The Fort Pierce special magistrate on Feb. 19 ordered reduced fines and payment schedules for two property owners whose vacant lots on North 13th Street were cited for landscaping and nuisance violations, and rescheduled a third absence case, city staff said.

The reductions affect two separate Massey hearings: case LTCL-2024-37910 at 910 North 13th Street, owned by FPDOZ Land Holdings LLC (represented by Adam Ramsey), and case LTCL-2024-177 at 1012 North 13th Street, owned by Joseph and Valerie Mercer. A third case, 24-1147 at 432 North 11th Street, was not represented and was rescheduled.

At 910 North 13th Street, city code enforcement presented a file showing an initial notice of violation in July 2024 under Section 24-19(11)(a)-(b) (landscape requirements for properties under 3 acres), a vendor abatement in December and a balance billed to the owner of $9,675. City staff said the $9,675 included $875 paid to the vendor, a $100 administrative charge set by the City Commission and $8,700 in daily fines. Miss Reyes, presenting for the city, told the magistrate the vendor performed mowing and shrub trimming and that vacant lots attract illegal dumping.

Adam Ramsey said the lot had been receiving maintenance but that dumping persisted and that he planned to install signage. "It's kind of being used as a driveway, so it's easy to dump," Ramsey said, and he agreed to place "no trespassing" or "no dumping" signs. Miss Reyes advised getting police-issued no-trespassing signs, saying, "The ones I would recommend that you get are through our police department."

The magistrate reduced the daily-fine component and ordered a combined payment for the 910 North 13th Street case of $1,975, consisting of $975 in hard costs (vendor payment and the $100 administration charge) plus a $1,000 reduced fine, payable within 30 days. The magistrate warned that if the reduced amount was not paid within 30 days it would revert to the full billed balance.

At 1012 North 13th Street, city staff said the December vendor abatement and administrative charge resulted in a billed balance of $5,750: $750 vendor cost, $100 administration charge and $4,900 in daily fines. Joseph Mercer, who appeared, said he keeps the grass cut and disputed some trimming calls but acknowledged the vendor had lifted trees and cleared underbrush. Mercer also told the magistrate that a prospective buyer had balked because of fines on other parcels he owns.

City staff told the magistrate that "code enforcement liens do spread to all parcels that are owned under the same name," and offered to research Mercer’s question after the hearing. The magistrate reduced the 1012 North 13th Street total to $1,000, made up of $850 in required hard costs (vendor plus administration) and a $150 reduced fine, and allowed a 90-day payment period. The magistrate again warned the owner that failure to pay within the agreed term could revert the balance to the full amount billed.

The hearing also included administrative notes that several other cases were in compliance and that case 24-1147 at 432 North 11th Street was not represented and would be rescheduled. Staff read the department’s standard notice procedures for hearings required by state statute 162.12.

Votes at a glance: The magistrate issued orders in two contested Massey hearings and set payment schedules rather than imposing the full billed daily fines.

- LTCL-2024-37910 (910 North 13th St.): Order reduced total due to $1,975 (vendor/admin $975 + reduced fine $1,000), payable in 30 days; failure to pay reverts to full balance.

- LTCL-2024-177 (1012 North 13th St.): Order reduced total due to $1,000 (vendor/admin $850 + reduced fine $150), payable in 90 days; failure to pay reverts to full balance.

What happened next: City staff said they would email copies of the adjusted invoices and orders to the property owners and meet after the hearing to discuss liens and related parcels.

(Reporting by the Fort Pierce Code Enforcement hearing transcript; quotes and figures taken from the hearing record.)