Miami Code Enforcement Board reduces liens, grants partial releases and sets compliance deadlines

The City of Miami Code Enforcement Board on multiple agenda items reduced or cleared fines, granted partial lien releases and set compliance deadlines for properties across the city during a single, multi-hour meeting.

Board members approved a string of mitigation requests and special-appearance items that cut or cleared long-running liens in cases ranging from single-family homes to vacant lots and commercial properties. Many owners or their attorneys told the board they had brought properties into compliance or were in active permitting. The board mostly followed the mayor’s office staff and inspectors’ recommendations but also used its statutory discretion where the mitigation chart allows unanimous reductions.

Votes at a glance (case number — property — outcome and key details): - CE2011007599 — 2003 North Miami Ave — Mitigation reduced to $15,000. Attorney Mickey Marrero said his client, Matt Kusher of Cush Hospitality, had bought the property after violations were cited and asked for the minimum mitigation because the current owner was not the violator when the lien began. Motion to mitigate to $15,000 passed (mover: board member; second: board member; vote: aye).

- CE2019023828 — 1302 NW First Place — Mitigation reduced to $15,000. Attorney Mickey Marrero said new owners corrected violations after discovering the lien during a title search; board approved the minimum mitigation. Motion passed (mover: board member; second: board member; vote: aye).

- CE87427 (Code Check) — 3082 Mary St., Unit A — Partial release granted for 3250 Grand Ave., Unit 503. A buyer’s representative said the release was needed to close a different sale; the board granted a partial release while noting the lien remains on the Mary Street property. Motion to grant partial release approved (mover: board member; second: board member; vote: aye).

- CE2014003962 — 638 SW 17 Ave — Mitigation reduced to $15,000. Attorney Douglas Hiller said the owners discovered the lien later and completed compliance work; the board approved $15,000 (mover: board member; second: board member; vote: aye).

- CE2021019418 — 370 SW 50th Ave — Mitigation reduced to $0 (unanimous). Owner Eduardo Garcia described fraud by a contractor and long delays; the board, by unanimous vote, reduced the lien for this homestead-exempt single-family property to $0.

- CE43982 (Code Check) — 769 NE 706? (Northeast 70 Sixth St.) — Lien release granted. The property owner and counsel sought a release and the board approved it as drafted (mover: board member; second: board member; vote: aye).

- CE2021000037 — 1168 NW 30 Seventh St. (vacant lot) — Mitigation reduced to $0 (unanimous). Owner Richard Scott said he had kept the lot maintained and that notices went to the lot address; the board voted unanimously to reduce the lien to $0 and staff warned the city might appeal to the Eleventh Judicial Circuit Court of Florida.

- CE2019003284 — 2735 SW 30 Second Ave. (vacant lot) — Mitigation reduced to $500. Owner/Ms. Maria Vaquez said contractors had taken payments and failed to finish work; the board ultimately reduced the lien from the full amount to $500 (mover: board member; second: board member; vote: aye).

- CE2020014269 (and related folio) — 5673 SW Sixth St. (homestead single-family) — Mitigation reduced to $0 (unanimous). Owner Tony Will and a family representative described compliance work and requested full mitigation; the board unanimously granted $0 mitigation for the homestead property.

- CE2017021384 / CE2016007707 — 521 NW 30 Third Ave. (two liens) — Mitigation reduced to $10,000 per lien (total $20,000). Owner representative Johanre Lopez said he had bought the properties and closed permits; the board approved $10,000 per lien (mover: board member; second: board member; vote: aye).

- CE2019007392 — 7600 NW Fourth Ave. — Mitigation reduced to $10,000. Buyer’s counsel reported final permit closure and asked to resolve the lien; the board approved a $10,000 mitigation (mover: board member; second: board member; vote: aye).

- CE2021005253 — 3131 NW 14 Ave (duplex) — Mitigation reduced to $0. Owner Catherine Odicio said the family lives there and had difficulty with a permit runner; the board voted to reduce the lien to $0 (mover: board member; second: board member; vote: aye).

- Brickell parking garage — 601 Brickell Key Dr. — Board gave the operator 30 days to obtain required permits and to clarify whether the garage will continue as a public pay facility; members warned that, absent compliance, per-diem fines would begin after that period. The board motion set a 30-day compliance window (mover: board member; second: board member; vote: aye).

- Multiple other cases (tree removal, work without permits, vacant-lot debris and fence legalization items) — The board accepted inspector recommendations in several files, commonly imposing 90–180 day compliance windows or specifying per-diem fines that would begin if work was not completed (see actions array for details). Where owners presented evidence of completed work or active permitting, the board frequently reduced mitigation to the statutory minimum or to $0 when unanimous votes were appropriate under the mitigation chart.

Why this matters: Code enforcement liens can block property sales and access to financing and are enforced by per‑diem fines and recorded liens; reductions, releases or payment schedules affect property owners, buyers and neighborhood blight-remediation efforts. Board members repeatedly urged consistent application of the mitigation chart and noted the city and owners both have appeal rights to circuit court if they disagree with outcomes.

Quotes from the hearing: "We would ask for the minimum of $15,000," attorney Mickey Marrero said when asking for mitigation in multiple commercial-property cases. "I did everything I thought humanly possible to comply with the City of Miami," property owner Richard Scott said while asking the board to reduce a lien on a vacant lot he maintains.

What the board directed: For cases with active permit or tax-deed processes the board frequently reset or delayed final mitigation until paperwork was complete; for long-outstanding liens without evidence of prompt corrective action the board generally set monetary mitigation at the chart minimum or created a payment requirement with the possibility of per-diem fines if not met.

Next steps and appeals: Board orders will be prepared and provided to the parties. Staff and owners repeatedly discussed that orders can be appealed to the Eleventh Judicial Circuit Court of Florida within 30 days. The city attorney’s office may review some unanimous $0 reductions and determine whether to appeal.

Ending: The board completed its calendar after several hours, approving orders and advising owners how to request extensions or obtain copies of the signed orders.