Fort Pierce special magistrate orders compliance, fines in multi-case code-enforcement hearing

FORT PIERCE, Fla. — At a July 9 special magistrate hearing, Special Magistrate Jamie Barrow found code violations in multiple Fort Pierce properties and issued orders requiring repairs, cleanups or board-ups with deadlines and daily fines for noncompliance. One case was dismissed after the respondent produced current vehicle registration.

The hearing covered nuisance conditions, lot-clearing and parking citations. The city presented evidence including photographs and notice-of-violation letters; respondents and property managers offered timelines for repairs or removal. Barrow issued time-limited orders that typically included an appeal window of 30 days and daily fines ranging from $100 to $250 for continued violations.

Why it matters: The rulings affect residential and rental properties in the city and trigger potential daily fines that may be assessed against property owners if corrections are not completed. Several orders also allow the city to abate nuisances and assess abatement costs to the property.

Most urgent orders

At 807 Texas Court (case CE2025192), the magistrate found a landscaping nuisance and gave the occupant 14 days to mow the yard, trim around trees and bushes, clean fence lines, remove loose items from yard, porch and carport, place waste containers at the side or rear of the home and fully open all shutters. The order warns that failure to comply will result in a $250-per-day fine; the respondent, tenant Sean Humphrey, told the magistrate that his regular contractor had vehicle problems and that he planned to weed-eat the yard and contact the code officer within the week. "I'll be able to contact her within the next week with everything resolved," Humphrey said.

At 505 North Sixth Street (case CE2025216), the magistrate ordered owner Barbara Noel to remove a dilapidated motor home…