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Port St. Lucie magistrate gives property owners 30–60 days to resolve building‑code violations, sets daily fines
Summary
At a Port St. Lucie special magistrate hearing, the presiding official set compliance deadlines and daily fines for multiple building-code violation cases: 30 days and $25/day for a pergola case; 60 days and $50/day or $100/day for three other cases, all requiring permit issuance or removal of unpermitted work.
The special magistrate presiding over a Port St. Lucie building-code hearing set deadlines and daily fines for several property‑related code‑violation cases, granting respondents time to obtain permits, correct work or sell structures while warning fines would begin if compliance deadlines were missed.
Case highlights: the magistrate gave Andrew Lewis 30 days (compliance date Jan. 27) to obtain required plans and permits for an unpermitted pergola at 5385 Northwest Rugby Drive; if not complied with, Lewis faces a $25 per day fine (up to $2,500) plus investigation costs. Lewis testified he had been misled by a contractor and is awaiting corrected plans from an architect.
In case 32218 involving a structure at 2561 Southeast Victory Avenue, the magistrate granted the respondent 60 days (to Feb. 24) to bring the accessory structure into compliance or sell it; staff and planning representatives explained the structure was permitted as a shed but was being used like living space and that accessory dwelling units are not allowed. The city recommended a $50 per day fine (not to exceed $5,000) plus investigation costs and the magistrate imposed $50 per day and an administrative cost ($3.35) to begin after Feb. 24 if the permit has not been issued.
For a commercial interior case at 9168 South U.S. Highway 1 (case 31630), involving three units combined into one and unpermitted electrical/plumbing work, the magistrate granted 60 days (to Feb. 24) for the building permit to be issued and set a $100 per day fine thereafter (not to exceed $10,000) plus $510 in investigation costs. Lindsay Norris, who runs an optical business at the address, said outstanding engineering fees and contractor communication had delayed resubmission.
In case 31790 (442 Southeast Fairchild Avenue), the magistrate also allowed 60 days (to Feb. 24) for permit issuance on an enclosed porch and room addition; staff said the permit was in plan review but still required responses to electrical and structural comments. The magistrate set a $50 per day fine after Feb. 24 and $510 in administrative costs if the permit is not issued.
Staff read several additional cases where respondents were not present and the magistrate found notice had been achieved; those absent respondents were given compliance dates or warned that certification of fines could follow. No members of the public offered comment. The hearing adjourned at 10:12 a.m.
