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Special magistrate reduces Longwood code lien to $1,000, sets May 1 deadline
Summary
A Longwood special magistrate reduced a $20,600 code enforcement lien against the respondent (Miss Pettit) to $1,000 provided it is paid by May 1, 2026; the full $20,600 will be reinstated if not paid. The magistrate warned of stricter enforcement for future violations.
A City of Longwood special magistrate reduced a $20,600 code enforcement lien to $1,000 for the respondent in a code-enforcement hearing, setting a payment deadline of May 1, 2026 and warning that the full amount would be reinstated if the reduced payment is not made.
The magistrate concluded the record reflected prior notices and inspections and that the administrative fine had been paid earlier. The city reported the administrative fine was paid on Jan. 22 and that a Feb. 20 inspection found temporary repairs: soffits temporarily fixed, the back sliding glass door boarded up, the front window replaced and the fence repaired. The city told the magistrate the total amount due was "20,600." (Shelley Bridal, City of Longwood code enforcement officer.)
The respondent, identified in the hearing as Miss Pettit, told the magistrate she and a family member "are both on Social Security, so we don't have a whole lot of money," and said a son-in-law ultimately performed repairs after an earlier contractor failed to finish the work.
The magistrate said she sympathized with the respondent's circumstances but noted that the case dated to July 28 of the prior year and described the matter as a repeat offense. She told the respondent the city could cite the property again if it is found uninhabitable on a subsequent inspection and that repeat-offender rules would permit more immediate enforcement.
"I am gonna reduce the fine to 1000 dollars if, in fact, it is paid by May 1," the magistrate stated, adding that if the reduced amount is not paid by 05/01/2026 the full $20,600 would become due. The magistrate said she would issue a written order reflecting that decision and urged the respondent to notify city staff if the property is listed for sale or if remediation is underway.
The magistrate instructed the respondent to contact city staff (Miss Grama) to confirm the plan for remediation or sale and said an order would be mailed. The hearing record shows the magistrate closed that item of unfinished business and returned to other public hearings.
The magistrate's reduction is an administrative order in this hearing; the record does not show an appeal, payment receipt, or any additional enforcement action beyond the written order and the stated payment deadline.
