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Council cuts house lien for Flamingo Drive property to $95,000 after lengthy hearing
Summary
After an extended public hearing that split sympathy for a vulnerable ward and frustration over years of unresolved code violations, Vero Beach City Council voted 5–0 to reduce the recorded lien on 3655 Flamingo Drive to $95,000, the council said the payment must be made promptly as part of an expected sale.
The Vero Beach City Council voted unanimously to reduce a recorded municipal lien on the property at 3655 Flamingo Drive to $95,000 following an extended public hearing that ran through a detailed eight‑year enforcement chronology.
Chief Robert Curry presented the city's record of code enforcement and recommended against a reduction, citing many months and years of follow‑up by code enforcement and police staff. He told council the total recorded amount with fees was roughly $181,011 and detailed repeated contacts and actions taken to secure compliance.
The petitioner’s attorney, Andrew Bakhti, and the ward’s appointed guardian, Judy Mace, urged the council for clemency on narrow, humanitarian grounds. Bakhti said his clients acted quickly once the guardianship and access to funds were in place. Guardian Judy Mace described the ward, Sam, as medically and cognitively vulnerable and said the estate has limited net proceeds once mortgages and other encumbrances are settled. “He is a person who needs long term intensive care,” Mace said, adding that she was trying to preserve estate funds for the ward’s ongoing support.
Neighbors, code‑enforcement staff and the police lieutenant who had been working on the case described a history of complaints, welfare checks and remediation that eventually stabilized the property and the resident’s care. Council members expressed competing sympathies: several said the record of repeated violations and the impact on neighbors warranted holding property owners accountable, while others emphasized Sam's health needs and the recent steps taken to bring the property into compliance.
After discussion, Mayor (speaker 1) moved — and a second followed — to set the total recorded lien due at $95,000, “including all costs incurred by the city,” with payment required quickly in connection with an imminent sale. The motion passed on roll call 5–0.
The council’s action resolves the city’s lien while requiring a prompt payoff; staff said the reduction consolidates the city’s recorded enforcement costs into the single $95,000 figure and that the lien will remain enforceable until paid. The council emphasized that the reduction reflected the particular circumstances of this case — the guardian’s intervention and the city’s ongoing interest in ensuring the ward’s care — and was not intended as a general policy on lien forgiveness.
The hearing record will remain part of public minutes and the council directed staff to ensure the payment and recording tasks proceed in line with the sale timeline.
