Winter Springs board imposes $100-per-day penalty for weeds at 964 Papaya Lane; property absent from hearing

The Winter Springs Code Enforcement Board on April 22, 2025 found the property at 964 Papaya Lane in continuing noncompliance with the International Property Maintenance Code (IPMC) Section 302.4 (weeds) and imposed the penalty set in a prior board order: $100 per day beginning Feb. 13, 2025 and continuing until the violation is corrected.

Chris Alban, code compliance inspector for the City of Winter Springs, presented photographs and a timeline of inspections. Alban said a public hearing had been held Jan. 28, 2025 that found the respondents in violation and ordered correction by Feb. 12, 2025 or a fine of $100 per day would begin Feb. 13, 2025. Inspection notes in the record show reinspection on Feb. 18, 2025 (violation remained), delivery of a notice of compliance hearing on March 5, 2025, another reinspection on April 1, 2025 (violation remained) and a follow-up inspection April 21, 2025 that again showed high grass and weeds over the city standard.

The board reviewed IPMC definitions (the code and local ordinance set a vegetation maximum of 10 inches) and staff told the board there had been no communication from the respondent other than mailed notices. Board members noted this property has appeared before the board previously (the record shows multiple prior hearings going back to April 2022) and that some code-enforcement fines related to accumulation of rubbish and debris remain outstanding.

With the respondent absent, a motion to impose the penalty set by the board’s prior order was adopted unanimously. The board’s motion imposed the previously established fine of $100 per day beginning Feb. 13, 2025 and continuing until the violation is corrected; the board directed that the existing order stand and the code compliance division continue collection and monitoring. The roll call vote was unanimous: Art Gallo — aye; Maurice Capra — aye; Karen Owens — aye; Debbie Pankey — aye; Vice Chair Miguel Martin — aye; Chair Steve Gilday — aye.

The board recorded that the property had been before the board multiple times since April 2022 and that the continuing noncompliance will remain subject to fines until corrected. Because the respondent did not appear, board members noted they could not discuss the owner’s circumstances at the hearing; the board reiterated the correction deadline is ongoing and that the statutory repeat-violation period and any continuing fines remain in effect.