Deltona magistrate gives homeowner 12 days to remove storage container, sets $100-per-day fine

The City of Deltona’s special magistrate ordered a property owner to remove a temporary storage container from the right-of-way at 3342 Vancouver Avenue or face a $100-per-day fine.

City code compliance officer Joe Samar Jimenez told the hearing the container had been placed in the public right-of-way and remained beyond the 30-day maximum allowed under City of Deltona ordinance section 110-831. The officer said the city posted notices and reinspected the property multiple times before referring the matter to the magistrate.

LaVonne Hodge, who said she holds a limited power of attorney for the 88-year-old owner Gloria Braithwaite, told the magistrate they had ordered the container during a pending move and sale. “We got an offer on the house…and they rescinded the offer,” Hodge said, describing scheduling and cost issues; Leon Hodge said moving the container would cost about $1,800 and that the household is on a fixed income.

Magistrate John Van Laningham acknowledged the circumstances but said the container had remained on the property well past the 30-day limit. He set the compliance date for Monday, March 9, 2026, and directed that a $100-per-day fine would begin to accrue starting March 10 if the trailer remained. The magistrate urged the family to remove the container to avoid fines.

The magistrate’s order will be prepared and posted by city staff; if the container is removed and the property is verified as compliant, the owners may later seek fine reduction under city procedures, but compliance must be achieved before mitigation is considered.