Magistrate upholds Vanderbilt Beach parking citation despite respondent's due‑process challenge

A Collier County magistrate on July 17 upheld a parking citation issued at the Vanderbilt Beach Garage, rejecting the respondent’s argument that altered or inconsistent paperwork and fee notations deprived them of due process.

Adrian Maron of Collier County Code Enforcement told the hearing he observed a gray Toyota Camry parked on the travelway of the third floor next to a posted no‑parking sign and presented photos taken on May 29, 2026. The respondent’s representative challenged the citation paperwork, arguing that the citation language and fee amounts were inconsistent and that an officer’s handwritten change to the prior preprinted fee violated due process. The representative urged dismissal under the 14th Amendment.

Assistant county attorney Ron Dimasco argued that parking offenses are strict‑liability under Florida law and that the county’s notice and citation provided sufficient notice of the ordinance charged. The magistrate said a bare citation of the ordinance is ordinarily adequate notice and that the county had provided evidence in advance; he therefore found the citation valid and imposed a civil penalty of $75 plus operational and administrative costs, for a total of $130 payable in 30 days. The magistrate noted the county’s evidence included photos showing signage and the vehicle’s location. "I find that the citation was properly issued and I uphold the citation as it stands," the magistrate said in closing the hearing.

The magistrate also reminded those present that appeals require transcribed video evidence and that stipulations remain an available alternative to contested hearings.