Cooper City magistrate reduces Ace Real Estate lien to $15,000, gives deadline for payment

Special Magistrate Scott Kleinman reduced a certified code-enforcement lien against Ace Real Estate Group LLC to $15,000, plus a $150 administrative fee, and ordered the amount to be paid by July 1 or at closing, whichever occurs first. The magistrate made the decision after hearing testimony from the property owner, Alberto Fernandez, and presentations by city staff about service of notice and the history of the violation.

Kleinman said he was offering a settlement below the reductions allowed in the city ordinance and described his aim as enforcing compliance rather than collecting revenue. "I'm not a big fine person. I believe code enforcement is intended to create compliance, not revenue," Kleinman said during the hearing. He told Fernandez he would reduce the certified amount to $15,000 and set a payment schedule tied to a closing date or a July…