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Real-estate broker tells Fort Pierce Utility Board liens are derailing sales, asks for policy review
Summary
Jacques Chester, a local real-estate broker, told the board FPUA liens on long-vacant properties can run from thousands to tens of thousands of dollars and said the utility should explore a lien‑reduction policy or other solutions; staff agreed to follow up with him.
During public comment at the Oct. 1 Fort Pierce Utility Board meeting, Jacques Chester said FPUA liens on long-vacant or blighted properties are a recurring obstacle to closing real-estate transactions.
"The FPUA lien is one of the things that typically derails that process," Chester said, describing instances in which meters on abandoned properties went unpaid for years and later attracted liens that discouraged prospective developers and buyers. He told the board that his brokerage completes hundreds of transactions annually and urged the utility to open a dialogue about a lien-reduction policy or program to ease redevelopment of blighted parcels.
Cisneros told the board he would follow up with Chester directly to discuss specific cases and that staff would evaluate the scope of the problem, noting the agency tracks readiness-to-serve charges and lien procedures. Board members asked staff to report back if broader policy changes were indicated.
The exchange closed with staff agreeing to gather data and coordinate a follow-up conversation with the board as needed.
