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Magistrate reduces two liens to $3,500 each for Vidna Street lot if owner brings parcel into compliance
Summary
After a representative said the owner bought the Vidna Street lot by tax deed and had a potential buyer, the magistrate conditionally reduced two outstanding liens to $3,500 apiece (total $7,000) payable within 30 days, tied to the owner bringing the parcel into compliance.
The special magistrate on May 12 reduced two outstanding liens on a vacant Vidna Street lot to $3,500 each (a $7,000 total) on the condition that the parcel be brought into compliance within 30 days and that the reduced amounts be paid within the same timeframe.
Lzette Hernandez, representing the owner, said the owner purchased the property via tax deed and was working to find a buyer but had not understood the full scope of outstanding liens and code cases. The inspector confirmed the lot remained out of compliance as of the most recent inspection.
After an extended exchange about prior noncompliance and the owner's limited engagement since purchase, the magistrate said he would reduce each lien to $3,500 and required payment and proof of compliance within 30 days; if the owner fails to comply, the original lien amounts will remain in force.
The magistrate framed the decision as a conditional offer to encourage remediation and subsequent productive reuse: "I'll reduce each of those liens to the sum of $3,500," he said, provided the property is brought into compliance within the required period.
The city noted that lien reductions are contingent on prompt remediation; the owner or purchaser may return the property to compliance and then request further consideration of remaining fees as part of a future review.
