Ocala code board imposes liens, grants 30- and 60-day extensions and reduces fines across multiple property cases

The City of Ocala Code Enforcement Board voted on a series of property enforcement actions at its hearing, approving liens, fine reductions and short compliance or payment extensions across multiple cases involving vacant lots, demolitions and unpermitted work.

The actions followed staff presentations of abatement costs and fines and remarks from property owners and their representatives. Dale Hollingsworth, the city's code enforcement manager, summarized staff recommendations and the city's calculated hard costs for each matter and told the board, "We stand by our staff recommendation." Board members then moved, seconded and approved the recommendations by voice vote in each case.

Why it matters: the board's decisions finalize the city's effort to recover abatement and prosecution costs through liens in some cases, and in others they give owners brief windows to correct violations or pay assigned costs so that construction, sales or redevelopment can proceed.

Blue Diamond property (COM110074 and COM120389) Dale Hollingsworth opened the petition section and said the two separate historical code cases related to the same property had hard costs of $5,650.80 (2011 case) and $812.40 (2012 case), for a combined hard cost total the city sought to recover of $6,463.20. Staff recommended reducing the accrued fines to $1,000 total ($500 per case) and ordering payment of the hard costs. Richard Mutarelli, an attorney representing Blue Diamond Developers, told the board his clients purchased the property in 2021 and had built a new single-family residence; he said his clients "were not the offending party" and asked the board to reduce the liens to amounts the title policy would cover. The board accepted staff recommendations and then approved an added 60-day payment window so the owner could complete a pending sale and resolve title issues.

Petz Brown / 717 NW 13th Ave (Case 20227559) This case involved a city demolition and related abatement costs. Staff reported daily fines had accrued and recommended a lien combining hard costs and a reduced fine (staff sought a 10% reduction of the fine). Petz Brown, who identified herself as one of the property owners, asked for a payment plan, saying, "I don't have the money to pay," and described familial and financial constraints. After discussion the board directed that the hard costs and the reduced administrative fine be imposed and made payable immediately; the board approved the staff motion by voice vote.

GS Properties (Case 20228802) The board heard a first Massey for a long-running case involving owner compliance and multiple ownership transfers. Anna Parra, representing the owner, said the owners had engineering plans but were having difficulty finding a general contractor and asked for time. Parra said, "we were able to get in contact with an engineer to help give us the plans," but contractors declined because of workload. The board granted a 30-day extension for the owners to find a contractor and obtain required permits, warning that if the owner did not return with a contractor the board would proceed to impose the previous order.

620 NW 5th Street (Case 202411378) Property owner Leon O'Theart and code staff discussed unpermitted alterations (roofing, doors, windows, driveway) and outstanding permit work. Officer Jennifer Buller and staff told the board the owner had been advised of necessary permitting steps and that compliance had not occurred. The board voted to proceed with the prior board order (i.e., impose fines/encumber the property) and allowed the owner to petition the board again after compliance steps were completed.

Loretta Jackson / Herbert M. Mack Estate (Case 20239295) Loretta Jackson, who identified herself as a Marion County licensed builder and said she had purchased multiple properties from an estate for redevelopment, asked for 60 days to pay city hard costs while permitting proceeds for a new single-family residence. Staff told the board the total hard costs were $12,006.69 and recommended only a $1,000 fine for this case. The board accepted staff recommendations and approved the requested 60-day payment period by voice vote.

Other cases and liens (consent and noncompliance items) The board also approved a number of staff recommendations on multiple other properties, including imposition of liens to recover city abatement costs and reductions of extraordinarily large accrued fines to a percentage the city deemed reasonable in each case. Examples recorded in the staff presentations included (staff-requested lien totals as presented to the board): - Case 20228386: total requested lien $31,217.40 (hard cost $9,497.40 plus reduced fine) - Case 20228xxxxx (demolition case presented after the prior): total requested lien $32,331.95 (hard cost $8,931.95 plus reduced fine) - Case 20239081: total requested lien $52,188.40 (hard cost $36,318.40 plus reduced fine) - Case 2023XXXXX (parcel valued ~76,309): total requested lien $22,073.40 (hard cost $19,073.40 plus reduced fine)

New-business code compliance cases For several newer code-enforcement items (debris, weeds, unpermitted work) staff recommended compliance dates rather than immediate liens. For 1665 SW Third Street (Prime Vesters Incorporated) staff confirmed a roof permit has been issued and recommended setting a compliance date of April 3; the board accepted that recommendation. Similar staff recommendations for vacant-lot cleanup and permit closure were accepted for multiple other addresses; the board generally approved the recommendations by voice vote.

What the board did not do The board recorded many voice votes; the record does not show roll-call tallies for individual members on most items. Where owners requested time, the board often conditioned an extension on progress (for example, obtaining a contractor and permit) and noted that unpaid hard costs would remain until paid and could lead to lien filings.

Votes at a glance (selected items) - COM110074 & COM120389 (Blue Diamond / represented by Richard Mutarelli): Motion to accept staff recommendation (recover $6,463.20 hard costs; reduce fines to $1,000) — passed by voice vote; separate motion added 60-day payment extension — passed by voice vote. - 20227559 (717 NW 13th Ave / Petz Brown): Motion to proceed with staff recommendation to impose hard costs and reduced administrative fine, payable immediately — passed by voice vote. - 20228802 (GS Properties): Motion to grant a 30-day extension to find a general contractor and obtain permits; board to impose prior order if no progress — passed by voice vote. - 202411378 (620 NW 5th St / Leon O'Theart): Motion to proceed with previous board order (impose fines / place lien if unpaid) — passed by voice vote. - 20239295 (Herbert M. Mack Estate / Loretta Jackson): Motion to accept staff recommendation (hard cost $12,006.69; $1,000 fine) and grant 60 days to pay — passed by voice vote. - Multiple demolition/abatement lien requests (e.g., 20228386, 20239081 and others): Motions to accept staff recommendations to file liens for stated hard costs plus reduced fines — passed by voice vote.

The board accepted evidence and testimony into the record for the night's proceedings and closed the docket after announcing a training session and scheduling the next meeting.

Quotes used in this article are drawn directly from the hearing transcript and are attributed to speakers who spoke on the record.