the magistrate that certified notices had been sent to the owner in accordance with Florida Statute chapter 162 and that a final inspection on Sept. 2, 2025 showed the stop-work order remained posted and the violations had not been abated.
The case is scheduled for a follow-up compliance hearing on Oct. 1, 2025 at 10 a.m. to determine whether the owner has complied and whether additional fines should be imposed.
