Magistrate certifies fines, sets compliance deadlines across Cooper City code-enforcement docket

Special Magistrate Scott Klein convened Cooper City’s special magistrate code-enforcement hearing on July 2, 2025, and resolved more than a dozen cases involving property-maintenance, permitting and fire-safety violations. The magistrate found violations in multiple matters, certified fines in several cases, accepted evidence of compliance in others, and continued a handful of permit-related matters for status updates.

The hearing covers routine and repeat code-enforcement matters that the city pursues when property owners do not correct violations after notices and reinspection. Klein’s orders follow inspector testimony, documentary evidence and, in some cases, admissions by property owners.

Klein’s docket produced a range of outcomes: admitted violations where owners showed they had corrected conditions and were spared fines but were assessed administrative fees; denials or motions to dismiss that were rejected on service grounds; continuances to allow pending permits to proceed through plan review; and certifications of fines where noncompliance persisted.

Key case outcomes

- Case 251054 (RGN “Phyllis/Buble” / resident Rady Bell, 9993 NW 30th Street): Bell admitted the property was overgrown and said she has contracted Tropic Total for regular landscape service. Inspector Duvall (Broward Sheriff’s Office Code Enforcement) testified the May 16, 2025 photos show a repeat problem. Klein found a violation exists, set July 23 as a compliance window, and ordered a $150 administrative fee payable within 30 days. No daily fine was imposed because the property was reported brought into compliance prior to the hearing.

- Case 6426 (citation for 5521 SW 90th Ave; homeowner Justin Scholl, represented by Antonio Ureski): Scholl’s counsel argued the certified-mail service did not comply with statutory requirements; the magistrate reviewed USPS tracking history and denied the motion to dismiss, finding certified mailing and notice were proper. Scholl elected to pay the underlying citation rather than contest it; the $100 citation payment was accepted and the clerk closed the case after receipt. The magistrate waived an additional administrative fee in court.

- Case 251025 (Anne Kaiser, 12105 Park Drive): The city reported extensive remediation and ongoing interior work and estimated city costs at roughly $18,500 so far. Klein certified the fine and administrative fee but retained jurisdiction to supplement the order as the city documents further remediation costs; the magistrate said daily fines will stop once a specific compliance date is confirmed.

- Several residential maintenance cases (selected): - Case 240568 (Krista Boutwolf Griffin, 5018 SW 90th St): violation found; $150 administrative fee payable within 30 days; cure by July 30 or $50/day fine thereafter. - Case 250303 (Georges and Georgette Moyse, 5211 SW 90th Ave): violation found; $150 administrative fee; cure by July 23 or $250/day after that date. - Case 251052 (William Amodeo Zveda & Carolina Cordova, 4907 SW 90th Ave): debris/litter violation found; $150 administrative fee; $200/day fine if not cured. - Case 250334 (William J. Darigan, 5241 SW 116th Ave): dead tree in swale; violation found; $150 administrative fee; cure by July 23 or $100/day fine.

- Cases closed for payment or compliance: Nancy E. Lynch (case 6362) paid the citation on June 26 and the magistrate closed that file. Karen L. Khazan (case 250055) demonstrated compliance and had paid the administrative fee; Klein closed the case and advanced the compliance date to June 4 for record purposes.

- Permit-related continuances and administrative dispositions: Peter M. Coley Ventura (cases 250836 & 250837, fence and structure permits) has filed for permits and the magistrate continued both matters to the August docket to allow plan review to proceed. Allen and Jacqueline Hillerich (EN20-57, enclosed patio/roof) admitted the violation and have a permit in review; Klein reset that matter to the September docket for status, giving 30 days for plan review.

- Multiple parking/commercial-vehicle/storage citations (citations 6388, 6389, 6399, 6417 for 10130 SW 50 Court and related addresses): fines and administrative fees were certified (cases 9–12 on the docket) because no appeal or payment had been timely filed.

Fire-prevention and commercial inspections

- Sunshine Gasoline (11173 Sheridan St., EN25-0014): Fire inspectors reported that items originally cited (emergency lights, extinguishers, communications, business tax receipt) were brought into compliance by reinspection on June 26, 2025. The magistrate amended his prior order to find the fire prevention items cured and extended the deadline for the city’s business-tax review (BTR) to July 30; the city retained the right to readdress fines if the BTR is not issued.

- Commercial building/fire matters at Sterling Office Park and other nonresidential properties: Where some items remained unresolved (e.g., elevator recertification, alarm repairs), Klein certified fines to run daily from the original compliance deadline until the items are corrected.

Procedure notes and next steps

Klein repeatedly emphasized that permits undergoing plan review are a reason for leniency on immediate monetary fines but said he will revisit fines at future hearings if property owners fail to act on outstanding permits or correction notices. Several matters were continued to the August or September dockets for status reports. Where the city had obtained certified mailing records and USPS history, Klein deemed service proper and denied motions to dismiss on notice grounds.

The magistrate instructed property owners who admitted violations to either pay administrative fees at the clerk’s office or await an order in the mail with payment instructions. Where the city indicated remediation costs continued to accrue (for example in the Kaiser matter), Klein retained jurisdiction to supplement certified fines once the city provides documentary billing of its expenditures.