Alachua County magistrate hears multiple code-enforcement cases, grants extensions and records fines

Alachua County’s special magistrate heard a full docket of code-enforcement cases on Oct. 2, 2024, receiving testimony from county attorneys, code officers, property owners and neighbors and setting deadlines or fines in a series of matters spanning nuisance, building‑permit and irrigation violations.

The county urged compliance or fines in dozens of cases, citing specific code sections. Senior Assistant County Attorney Diana Johnson laid out enforcement requests, including 30‑day compliance windows and daily fines ranging from $50 to $100 in multiple files. In one noncompliance matter the county said accrued fines totaled $23,770 and requested continued accrual at $100 per day until the ordered corrections are completed.

Why it matters: the hearing committed several property owners to concrete deadlines and created an administratively enforceable trail of fines and costs the county may record in official records if respondents do not comply. Several respondents asked for more time and the magistrate granted extensions in some cases; others were told orders and fine calculations will be mailed.

Owners and neighbors narrated the local impact. John Allen Albrecht Jr., a neighbor of the DeMarco property, described repeated conduct he called harassment and provided photos and video evidence to code staff: “He would race his 4 wheeler up and down the property line… at unusual hours, from midnight to 3AM,” Albrecht said. County staff had earlier recommended a 30‑day compliance period for the DeMarco property at 21206 NW County Road 241 for improvements made without permits and unserviced vehicles; the magistrate did not issue an immediate ruling in that case and said a written order will follow.

In another contested matter, property owners Tedrick and Shimani Moore, identified as operating under the name Girls Fashion Boutique LLC, told the magistrate they had reduced the number of dogs at their Archer property from an initial count of about 63 to 35 and had obtained kennels and vaccinations. “We have done got down to 35 dogs,” Tedrick Moore said. County staff indicated animal‑resource and growth‑management approvals may still be required; the magistrate said she would allow a 90‑day compliance period provided the owners coordinate with both code enforcement and growth management.

Environmental‑standards violations featured prominently on the docket. Rebecca Hoffman, senior environmental specialist with the county, told the magistrate that installers had put in irrigation systems at two Gainesville apartment complexes without approved applications and identified deficiencies in design standards. “They installed an irrigation system without an approved application,” Hoffman said, describing repeated inspection dates and failed attempts to resolve noncompliance through a consent order. The county requested 14 business days for respondents to either disable the systems or correct the deficiencies; the magistrate did not record a final ruling on those files at the hearing.

Not all matters were unresolved. In one parking/vehicle case the code officer reported the respondents had brought the property into compliance and the county asked only to recover $420 in prosecution costs. In other files — including the Michelle Lewis matter — the county presented affidavits of noncompliance and sought orders to enter substantial accrued fines and authorization to record liens; the magistrate said her written orders would follow, and she outlined the process for owners to request a reduction in fines after demonstrating compliance.

Magistrate’s directions and next steps: across cases the magistrate repeatedly urged respondents to keep code enforcement and the building department informed as they secure permits or otherwise work toward compliance. She noted that entering a building permit application and issuance typically stops the accrual of fines and that owners who later achieve compliance may seek reductions of fines or liens through a formal return proceeding. Written rulings and final orders will be mailed or emailed to respondents.

What to watch: the largest monetary figure cited at the hearing was $23,770 in accrued fines in a single noncompliance docket; irrigation‑system enforcement for Gainesville apartment properties and the kennel/animal counts in Archer both carry short time windows for corrective action. The magistrate closed the session at 10:53 a.m.; orders are to be issued in the coming days.

Note: quotes and case details are taken from public testimony and county presentations at the Oct. 2, 2024 Alachua County Code Enforcement special magistrate hearing. Written orders and official filings will provide final outcomes for each docket.