Magistrate grants reduced liens for 615 North C Street after trustee counsel cites notice problems

At the March 26 special-magistrate hearing, counsel for the prospective owner of 615 North C Street described a complex title history and argued that the property’s trustee had not received notices tied to code-enforcement liens. Attorney Mark Perry told the magistrate that the recorded defendants were deceased and that the trustee, Marnie Benz, had not received mailed notices because the mail address on the property appraiser record was different.

Perry said Benz immediately hired counsel and spent documented funds to bring the property toward compliance; he asked the magistrate for relief. City staff acknowledged they post notices at the property and rely on the property-appraiser address for mailings but said the city can add additional mailing addresses on request.

The city reported two large lien totals on the property: $44,700 for one file and $205,400 for another. The magistrate reduced the liens to amounts consistent with ordinance limits ($4,470 and $20,540 respectively) and set payment dates of June 24, 2026. The magistrate also allowed the owner to request reasonable extensions if they demonstrated progress; counsel said the trustee had spent roughly $7,911 in remediation in the last year.

Why it matters: Reduced liens change the financial obligations attached to the property and can determine whether a sale closes; the hearing highlighted procedural problems when title records and trustee addresses diverge, which can prevent trustees from receiving notice and disputing fines in a timely way.

The magistrate entered orders reflecting the reductions and advised counsel of appeal rights and the process to ensure future notices go to the correct mailing address.