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Ocala board reduces fine for Brown Fox LLC after dispute over permit timing
Summary
The Municipal Code Enforcement Board reduced a $2,700 noncompliance fine for Brown Fox LLC to $500 if paid within 30 days; the board said some delay was in the respondent's control and some delay was due to permit-review time.
The City of Ocala’s Municipal Code Enforcement Board on March 24 reduced a proposed $2,700 noncompliance fine for Brown Fox LLC to $500 if paid within 30 days, resolving a multi-month dispute over when the company should have obtained building permits for work at 4205 Northeast Seventh Street.
Neil Brown, who identified himself as the petitioner and gave an Ocala address, told the board staff that the delays were largely outside his control. Brown said he was advised by the building department to obtain engineering and plans and that he relied on an architect to prepare and upload plans; he said the process took longer than he expected.
City staff reviewed the production timeline and told the board the case file opened Aug. 4, 2023, after inspectors observed damage and posted a stop-work notice. The case was prosecuted at a Sept. 14, 2023 hearing, at which the board ordered permits obtained by Oct. 5 and the work completed within 180 days. The permit application was filed Oct. 9, 2023 (four days after the ordered compliance date). Staff described subsequent applicant delays — chiefly a roughly six-day delay in uploading plans — plus the city’s review steps. Staff calculated 27 days of noncompliance at $100 per day, or $2,700, but recommended removing the time taken by city review and limiting the fine to the days the applicant was responsible (10 days, or $1,000).
After discussion the board motioned to reduce the amount further: board member Coiter moved to set the fine at $500 provided payment is received within 30 days (by May 10, 2025); the motion said if payment was not made by that deadline the fine would revert to $1,000. Eddie Ferrantino seconded the motion; the motion carried.
City staff noted the permit was ultimately issued and the final inspection approved Jan. 12, 2024. The board’s action narrowed the assessed monetary penalty to the applicant-responsible portion of the delay and added the conditional reduction and payment deadline.
