Homestead City special master hears dozens of code cases; short compliance windows and daily fines ordered

Special Master Michael Styles presided over a Code Compliance Special Master hearing in Homestead City on Jan. 29, 2026, that considered roughly 60 property enforcement matters ranging from illegal dumping and unpermitted construction to public-safety fence failures and sewage discharge.

The hearing followed routine opening formalities, the swearing of witnesses by Homestead Police Officer Gasca, and several clerk-noted agenda amendments that moved a number of cases to "complied" or "tabled" status. A recurring theme in testimony was permitting delays and confusion: multiple property owners told the magistrate they had applied for permits or been told by third parties that a permit was not required. In several cases staff confirmed permits were either still under review or had expired, and the magistrate generally granted short windows — most commonly 7, 15 or 30 days — for owners to correct violations.

Notable rulings and patterns

- Short compliance windows and administrative fees: The magistrate repeatedly gave first-time or recently applied-for permits short windows to cure violations (commonly 7, 15 or 30 days) and assessed an $80 administrative fee for court appearances in many matters. In some cases the $80 fee was waived when staff documented active permitting efforts.

- Waivers and procedural discretion: For homeowners who had evidence of an application in process or who showed active effort to legalize work, the magistrate frequently waived the $80 administrative fee and allowed additional time. For example, in case CE25080317 involving Eileen Leyva the magistrate waived the $80 fee and granted 15 days after staff confirmed a permit application was in process.

- Daily fines and adjudications for repeat or hazardous violations: When evidence showed repeated noncompliance or a public-safety hazard, the magistrate set higher penalties. Team Group HS LLC (CE25080215) was assessed a $1,000 fine with a $1,000 daily penalty retroactive to the prior compliance date because the fence disrepair sits adjacent to a busy roadway, a park and a school, which the magistrate described as a high-risk safety concern. For sewage discharge at 1013 NW 9 Court (CC2500160), the magistrate ordered immediate remediation, a $1,000 fine, seven days to comply and a $500-per-day penalty thereafter.

- Evidence and inspections: Code officers frequently introduced photographs as evidence of violations; where residency or occupancy was in question (for example in several RV-related cases), the magistrate often ordered site visits or reinspection before a final determination.

Select case outcomes (representative)

- CE25080317 (Eileen Leyva): 15 days to comply; $80 admin fee waived (homeowner reported the permit had been approved or was under review).

- CE25090202 (Guadalupe Giza): Tabled for site reinspection to verify whether an RV was occupied; magistrate requested a site visit before ruling.

- CE24060021 (Antonio Riana): Magistrate ruled the owner must obtain required permits and gave a compliance period (30 days in this proceeding) and waived the $80 administration fee.

- CC2500141 TKT (Lopez Trust / illegal bulk trash): Citation affirmed; $500 fine with $80 admin fee waived in ruling.

- CE25080215 (Team Group HS LLC): Affidavit of noncompliance for fence in disrepair near a school and park; magistrate found a public-safety risk and imposed a $1,000 fine and $1,000 daily fine starting from the prior compliance date; $80 admin fee applied.

- CC2500160 (Miguel Rodriguez / Maria Almonte Delgado): Sewage discharge citation required immediate sanitization and remediation; $1,000 fine, seven days to comply and $500 per day after the compliance window; $80 admin fee applied.

What it means

The hearing underscored two persistent issues: owners who begin work or buy properties without completing required municipal permits, and delays within permitting or review workflows that owners said hampered prompt compliance. The magistrate repeatedly balanced leniency (short time extensions and fee waivers) where there was demonstrable ongoing permitting activity against immediate penalties when violations posed safety or health risks or where compliance had been previously ordered and not achieved.

Next steps

Most cases were given short compliance deadlines that will return to enforcement if not met. Several were adjudicated and now carry potential daily fines; at least one matter (the Team Group HS LLC fence) was treated as a high public-safety priority and carries a significant daily penalty if not remedied. The hearing record shows a continuing workload for both property owners and Homestead's permitting and code enforcement staff.