Biscayne Park code board issues fines, grants extensions and closes multiple cases after May 13 hearing

The Village of Biscayne Park Code Compliance Board met May 13 and handled more than a dozen property‑code cases, issuing orders of enforcement, setting compliance deadlines and approving extensions where staff or owners showed progress.

Dorian Grant, the village's code compliance director, opened the hearing and presented multiple agenda items ranging from unpermitted sheds and construction dumpsters to structural re‑certifications of older buildings. The board acted on each case after staff reports and statements from property representatives.

In case C25‑04949 (677 Northeast 111th Street), property owner Peg Evans told the board she had installed a prefab shed and intended to move her washer and dryer inside the house after hiring an electrician and plumber. Grant and the building official confirmed the shed was installed without permits and the board found a violation. The board assessed a $250 violation fine plus a $250 administrative fee and ordered Evans to either remove the shed or obtain all required permits by Aug. 17, 2026, or face a $250 per day fine thereafter. Evans described contractor delays and higher-than-expected bids and said she had hired an electrician and a plumber and was working to secure an HVAC contractor.

Several homeowners who had already taken corrective steps had their cases closed. Stefan and Elaine Smith (CE‑26‑0153) obtained the after‑the‑fact dumpster permit and paid assessed fines; the board closed their case. A tarp placed on the roof at 901 Northeast 109th Street (C‑26‑0079) was removed and the board closed that case after staff confirmed compliance.

The board granted extensions where county reviews and additional documentation were required. The Church of the Resurrection (CE‑25‑0839) received a 30‑day continuance to complete the correct structural re‑certification after the building official said the applicant had filed documentation for the wrong building. The board also approved a 60‑day extension to July 15 for BP Apartments LLC (CE‑25‑0842) to complete repairs needed for re‑certification, and granted multiple 30‑day renewals for temporary permits when project managers showed active progress.

A cluster of cases involving the same property owner (NCC Renovations LLC / Fernandez Candelaria) was continued to July 14 so county reviews and demo‑permit documentation could be provided; staff said some required documents must come from the county and the process is delayed by county review queues.

The board heard an extended public discussion from David and Nancy/Alfred Dawson over title leans associated with properties they purchased. The Dawsons presented a 2014 closing statement that showed a $20,000 line item they expected to cover lien satisfaction; they also referenced prior reductions from an $82,000 figure. Staff reported no village receipt or documentation that would support immediate lien releases. Board members emphasized that the village cannot release liens without proof of payment and encouraged the property owners to pursue bank statements or attorney escrow records; no lien releases were authorized at the meeting.

Other enforcement actions included an order for removal of concrete blocks placed in the public right‑of‑way at 2035 Northeast 5th Avenue (CE‑26‑0164) and administrative assessments where owners elected to ask for financial relief at a future hearing (examples include a $7,250 outstanding assessment tied to an after‑the‑fact dumpster permit that stopped accruing daily fines once a permit was issued).

The board took motions and votes on each item on the record, approved the April minutes with amendments, and closed the meeting after a staff update noting seven village properties currently in the re‑certification process (two approved, three pending and one converting to a single‑family use).

The board's orders were largely procedural: compliance deadlines, limited fines and continuances to allow applicants or building officials time to secure county documentation or complete required work. Where owners presented evidence of compliance or applied for required permits, cases were closed or fines stopped pending the next procedural step.