Levy County magistrate finds unpermitted building at Jennings property, orders permit process and short cure periods for cleanup

Levy County Special Magistrate Norm Fugate ruled on Feb. 18, 2026 that a structure behind a mobile home at 19037 Northeast 31st Place in Williston was built without the required permit and therefore constitutes a code violation.

Dave Benton, Levy County code enforcement manager, told the hearing that "On 12/01/2025, I observed a large accumulation of junk, trash, car parts openly stored throughout the property and on the right of way, and a large unpermitted structure built behind the mobile home with 2 unserviceable unregistered vehicles on the lot." Benton cited Appendix B and sections 34.40 and 34.41 as the controlling code provisions.

The homeowner, who confirmed she was the respondent in the case, told the magistrate she had not personally received earlier county contact and that communications had been with her husband; she said the family had installed a privacy fence and was working to clean the yard. "I've never been made contact with, and I am the homeowner," she said.

Fugate broke the case into three components and announced separate remedies. He said he would "find that there is an unpermitted building, therefore, there is a violation," and ordered the respondent to "immediately start" the permitting process, giving 90 days to pursue compliance. Fugate told the owner that if she does not pursue the permit path within that period he will set a compliance hearing and "seriously consider, starting with a daily fine."

On the remaining issues, Fugate found one unserviceable vehicle still on site and gave 30 days to cure that violation. He also found a junk/accumulation violation and gave 30 days to finish cleanup; he warned that daily fines would begin if the conditions were not cured. Fugate noted code enforcement staff had received recent photos indicating interior clean‑up and said that, to his view, the vehicle and junk issues appeared to be in progress toward resolution.

Benton told the homeowner the county's permitting office (Development Services/Permitting) on the premises is the path to compliance and advised immediate contact to determine the engineer/permit requirements. The magistrate said that, under Appendix B (adopted by ordinance 2025‑3 on March 18, 2025), the building permit requirement applied whether the structure pre‑dated the ordinance or fell under prior code language.

Fugate concluded the hearing by reminding the owner that the alternatives to pursuing the permit include removing the structure, and that failure to meet the deadlines could lead to fines and a follow‑up compliance hearing.

The magistrate set specific deadlines but said he expected the owner to show she had begun the permitting process at the follow‑up; he did not grant a yearlong extension requested by the respondent.

The magistrate adjourned the matter to monitor compliance and warned that fines and further enforcement could follow if the requirements are not met within the time frames set.