Cooper City special magistrate sets fines and compliance deadlines across 17 code-enforcement cases

COOPER CITY, Fla. — On Aug. 6, 2025, Special Magistrate Scott Kleinman presided over the Cooper City code-enforcement docket and issued a mix of findings, administrative fees and compliance deadlines across 17 cases, including one vacated order and multiple permit-related enforcement actions.

Kleinman vacated a prior order in a dispute involving the Montero Community Development District and the city after the parties reached an agreement and the district and city approved the landscape plan. He found violations in several cases where work was performed without permits or where property conditions failed city standards, certified civil citation fines in others and set deadlines for compliance with graduated daily fines if owners failed to meet the schedules.

The actions addressed repeat parking and animal-control violations, unpermitted alterations and structures, a stagnant pool complaint, vacation-rental registration lapses and maintenance of rights of way. Several respondents had already complied by the hearing, which led to findings of violation but no additional fines in those instances. Two appellate matters that had been on the published docket were removed for further staff review and may return on a later agenda.

Kleinman summarized the Montero resolution in open court and vacated the December 4, 2024 order, noting the city and district had negotiated a “First Amendment to the Tri-Party Agreement” and approved a landscape plan; he said, “based on the apparent resolution of this matter and at the recommendation of the city attorney, I vacate the order entered … and the case is hereby dismissed.”

Permit-related cases. In multiple cases where respondents had installed fences, pergolas or converted structures without permits, Kleinman found violations but provided time for respondents to obtain permits. For 4951 SW 88 Terrace (case 250140), Kleinman treated the owner’s statements as a denial but acknowledged a permit application had been submitted; he ordered compliance by Oct. 6, 2025, and said a $50-per-day fine would begin if the permit was not issued after that date, while imposing a $150 administrative fee for the hearing. In cases involving installation of fences and a pergola (cases 250836 and 250837), he found violations, imposed $150 administrative fees and gave respondents until Aug. 15, 2025, to have issued permits in hand; a $100-per-day fine would begin Aug. 16 if permits were not finalized.

For 10185 Grove Lane (case 251242), where interior alterations and a garage conversion were alleged, Kleinman found a violation, assessed a $150 administrative fee and gave the owner 30 days to apply for permits and 60 days to have issued permits; failure would trigger a $100-per-day fine.

Maintenance and nuisance cases. A complaint about a green, stagnant pool at 10749 Nashville Drive (case 250990) resulted in a finding of violation but no fine because the property was brought into compliance by the reinspection on Aug. 5; Kleinman certified a $150 administrative fee. A vacation-rental registration case (case 251241) was also found in violation but closed without a fine after the owner completed required inspections and the permit was valid through Sept. 30.

Repeat and parking citations. Several residents were certified for civil citation fines for parking commercial vehicles or violating animal-control rules. Magistrate Kleinman noted limits on his authority where the citation schedule is fixed but indicated other enforcement avenues could be discussed with the city attorney when repeat behavior persists. For repeat parking and related citations (cases including 6431, 6433, 6472, 6476 and others), fines and $150 administrative fees were certified when payment or appeals were not submitted. For a serial code-enforcement respondent with multiple citations (cases 6495, 6496, 6497), the magistrate certified higher citation amounts in some instances ($250) and indicated the city attorney and enforcement staff would consider alternate enforcement mechanisms.

Other outcomes. Where respondents had already paid citations or corrected violations before the hearing, the magistrate dismissed or closed those cases. The hearing ended with the magistrate noting two appellate cases had been removed from the agenda for staff review and the docket was adjourned at 9:37 a.m.

Votes at a glance — key case outcomes (case number; respondent; property; code section; outcome; fines/fees; compliance deadlines):

- Case 222795 — Montero Community Development District; 8451 NW 309th St; 25-48 (landscape installation/maintenance); order vacated and case dismissed; no fine recorded.

- Case 251208 — Shops at Montero Association Inc.; 3500–3900 N. University Dr.; 25-95 (maintenance of right-of-way); admission, in compliance; $150 administrative fee due in 30 days; no fine assessed.

- Case 250140 — Hussain Galani / Hina Hussain (owner spoke in hearing as Hussain Bolani); 4951 SW 88 Terrace; 6-9 (permits required); violation found; $150 administrative fee; deadline to obtain permit Oct. 6, 2025; $50/day if not issued after that date.

- Cases 250836 / 250837 — Peter M. Coley Ventura; 5175 SW 87th Ave; 6-9 (permits required) and pergola removal; violations found; $150 administrative fees each; deadlines to have permits issued and picked up Aug. 15, 2025; $100/day thereafter.

- Case 250990 — 10749 Nashville LLC; 10749 Nashville Drive; 6-34(b) (exterior premise condition — stagnant pool); violation found but property in compliance as of Aug. 5; $150 administrative fee; no fine assessed.

- Case 251241 — Alicia Freeman; 5012 NW 901st Ave; 6-112 (vacation-rental registration); violation found; property returned to compliance; $150 administrative fee; no fine assessed.

- Case 251242 — 10185 Grove LLC; 10185 Grove Lane; 6-91 (permit required for interior alterations); violation found; $150 administrative fee; 30 days to apply for permits, 60 days to have permits issued; $100/day for noncompliance.

- Cases 6431, 6433, 6472, 6476 and others — various respondents; multiple addresses; parking, off-street parking, bulk-litter timing and similar violations; citations certified (typical citation amounts $100, some $250 for repeat offenses) and $150 administrative fees where payment or appeal not submitted.

- Cases 6495, 6496, 6497 — Brent Neviller; 9472 SW 52nd St; parking/animal/park violations; magistrate certified citation fines ($250 for two cases, $100 for one) and $150 administrative fees; enforcement staff and the city attorney to consider alternate enforcement options for repeat conduct.

- Case 6509 — Jihong Zheng and Jing Chang Ma; 9412 SW 52nd Place; citation paid; case closed.

What happened next: Magistrate Kleinman noted the two appellate matters were removed from the published docket for additional staff review on notice and other issues; staff said they would place them on a future agenda once resolved.

The hearing record shows magistrate rulings primarily focused on obtaining permits, bringing properties into compliance and certifying citations where respondents did not pay or appeal. Where respondents had corrected violations before the hearing, Kleinman generally found violations but withheld monetary fines and required only payment of the $150 administrative fee for the proceeding.