Lauderhill staff say three properties declared unsafe will go to Broward County review; liens total millions

Nadia Chen, Lauderhill’s code compliance director, told the City Commission on Monday that the city has three properties that building officials have declared unsafe and that the cases are being prepared for review by the Broward County unsafe‑structure board. “The city currently has 3 properties that have been declared unsafe by the building official and are moving toward the Broward County review process,” Chen said.

Chen said the three properties have long enforcement histories and that daily fines — which can accrue up to $500 per day — and earlier code‑board orders have produced the large lien balances. She identified the addresses and current lien amounts: 1400 Northwest 32nd Avenue (declared unsafe Oct. 4, 2023; lien balance cited as $1,300,000), 1210 Northwest 56th Avenue (declared April 29, 2024; lien balance cited as $3,200,000) and 400 Northwest 34th Avenue (declared April 2024; lien balance cited as $6,500,000).

The city has prepared unsafe‑structure packages for all three properties and is awaiting a building‑department cost analysis that compares repair estimates to the structure’s value. Chen explained the threshold the building department uses: if estimated repairs exceed 50% of a structure’s value, demolition may be recommended; if under 50%, rehabilitation or repair may be pursued.

Chen also described a successful mitigation example to show that owners can bring properties back into compliance. She pointed to 3311 Northwest 9th Street, which was sold, had its liens addressed by the buyer, obtained permits and is now being renovated, illustrating the lien‑mitigation and rehabilitation pathway.

The code compliance team said the city has spent $4,234 to maintain the three unsafe properties to date; those costs are expected to be recoverable when liens are paid. Chen estimated that, if the building department completes the cost analyses and the city attorney signs off, the cases could be presented to the Broward County unsafe‑structure board in August. The county board meets monthly during the third week.

Commissioners asked about homeowner and owner remedies, and staff outlined the lien‑mitigation process. Chen said property owners must first bring the property into compliance; mitigation applicants submit a lien‑mitigation application (the transcript cites a mitigation fee as “1.5% of their original lien balance”), which code staff review and recommend to the city manager for approval or denial. Residents may request the application online, by email or by phone.

Commissioners and staff also discussed the practical and fiscal limits on recovery. One participant noted that a change at the Broward County tax collector’s office has limited municipalities’ ability to recover nuisance‑abatement costs through the tax‑assessment process, which the city said contributed to an estimated budget shortfall of about $400,000 this year. City staff described foreclosure and foreclosure‑possession strategies as one of several options the city can pursue in coordination with banks and owners.

The commission welcomed the update and thanked staff. Chen said the department will continue coordination with the building department and the city attorney as cost analyses are finalized and the cases move forward.