Fort Pierce special magistrate orders permits, sets 60- and 90-day deadlines in multiple code cases

Special Magistrate Jamie Barrow on April 10 found violations in a series of Fort Pierce code-enforcement cases and issued orders requiring owners to obtain permits and complete repairs within set deadlines, or face fines and other enforcement. The magistrate gave most respondents either 60 or 90 days to obtain required permits and instructed the building department to inspect or re-inspect properties as work progressed.

The orders covered a block of adjudications including unpermitted driveway and renovation work, structural damage from vehicle collisions, and properties judged unfit for human habitation. Barrow said, “The court finds that a violation does exist” when formally announcing outcomes and then set compliance deadlines and appeal rights for each respondent.

Why it matters: the magistrate’s orders set concrete deadlines and potential daily fines that can materially affect property owners, tenants and landlords, and they give the city a path to ensure unsafe or unpermitted work is corrected. In several cases the magistrate extended timelines to 90 days after staff said more time was reasonable.

Key outcomes (selected cases):

- Kennard properties (North Ninth Street and Avenue B): The court found violations for driveway work performed without permits at two parcels owned by Kenneth Kennard (cases BB2024-00055209 and BB2024-00056903). Miles Keller, city investigator, testified and submitted photographs. The magistrate ordered 60 days to obtain permits, inspections at least every 180 days while permits remain open, cure of other nonpermit violations, and warned that a $100-per-day fine would be assessed for ongoing noncompliance; owners have 30 days to appeal.

- Gate ITL Enterprises / Ranish…