Cooper City magistrate orders removals, compliance deadlines and fines across dozens of code cases

Angel Petty Rosenberg, the special magistrate for Cooper City, presided over a December 3 hearing that addressed dozens of residential and commercial code-enforcement and building-permit matters and produced a mix of compliance deadlines, case closures and certified fines.

The magistrate opened the hearing with instructions on testimony and evidence and administered the pledge and oaths before calling individual cases. In the code-enforcement docket the magistrate found multiple violations for work done without permits, early placement of bulk trash in a designated overlay district and property-maintenance violations. In many cases the magistrate either deemed the case complied after inspection or set future compliance dates and administrative fees.

Notable actions included: an owner whose pavers had received permit approvals was given a compliance deadline of Jan. 7, 2026 and no immediate fine; property owners who placed landscaping debris earlier than the overlay’s allowed one-week window were assessed fines or had fines certified where payments were not on file; a homeowner who installed a gazebo and sauna without permits was ordered to remove the pergola by Jan. 2, 2026 and given 60 days to obtain engineered plans for the sauna or face daily fines; and multiple commercial properties and businesses were reset to the Jan. 7, 2026 building docket for additional plan reviews or inspections.

Magistrate Rosenberg cited health-and-safety concerns when addressing an owner with a partially completed fence around a backyard pool. The owner, Isayel Sabugo, was told to erect a temporary barrier within one week and achieve full compliance by Jan. 2, 2026; the magistrate set a $100-per-day fine to begin if the pool enclosure was not completed by that date. On the gazebo/sauna matter the magistrate repeated that the sauna product—sourced from Canada—may require redesign to meet Florida building code and that the owner must file stamped engineering plans; the magistrate ordered pergola removal by Jan. 2 and warned of a $250-per-day fine for an unpermitted sauna and a $150 administrative fee.

On the building docket, several commercial respondents—including tenants and owners at multi-suite properties cited for work without permits or required life-safety plans—were told to provide documentation to city staff or to schedule inspections. Fire-safety staff told the magistrate that some units had not been routed for fire review and that required sprinkler or life-safety plans were missing; those matters were reset to Jan. 7, 2026 so staff could confirm permit filings and reinspection status. Where inspections or permit reactivations were complete, cases were closed.

The magistrate repeatedly encouraged respondents to contact the city’s building and fire departments to determine precisely what must be submitted, and she noted several times that final compliance commonly requires an inspection rather than just paper evidence. Administrative fees typically were set at $150 and daily fines—when certified—ranged from $50 (maintenance/cleanup) to $250 (serious unpermitted commercial or structural work), depending on the case and the code section cited. Many cases were continued or reset to the Jan. 7, 2026 docket to give owners and applicants additional time to satisfy plan reviewers and inspectors.

The hearing concluded with repeated reminders that certified fines may be recorded as liens in Broward County if unpaid and that respondents should follow up with the relevant city staff to avoid accrual of daily fines; the magistrate adjourned the hearing and scheduled follow-ups on Jan. 7, 2026.