Palatka special magistrate orders repairs, water service and registrations for four properties

PALATKA, Fla. — The special magistrate for code enforcement ordered owners or heirs of four Palatka properties on Tuesday to repair hazards, restore services and register blighted properties within 30 days or face daily fines.

Ron Brown, the magistrate presiding over the Feb. 17 hearing, reviewed evidence that City Code Compliance Officer Harold Bartelli presented and entered orders requiring repairs or corrective action by the close of business on March 19, 2026, with fines to begin March 20 if the properties remain out of compliance.

The first case, 2025117 at 2104 Kirby Street, involved four violations: a roof in disrepair (listed as section 30-32(a)(10)), at least one abandoned vehicle (30-32(b)), excessive trash and debris (30-32(a)(1)) and two broken windows (30-171). Bartelli presented photographs and said the roof was rotten and tarped, the black vehicle on the property lacked plates, and yard items needed removal or storage. Owner Brandon Mock told the magistrate he had recently taken title and lacked funds for a full roof replacement but said he would try to apply for permits. The magistrate ordered that a permit application or repair work be initiated within 30 days and warned that a $25-per-day fine per violation would begin on March 20 if compliance is not achieved.

In case 2025180 at 1016 Olive Street, Bartelli told the magistrate the property had been posted uninhabitable because it lacked running water. Daniel Woods Jr., who appeared at the hearing, acknowledged there was no running water and said he was attempting repairs but lacked funds. A family member who addressed the magistrate during public remarks said unpaid bills and household problems contributed to the condition. Brown found the property in violation of section 30-168 (minimum standards for maintenance) and ordered water service restored by March 19; a $25-per-day fine would commence March 20 for any continued noncompliance.

Case 2025132, 322 Madison Street, was heard in the absence of the listed owners, Herbert S. Delaney and Tracy Ledford. Bartelli described a utility trailer stored in the front yard, deteriorating exterior paint, mold and mildew on steps and walkways, and a failure to register the property as blighted (30-215). After a review, the magistrate limited the final order to violations of 30-169(a) (deteriorating paint), 30-169(d) (mold and mildew) and 30-215 (registration), and required the owner to bring the property into compliance by March 19.

The fourth matter, case 2025135 at 615 North 20th Street, was also heard without the listed heirs present. Bartelli presented photos showing rotten or missing gable wood, boarded windows that — under the city code — must be replaced with glass rather than boarded, and a failure to register the property. The magistrate entered an order requiring repairs, window replacement and registration by March 19 and warned of daily fines for violations that persist after March 20.

Brown emphasized the city’s interest in timely remedies to protect public safety and health and urged property representatives to keep in contact with Code Compliance. For each case the magistrate found that certified notices had been mailed or the property had been posted in accordance with statute and entered orders based on the city’s evidence.

The hearing concluded at 2:33 p.m.

Quotes used in this report come directly from the hearing record: “You need to get it done in 30 days,” the magistrate told owners and representatives; and Bartelli described the Kirby Street roof as having “rotten and weakened wood in areas.”