Daytona Beach special magistrate amends dozens of code orders, sets Jan. 8 compliance dates and releases two liens

The City of Daytona Beach Special Magistrate heard a full docket on Nov. 12, 2024, amending compliance deadlines, imposing fines in several cases and vacating or releasing other penalties.

The magistrate reviewed inspector reports and testimony across 18 numbered cases. For the majority of matters the court amended existing orders of noncompliance to allow respondents to come into compliance by January 8, 2025 or return to the magistrate for consideration of fines of up to $1,000 per day. In some cases the magistrate instead affirmed previously assessed fines (for example, a $500-per-day fine with a $15,000 cap for off-site advertising violations) or vacated an earlier fine after ownership or procedural clarifications.

Inspectors repeatedly cited hurricane-related delays, permit backlogs, ownership changes and missing permit applications as reasons to extend deadlines. The magistrate directed code inspectors to verify temporary fixes (for example, cold-patch pothole repairs and restored lighting) and to report noncompliance if these measures were not confirmed.

Votes at a glance (selected outcomes from the hearing) - Case 1 (Lauren and Herb Kawesh): Order amended; compliance extended to Jan. 8, 2025 or return for fines up to $1,000/day. (Order amended.) - Case 2 (Gail Lucinda Smith):…