Edgewater magistrate upholds citations for multiple properties, orders repeat and daily fines for Dollar General lot

Special Magistrate Ryan Knight presided over the City of Edgewater code enforcement hearing on Aug. 14, 2025, and upheld citations for multiple properties across the city, assessing routine fines for residential maintenance violations and stronger penalties for repeat commercial offenses.

Officer McLaughlin, a city code enforcement officer, opened the first case, saying, "I was on patrol and identified that the yard was unkept and overgrown with grass and weeds exceeding 12 inches in height," describing the property at 3313 Umbrella Tree Drive. Knight found the respondent in violation but withheld daily fines after code confirmed the property had been brought into compliance; the citation assessed was $75.

Officer Hayzwood presented several residential cases involving overgrown yards and some unpermitted work. In a case involving a shed at 3047 Orange Tree Drive, Hayzwood said the owner applied for permits after notice; a window permit was later issued but a shed permit required corrections. Knight found the respondent in violation and assessed a $75 fine, noting the permit had since been obtained and daily fines would not be imposed.

Several cases involved repeat or commercial violations. Officer McLaughlin said the Dollar General at 2798 South Ridgewood Ave. had trash and debris from an overflowing dumpster and was a repeat offender. Staff recommended a repeat citation and sought daily fines. Knight ordered a $150 citation for the repeat violation and stated that daily fines of $500 per day should be imposed for the period he identified as 07/02/2025 to 07/15/2025, saying, "So 500 Dollars per day, from 07/02/2025 to 07/15/2025, totaling, $6,500." Knight also noted the property was in compliance at the time of the hearing.

Across most residential cases — including properties on Limetree Drive, Unity Tree Drive, Travelers Palm Drive, Indian Palm Drive and Bradford Road — staff recommended $75 citations after notices and reinspections; Knight repeatedly found violations where the record showed noncompliance but declined to impose ongoing daily fines where code verification showed the properties had been corrected.

In one case involving multiple code sections at 1626 Needle Palm Drive (accessory structures, exterior doors and building numbering), Officer Hayzwood said the violations had been corrected; Knight assessed $75 per violation (totaling $225) and did not impose daily fines.

The magistrate concluded the docket after issuing rulings on each citation. Under Florida law, parties have 30 days from the magistrate’s order to file an appeal to the circuit court.

Cases at a glance: most residential/property-maintenance citations were assessed at $75 each and daily fines were waived when compliance was documented; G Force Holdings LLC and other repeat offenders were identified but most were assessed $75 where files showed correction; the Dollar General repeat offense resulted in a $150 repeat citation plus Knight’s order imposing $500-per-day fines for the July period cited, which he stated totaled $6,500.

The hearing ended with Knight thanking staff and closing the docket.