Winter Springs code board finds Highlands HOA in violation, orders repairs to hazardous walkway

The City of Winter Springs Code Enforcement Board on Tuesday found the Highlands Homeowners Association in violation of the International Property Maintenance Code (IPMC) for unsafe sidewalks and walkways and ordered the association to bring the property into compliance within 60 days.

The board’s order, issued at the June 24, 2025 meeting, requires the association to correct the walkway and related paved sections by Aug. 23, 2025, and authorizes a daily fine of up to $250 if the association fails to comply. The board also said it may refer the matter to the City Commission so the city can make required repairs and charge the association pursuant to Chapter 162, Florida Statutes, if the violations pose a serious threat to public health, safety or welfare.

Code compliance inspector Chris Alban presented photographs and a timeline of inspections to the board, saying he first inspected the parcel on May 21, 2024 after receiving a citizen complaint and observed “pedestrian walkways and similar areas that failed to be kept in a proper state of repair and failed to be maintained free from hazardous conditions.” Alban told the board he re-inspected the parcel multiple times through June 23, 2025 and that the boarded-off entrances, rotting wood and heaving concrete remained in place. “On 06/23/2025 prior to today’s hearing… I observed that the violations remained,” Alban said on the record.

A resident, Vicky Horvath Hopper of 803 Kilt Court, who said she lives adjacent to the trail, told the board the walkway is dangerous and said homeowners have not received adequate engagement from the association. “This trail… was dangerous. The boards were bouncing up and down,” Horvath Hopper said. She said many neighbors have stopped attending HOA meetings and that homeowners have not been provided financial records or a plan for repairs.

Board members discussed the length of time the association had to make repairs, noting Alban’s file shows repeated notices and reinspections dating to May 2024. Board members expressed concern about public safety, particularly for children, and the absence of an HOA representative at the hearing. The board debated shortening the compliance window but ultimately approved the staff recommendation of a 60-day compliance period.

At the hearing the board voted to find the Highlands Homeowners Association, Inc., owner of the parcel identified in the record, in violation of IPMC section 302.3 (sidewalks and driveways). The motion, as finalized, ordered compliance by Aug. 23, 2025, established a potential fine of $250 per day for continued noncompliance, and authorized referral to the City Commission to consider city-led repairs and assessment of costs under Chapter 162, Florida Statutes, if the property remained in violation and constituted a public-safety threat.

The board’s final roll call on the motion recorded unanimous approval: Art Gallo (aye), Maurice Capra (aye), Karen Owens (aye), Debbie Pankey (aye), Vice Chair Miguel Martin (aye) and Chair Steve Dilbe (aye). The board also completed a procedural motion to reconsider earlier voting confusion before restating and passing the final motion.

The board’s order covers the paved portions of the walkway and boardwalks under the IPMC notice; council advice on the record said fences and other accessory structures were not part of the noticed violation and could be addressed in future proceedings if they remain in disrepair. Inspector Alban stated on the record that he believes the condition constitutes a public-safety issue.

If the association does not correct the violations by the deadline, the board indicated it will pursue available remedies up to requesting the City Commission to authorize city repairs and billing under state law. The case number and parcel information are part of the hearing record; the inspector submitted photographic exhibits documenting the condition and the sequence of notices and reinspections.