Port St. Lucie magistrate certifies fines, grants short permit deadlines in Dec. 18 enforcement hearing

PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. — The Port St. Lucie special magistrate on Dec. 18 reviewed dozens of building‑permit and code‑enforcement cases, certifying fines where compliance had not been achieved and granting short windows for plan submission and permit applications.

The hearing covered both residential and commercial properties. The magistrate certified existing fines to begin immediately in multiple cases where the city’s records showed no compliance; those certifications generally carry daily penalties of $50–$100 and city investigation costs of $510, which are added to a lien if violations continue. The magistrate also granted staggered deadlines — commonly 30, 60 or 90 days — in cases where petitioners presented evidence they were actively pursuing permits or plan revisions.

One of the more detailed cases involved a fire‑damaged house at 556 Southwest Undalo Road (case 31461). Angela Denise Walden told the magistrate she had paid $25,000 to contractors who failed to complete demolition and repair work and that she subsequently changed contractors and submitted preliminary engineering and architectural plans.…