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Pensacola code enforcement authority orders fines, court costs and conditional waivers after Oct. 21 hearing
Summary
At an Oct. 21 Code Enforcement Authority hearing, Special Magistrate Matthew Hargraves found multiple properties out of compliance, awarded $200 court costs in each case and set daily fines to begin in November if issues are not fixed; one nonprofit was given a conditional waiver if it completes work by Nov. 3.
Special Magistrate Matthew Hargraves presided over the City of Pensacola Code Enforcement Authority hearing on Oct. 21, 2025, and resolved a docket of property cases that included orders for court costs and future daily fines where properties remained out of compliance.
The hearing opened with approval of minutes from the Oct. 7 meeting. Under the agenda item for notifications of noncompliance, the court confirmed that CE2254072 (4665 Peacock Drive) had been brought into compliance and declined to impose fines. For CE2532827 (403 Fairfax Drive), City code enforcement presented photographs showing continuing accumulation of rubbish, appliances and tires; Hargraves found the property not in compliance as of Oct. 20 and ordered a $25-per-day fine to commence Oct. 21, 2025, until the property is corrected.
During the docket of requests to find code violations, the magistrate found that notice was properly provided and that these properties remain in violation: CE254299 (2505 North 16th Avenue), CE254473 (1505 N. Davis Highway), and CE253618 (2420 North 7th Avenue). For each he awarded court costs of $200 to the city payable within 30 days and ordered that daily fines of $25 per day will begin on Nov. 4, 2025, if the properties are not brought into compliance by Nov. 3, 2025.
Officer Ron Balton presented evidence in CE254414 (725 Gentian Drive) showing an overgrown yard and an inoperable vehicle; the magistrate found notice proper, awarded $200 in court costs to the city and ordered a daily fine of $100 per day to begin Nov. 4, 2025, if corrective action is not completed by Nov. 3. The higher daily fine reflects the ongoing condition on the property documented in evidence.
One case, CE254036 (1615 East Mallory Street), was presented as having been brought into compliance after an inspection earlier the same day; the magistrate still awarded $200 in court costs to the city but did not order daily fines because the property was in compliance at the time of inspection. CE2254072 was likewise closed without fines after inspection confirmed correction.
All orders were announced from the bench by Special Magistrate Hargraves, who consistently found that notice had been properly provided in accord with the Florida statute cited in the hearing. Court costs were generally awarded to the city as the prevailing party but in at least one case (Movement for Change, CE253906) the city offered a conditional waiver tied to achieving compliance by Nov. 3. The magistrate explained that if a property is compliant by Nov. 3 there will be no financial impact; if not, court costs will be awarded and daily fines will begin on Nov. 4.
The hearing concluded with the magistrate asking for any requests to increase fines or liens (none), unfinished business (none) and new business under Florida Statute 162.06(4) (none), and then adjourning the session.
