FORT LAUDERDALE — The City of Fort Lauderdale’s special magistrate heard a long docket of building-division cases on Nov. 20, 2025, issuing a steady series of compliance deadlines and, in several contested matters, refusing to dismiss city code actions.

The magistrate opened the hearing and swore in speakers before taking up dozens of individual property cases, most involving alleged work performed without required permits or repeated failure to address deteriorated building elements. In routine rulings, the magistrate frequently gave owners between 28 and 117 days to secure permits or complete repairs and suspended fines for the extension period. The city’s inspectors said those deadlines were intended to balance public-safety concerns with an owner’s ability to obtain contractors and permits during the holiday season.

One contested matter involved a dispute over the provenance of a complaint and whether it could be heard after a change in state law. Attorney Ari Bridal argued that the underlying complaint was effectively anonymous and therefore barred by Senate Bill 60 and related Florida statutes, which restrict enforcement on anonymous complaints unless a life-safety exception applies. The city’s assistant attorney, Kimberly Cunningham, replied that the city had treated the matter as a public‑health, safety and welfare issue and relied on code provisions and Florida statute permitting the city to proceed in cases that appear to present imminent or irreversible harm. The magistrate denied the motion to dismiss and allowed the city’s case to proceed. “The motion to dismiss is denied,” the magistrate stated, treating the inspector’s photographic and testimonial evidence as sufficient for this quasi‑judicial proceeding.

The stormwater case at 843 SW 14th Court drew extended testimony. Sandra Marie Pierce, stormwater operations manager, described responding to an intense rain event that coincided with King Tides, deploying cones and pumps to make the roadway passable and then returning the next day to jet and inspect lines. Pierce said crews found two clogged catch basins adjacent to the construction site and removed silt and sediment from the city’s inlets. Inspector Linda Holloway and city stormwater operators testified that best management practices (BMPs) for erosion control on the construction site were not being maintained, and the city requested a $5,000 fine for what it described as an irreversible violation. The property owner and project manager disputed the characterization, attributing substantial flow to regional king tides and saying the site implemented repeated erosion-control measures; the magistrate nevertheless imposed the fine after weighing the city’s evidence.

Other notable docket items included:
- 213 Royal Palm Drive (Mori Legacy Foundation Inc.): Inspector Alexander Laborespiel recommended a 28‑day compliance period for roof and structural issues; the owner’s representative sought 60 days citing holidays and the need for engineering reports, while neighbors urged the shorter deadline; the magistrate granted the city’s 28‑day motion.
- 2312 NW 13th Court (Christine Kane Jackson): The owner agreed to a 117‑day compliance schedule tied to a rebuilding plan expected to begin in January 2026; the magistrate approved the timeline.
- Water Taxi 18 LLC (413 SW 3rd Ave): The property was reported in compliance; the parties agreed and the magistrate approved a $2,000 administrative recovery.
- Thor Gallery at Beach Place (parking garage spalling): Counsel said the owner would reappear in 56 days with bidding documents and a structural assessment; magistrate set the reappearance and asked that the city engineer provide a safety letter for continued occupancy.

Across the docket, inspectors repeatedly told property owners that filing permit applications, attending to engineering reports where structural elements were implicated, and staying in contact with the assigned inspector would be required steps to avoid further penalties. In many cases the magistrate explicitly suspended fines during the granted compliance windows and warned owners these would generally be the last extension.

The hearing concluded after the magistrate entered orders across the remaining matters and noted a set of cases would be recorded as closed or withdrawn. The magistrate closed the session and wished attendees a happy Thanksgiving.

What happens next: property owners ordered to obtain permits, provide engineering letters where required, or complete repairs within the time set by the magistrate; several matters were scheduled for reappearance, and the city will monitor compliance and begin daily fines if deadlines are missed.