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Magistrate reduces liens for owner who said earlier notices went to prior owner; payment windows set
Summary
Property owner Greg Burns told the Lake Worth Beach hearing he did not receive mailed code notices for two years; the magistrate applied the city’s 90% reduction cap for non‑owner‑occupied properties, approved reduced lien amounts, and set payment deadlines in early 2027.
Property owner Greg Burns asked the special magistrate on July 30 to reduce or extend payment on code enforcement liens for properties he bought in 2022 at 119 South F Street and 11 South D Street. Burns said he learned of long‑running violations only after an officer posted a notice on the property and that prior notices had been mailed to the previous owner, Coonan LLC.
Carlos Domingo of the city’s code compliance division read the case file, including the original lien totals and the city’s offer of stipulated reductions. Magistrate Doug MacGibbon said the city's ordinance limits reductions for non‑owner‑occupied properties and explained the formula applied. "If you had $46,000 in liens and you paid $20,000 in repair costs, it would only be $26,000 in liens, and then you would get 90% off of that," MacGibbon said when describing how documented expenses affect the final reduction.
After hearing Burns’ testimony that he lacks the funds now, MacGibbon reduced the larger lien to the statutory maximum reduction and set a payment/compliance date. The order gives Burns several months to secure funds or sell the property; the magistrate warned that failure to pay by the deadline will reinstate the full lien amount. City staff advised Burns to supply invoices and documentation where available; staff said receipts for repair costs can be deducted before computing the 90% cap.
