Special Magistrate Jamie Barone on Jan. 15 found a violation existed at 701 Texas Court and ordered the property owner to cut or trim hedges in the front of the home by Feb. 15, 2025. Failure to comply will result in a $100-per-day fine.

Charmaine Kirkland, a City of Fort Pierce code enforcement officer, testified that the citation followed a block inspection after a ClickFix complaint and that the vegetation on the property exceeded the permissible height under city code sec. 125-322(c)(1). Kirkland entered photographs and correspondence, including an email from the city's urban forester, into the record.

Julie Swanson, the respondent, said she believed she was targeted and disputed the basis for the citation. She said she received a notice after a ClickFix report that originally named a different address and told the magistrate she had compared neighboring properties and found similar tall hedges that had not been cited. Swanson also said she did not want to cut the bamboo for fear of killing it. She submitted photographs and videos to the record.

Peggy Reyes, director of Code Enforcement, told the court the city investigates all complaints independently and that “the source of the complaint doesn't affect whether or not a violation exists,” adding that the department performs block-level inspections when complaints arise in a neighborhood. Reyes told the magistrate that staff had confirmed the violation and that prior contact notes indicated some initial address confusion but that the city proceeded with an inspection and citation based on what officers observed.

In response to Swanson's request for more time, city staff recommended a short extension; Swanson asked for Feb. 15, and the magistrate granted that date. The court record shows Swanson agreed to cooperate and to contact Charmaine Kirkland after compliance.

Ending
The magistrate's order requires the owner to cut or trim the hedges by Feb. 15, 2025; the dollar amount of the fine for failure to comply is $100 per day. The order notes that if compliance occurs earlier the respondent should notify the department for verification.