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Special Master reduces three Landmark code fines to 80% after attorney cites 18-year compliance effort
Summary
A Homestead special master reduced three code-violation penalties tied to two Landmark properties to 80% of the assessed totals after the owner's attorney cited an 18-year history of violations, personal hardships and roughly $314,000 spent to achieve compliance. The remaining balance was set at $145,022.61 with payment arrangements discussed.
Special Master Karen Jenkins on April 2 reduced penalties across three related code cases for properties tied to Landmark, saying the owner—s recent work toward compliance and documented hardship warranted a significant reduction.
Attorney Midoro Lopez told the special master that the cases "stem from 18 years in the making," detailing a long history of accumulated violations at 1121 and 1150 Northwest 4th Street that included garbage accumulation, abandoned vehicles, business-license problems and noncompliant permits. Lopez said the owner, identified in the record as Tomasino, and his business had spent about $314,000 bringing the properties into compliance and had endured significant financial and personal hardship, including the loss of a spouse.
"They are a commercial resident of the city of Homestead... and have tried their very best to get things into compliance," Lopez said, asking the magistrate to mitigate fines and allow payment arrangements.
Jenkins confirmed the prior 25% reduction already applied to one case and said the maximum she could grant at the hearing was an 80% reduction. For the three case numbers identified in the record (C13100161, C13100157 and C15060086), Jenkins reduced the outstanding balances to 80%, bringing the combined balance to $145,022.61, which includes administrative fees. The magistrate also noted a six-month payment-arrangement option could be set up with city staff.
Why it matters: The reduction converts longstanding enforcement debts into an amount the owner and attorney framed as manageable while preserving the city's enforcement record. The ruling balances the city's code objectives against evidence of remediation and hardship presented on the record.
What happens next: The owner accepted the ruling and the special master directed staff to set up the agreed payment arrangement. If payments are not made per the arrangement, the original enforcement posture could be revisited, the magistrate said.
