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Palatka special magistrate orders owner to remove unlicensed vehicle from 714 N. 14th St.
Summary
Special Magistrate Ron Brown found an unlicensed vehicle parked at a residence in Palatka and ordered the property brought into compliance within 30 days or face a $25-per-day fine beginning Nov. 20, 2025.
Special Magistrate Ron Brown found that an unlicensed vehicle was parked at 714 North 14th Street in Palatka and entered an order requiring the property be brought into compliance by the close of business on Nov. 19, 2025. The magistrate said a $25-per-day fine will begin on Nov. 20, 2025, if the vehicle is not brought into compliance.
The finding followed testimony from Harold Bertelli, a city representative, who described photographs and a site visit supporting a violation of Palatka City Code §94-193, which prohibits parking or storage of unlicensed vehicles in residential zones. Bertelli told the magistrate that certified mail to the owners of record produced “no green cards returned” and that the property had been posted in accordance with Florida law. Ron Brown said, “We are by law required to follow the basic notions of due process and fairness.”
Bertelli presented two photographs described in the record as "1 alpha" and "1 bravo," the later dated Oct. 16, and testified he visited the property about an hour before the hearing and observed the same untagged vehicle depicted in the photographs. The property is zoned R-2. Christy Lowe provided an affidavit of posting showing notice was posted on Oct. 9 and that the posting entry was included in the official file.
No owners or representatives appeared at the hearing. The magistrate found due process requirements satisfied after the city’s attempts to notify the owners by certified mail to the official address on the property appraiser and tax collector records and after posting the property. The magistrate entered an order finding a violation, directing compliance within 30 days (by end of business Nov. 19, 2025) and establishing a $25 daily fine to commence Nov. 20, 2025, if the violation is not corrected.
The case is listed in the record as case number 25 202516, and the owners of record are Leonard Battles and Jimmy Battles, listed as tenants in common on the property appraiser’s records. The magistrate closed the hearing after entering the order.
