Special Magistrate Jennifer De Peschke on April 2 found multiple Fort Pierce properties in violation of the city's nuisance and landscaping codes and ordered owners to bring properties into compliance, most within seven days.

The rulings came during a special magistrate hearing of the City of Fort Pierce's Code Enforcement Division. Code officers presented photographs, notices and property-appraiser maps as evidence; owners or their representatives spoke in some cases and acknowledged the violations or described remedial steps.

Why it matters: Unmanaged lots can spread trash, create fire and vermin risks, and lead to repeated enforcement costs assessed against property owners. The magistrate repeatedly warned owners that failure to meet the deadlines would result in civil fines and possible city abatement with costs assessed to the property.

The most common order required owners to "cut all grass and weeds as needed and trim all trees, shrubs, and bushes to the standards identified in the notice of violation" and to "remove all trash and debris, including landscape debris generated from bringing the property into compliance." For most properties the magistrate set a seven-day compliance deadline; a failure to comply was ordered to trigger a $100 daily fine for each day the violation continues and the city may abate the nuisance and assess abatement costs to the property.

Several cases received different timelines based on evidence and representations by city staff. Two properties owned by FEC Railway were handled separately: one (parcel listed in the record as Lot Clearing 2025-20) was given 15 days because city staff said a contractor was out of town until April 7 and had already begun underbrushing and cleanup; the other FEC property received a seven-day order. A separate large-site lot-clearing matter on Frisk Boulevard involving HCA/Lawnwood was amended to a 14-day compliance period after the property's representatives and city staff described ongoing cleanup activity and the landscaper's mobilization.

Several owners told the magistrate they had contracted landscapers or taken partial action; in multiple cases code officers said the work was not yet complete and recommended the fines and abatement authority remain available. Evidence introduced at the hearing included photographs dated between February and April 2025 and copies of the notices of violation and property-appraiser satellite images.

Votes at a glance (selected cases and orders):
- Lot Clearing 2025-20 (parcel 2410805-0006-0008; owner: FEC Railway): 15 days to cut, remove debris and trim; $100/day if noncompliant.
- Lot Clearing 2025-34 (parcel 2410503-0010-0002; owner: FEC Railway): 7 days; $100/day fine for noncompliance.
- Lot Clearing 2025-35 (Frisk Boulevard; owner: HCA/Lawnwood and McMillan & Associates): amended to 14 days to cut grass, trim 100 feet back from roadways, and remove debris; $100/day fine for noncompliance. City noted landscaper had been mobilized.
- Multiple Kings Lane and nearby lot-clearing cases (King's Landing Fort Pierce LLC): 7 days each; $100/day fine for noncompliance; some orders required cleaning along fence lines.
- Numerous additional lot-clearing cases (parcel and case numbers recorded in the hearing): standard 7-day orders; $100/day fine for noncompliance.

The magistrate closed each case with the explicit order that the city may abate remaining violations and charge abatement costs to the properties. City staff advised owners to coordinate with code enforcement to arrange reinspections after completing the ordered work.

Looking ahead: Property owners who fail to comply face daily fines and city abatement. The magistrate repeatedly emphasized the health, safety and welfare rationale for the orders and encouraged owners to contact staff for guidance on meeting the code standards.

(For a full list of cases heard and the specific compliance periods ordered, see the actions and provenance fields below.)