Okeechobee special magistrate sets compliance deadlines, recommends reductions of accrued fines

John Van Laningham, Okeechobee County's special magistrate for code enforcement, presided over a Feb. 17 hearing that produced compliance deadlines for more than two dozen properties and recommendations to reduce accrued fines to county hard costs for board consideration.

The hearing opened at 9 a.m. with the pledge of allegiance and the swearing-in of code officers. County staff then presented multiple new- and old-business cases, describing violations that ranged from unpermitted plumbing and accessory structures to outdoor storage of unlicensed or inoperable vehicles.

For several cases the magistrate set March 12, 2026 as the compliance deadline. Examples include Carol Tyson (4711 Northwest 11th Drive), where Officer Salinas said the county was seeking a plumbing permit; the magistrate set a 03/12/2026 compliance date with a status review on 03/17/2026 if the permit was not obtained. For a separate case at 4649 Northwest 30th Street (unpermitted accessory structure), the magistrate set the same 03/12/2026 deadline and warned that a $75-per-day fine would begin on 03/13/2026 if the work remained unpermitted.

Several outdoor-storage cases drew $100-per-day fine schedules if owners failed to meet the compliance date. Officer Gilchrist reported unlicensed and operable vehicles at 11795 Southeast 118th Trail (Nelson Griffin/tenant Maria Garcia); the magistrate found a violation and set a 03/12/2026 compliance date with a $100-per-day fine to begin 03/13/2026 if unresolved. A similar schedule was set for Vantage Oaks LLC (4504 Southeast 22nd Court).

In one instance, county staff proposed a $550-per-day penalty for ongoing commercial storage at a vacant property on North E Northwest 36th Street, but the magistrate set the enforceable fine at $150 per day if the remaining trailer and machinery were not removed by the 03/12/2026 compliance date.

The magistrate also handled multiple requests to reduce accrued fines tied to liens. County Attorney Gemma Torricide told the hearing that the county's practice under Okeechobee County Code of Ordinances section 2-197(c) is to consider four factors, including gravity of the violation and the county's hard costs. On several petitions the county agreed to accept reductions to its documented hard costs; Van Laningham said his role was to forward those recommendations to the Board of County Commissioners for final action at its March 26, 2026 meeting.

Examples of recommended reductions the magistrate announced include a proposed reduction of an accrued $45,300 fine to $4,530 in one matter (county accepted the proffer), and recommendations to reduce other liens to hard-cost totals such as $4,332.26, $4,611.72 and $4,175 in separate cases. The magistrate explained that such conditional reductions typically require payment within 30 days after the board's final order or the balance may revert to the original amount.

Several respondents testified or asked for more time, citing financial hardship or logistical hurdles. Tricia Bazil, testifying by Zoom about a vacant lot with an unpermitted shed and stored vehicles, said she and her family had moved several times and were working out of state to save for permits; the magistrate set a 05/14/2026 compliance date with a 05/19/2026 status review and said he could revisit additional time depending on circumstances.

The magistrate repeatedly stated that, where permits were obtained and work completed before the compliance date, cases would be closed and fines would not be imposed. If violations persisted, daily fines as described at each case would commence on the day after the compliance deadline and continue until the property was brought into compliance.

Van Laningham said he would prepare recommended orders based on the hearing record and submit them for posting; he adjourned the hearing after noting no further matters.

Authorities referenced in the hearing included Okeechobee County Code of Ordinances section 2-197(c), which was cited by county counsel as the legal standard for requests to reduce accrued fines.