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 and to remove or enclose indoor-style furniture stored outdoors within 14 days. The order likewise prescribes a $250-per-day fine for continued violations and gives the respondent 30 days to appeal.

At 721 Hernando Street (case CE2825177), the magistrate found exterior maintenance violations including missing soffit, peeling paint and rotting wood and ordered the property owner 30 days to make repairs, paint exposed wood, remove loose items from porches and yards, and obtain any required permits. The order carries a $250-per-day fine for noncompliance and a 30-day appeal window. The owner indicated he planned to repaint and accepted the 30-day schedule.

Vacant-unit and lot-clearing orders at 3102 Hibiscus Avenue involved two related cases. In the nuisance-abatement case (NUIS202518) the city clarified that the notice required the vacant unit to be boarded up under the city's vacant-buildings requirement; the magistrate ordered the property secured within 10 days and included language that occupancy before the deadline would count as compliance. For a lot-clearing case at the same address (LTCL2025-105), the magistrate ordered seven days to cut grass and weeds, trim trees and remove debris; failure to comply could result in a $100-per-day fine and the city may abate and assess the cost to the property.

Parking citations

The hearing also resolved a series of parking citations issued at locations including 1006 Hickory Street, JC Park, Jetty Park and multiple blocks of Wheeler Terrace. For each parking citation the magistrate assessed the city-documented fine amounts (typically $50 plus administrative and late fees, producing a $78 total) and ordered that failure to pay within 15 days would result in the citation being forwarded to the county court system. Responding owners or companies did not appear or reported no communication with code enforcement in many of those cases.

Compliance and dismissal

In case CE2825228 at 2106 Gulfview Court, the owner reported that registration for an RV had been completed at the Department of Motor Vehicles earlier the same day and provided proof; the magistrate dismissed the violation at the hearing after the city confirmed the registration was presented.

Other orders

At 206 Hialeah Avenue (CE2025262), the magistrate found furniture stored outdoors and ordered the owners, Ronald and Lynn Rose Gilbert, to remove indoor-style furniture and fully open shutters within seven days; failure would lead to a $250-per-day fine. Several other cases were found in violation and were given deadlines ranging from seven to 30 days depending on the nature of the violation. Respondents were consistently informed of their 30-day right to appeal where applicable.

Votes at a glance

- CE2025192 — 807 Texas Court (FVI Bell LLC / tenant Sean Humphrey): violation found; 14 days to comply; $250/day fine for continued violation; 30 days to appeal. - CE2025216 — 505 North Sixth Street (owner Barbara Noel): violation found; 14 days to remove dilapidated motor home and indoor-style furniture; $250/day fine; 30 days to appeal. - CE2825177 — 721 Hernando Street (respondent Frank Salentano): violation found; 30 days to repair soffit/paint and remove debris; $250/day fine; 30 days to appeal. - NUIS202518 — 3102 Hibiscus Avenue (Affordable Housing of Florida LLC, reg. agent James E. Hatfield): vacant building board-up required; 10 days to secure openings; language in order allows occupancy within 10 days to satisfy compliance; $100/day fine for continued nuisance abatement enforcement and abatement costs may be assessed. - LTCL2025-105 — 3102 Hibiscus Avenue (same owner): lot-clearing violation; 7 days to cut grass, trim and remove debris; $100/day fine and abatement costs may be assessed. - PK2025-210 — 1006 Hickory Street (Felicia Bullard Byno): parking citation; $78 assessed; 15 days to pay or forwarded to county court; 30 days to appeal. - PK2025-20 — JC Park (citation): $78 assessed; 15 days to pay or forwarded to county court; 30 days to appeal. - PK2025-31 — Jetty Park (citation): $78 assessed; 15 days to pay or forwarded to county court; 30 days to appeal. - Multiple Wheeler Terrace / other parking citations (PK2025-58, 59, 60, 87, others): $78 assessed per citation; 15 days to pay or forwarded to county court; 30 days to appeal. - CE2825228 — 2106 Gulfview Court (owner Olivier Saint Helene): compliance shown (vehicle registration presented); violation dismissed at hearing. - CE2025262 — 206 Hialeah Avenue (owners Ronald and Lynn Rose Gilbert): violation found; 7 days to remove indoor-style furniture and open shutters; $250/day fine; 30 days to appeal.

What happened at the hearing

The city introduced photographs and notices into evidence for each case; respondents either accepted the timeframes, said they were arranging contractors, or — in a few parking cases — did not appear. In several cases property managers said they had tenants lined up or were in the process of preparing units for occupancy; the magistrate accepted those statements where they met the compliance conditions outlined in the orders.

The magistrate repeatedly reminded respondents of the right to appeal the rulings within the statutory 30-day window and that the city could abate nuisances and assess abatement costs to the property if owners did not comply.

For the full list of cases called, the magistrate read additional case numbers that were identified as in compliance or rescheduled; those were noted at the end of the hearing.