Magistrate gives Greenacres homeowner 60 days to repair tarp-covered roof or face $50-per-day fine

A special magistrate ordered a Greenacres homeowner to repair a tarp-covered roof and complete necessary permitting or face daily fines.

Special Magistrate AMD Barnard, presiding over a City of Greenacres code enforcement hearing, found the respondent in violation of section 7-423G after the city entered photographs and service documents into the record. "I'll find based on the photographs in the case file as well as the testimony of the code enforcement officer that the respondents in violation of section 7-423 subp part G," Barnard said, then set a compliance deadline.

The city, presented by compliance officer Carlos Maldonado, submitted a composite evidence package including proof of ownership, a posted notice, mailed notices and photographs depicting the roof covered by blue tarps. Maldonado said the city dismissed two permit-related code sections and was proceeding on section 7-423G, which requires roofs to be "sound, tight, and in good repair." He asked the magistrate to require reinstatement of the expired permit and to set a compliance deadline and fines.

Homeowner Alex Lamosi testified he had spent more than two years in litigation with a contractor after storm damage in January 2022 and described a sequence of contractor changes and delays. "We won the case in November last year," Lamosi said, and recounted that the permit issued in December 2024 later expired; he said his contractor (initially JJ Quality, later Kelly's Roofing) encountered staffing and material problems and that he had only recently notarized his portion of paperwork to renew the contractor's permit. Lamosi asked the magistrate to allow more time, saying, "I don't think 30 days would be sufficient. But I think if I'm given till probably September 1st, I can have sufficient time."

Barnard acknowledged the owner's difficulties but noted the city had been lenient for two years. The magistrate granted 60 days from the hearing for the owner to obtain or reinstate permits and complete the repairs, and set a compliance deadline of on or before Sept. 14, 2025. Barnard warned that a $50-per-day fine would start on Sept. 15 if the violation continued: "On day 61, the fine will start running that I impose today." He also instructed the owner to coordinate with the code officer for reinspection once work is complete.

The magistrate entered the city's evidentiary case file into the record without objection and closed the matter consistent with the stated order. The hearing moved on to other cases after the ruling.