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MONROE COUNTY · LOCALlocal legislationAgenda Ready
Local Impact

Code Enforcement Hearing: 1514 5th Street

Original title: Case # 25-1671 John and Melanie Zahner 1514 5th Street Sec. 14-37 Building permits; professional plans; display of permits; address; exceptions Sec. 58-61 Determination of levy of charge Sec. 90-363 Certificate of occupancy, required Sec. 18-601 License required Sec. 122-1371 Transient living accommodations in residential dwellings; regulations Sec. 122-1371 D(9) Transient living accommodations in residential dwellings; regulations Sec. 66-87 Business tax receipt for all holdings themselves out to be engaged in business Officer Alma Montano Hand Posted: 4-21-2026- Amended Notice Initial Hearing: 12-18-2025 Continued from 28 May 2026 Count 1: Failure to apply and obtain the appropriate building permits with the City of Key West Building Department. Count 2: Failure to apply and obtain a LUD with the City of Key West Licensing Department. Count 3: Failure to apply and obtain a Certificate of Occupancy with the City of Key West Building Department. Count 4-20: Failure to obtain a transient medallion and license to advertise and rent short-term. Count 21-23: Failure to obtain all required city, county and state licensing to advertise and rent short-term. Count 24-40: Failure to obtain all required city, county and state licensing to advertise and rent short-term. Count 41: Failure to apply and obtain a license from the City of Key West Licensing Department.

June 25, 2026

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The Frame

What this does

The property owners face potential legal and financial penalties for 41 alleged violations of city code regarding building permits and short-term rental operations at their residence.

Who is mentioned in the record

Potentially affected actors named in the source documents. Mention is not a position.

John and Melanie Zahner

The property owners are the subjects of the code enforcement action and face potential penalties for the listed violations.

City of Key West

The city is the enforcing agency responsible for ensuring compliance with local building and licensing codes.

What changed

Last recorded activity June 25, 2026.

What's next

Next step not available in the current record.

Summary

This document outlines a code enforcement case against John and Melanie Zahner regarding their property at 1514 5th Street in Key West. The property owners face 41 counts of alleged violations related to building permits, occupancy certificates, and short-term rental licensing.

Key Facts

  • Case #25-1671 involves 41 total counts of alleged code violations at 1514 5th Street.
  • Count 1: Failure to obtain required building permits.
  • Count 2: Failure to obtain a LUD (Land Use Designation/License) from the Licensing Department.
  • Count 3: Failure to obtain a Certificate of Occupancy.
  • Counts 4-20: Failure to obtain a transient medallion and license for short-term rentals.
  • Counts 21-23: Failure to obtain required city, county, and state licenses for short-term rentals.
  • Counts 24-40: Failure to obtain required city, county, and state licenses for short-term rentals.
  • Count 41: Failure to apply for a license from the Licensing Department.
  • The initial hearing was held on 12-18-2025.
  • The case was continued from 28 May 2026.
  • An amended notice was hand-posted on 4-21-2026.

Frequently Asked Questions

What are the owners accused of?
The owners are accused of 41 counts of failing to obtain necessary building permits, certificates of occupancy, and required city, county, and state licenses for operating short-term rentals.
When did this case start?
The initial hearing for this case was held on December 18, 2025.

Why It Matters

The property owners face potential legal and financial penalties for 41 alleged violations of city code regarding building permits and short-term rental operations at their residence.

News Coverage

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Sponsors

Discoveries

Patterns POLISCOPE noticed across the record. These are observations to investigate, not conclusions.

temporal pattern90% confidence

Extended Case Duration

The case has been active since at least December 2025 and was continued into May 2026, indicating a lengthy enforcement process.

Connected Entities

location1514 5th StreetThe property address subject to the code enforcement action.Map →
personJohn ZahnerProperty owner named in code violation case.Map →
personMelanie ZahnerProperty owner named in code violation case.Map →
personAlma MontanoOfficer responsible for the case.Map →
organizationCity of Key WestLocal government body enforcing the codes.Map →

Sources

Open source document

webapi.legistar.com

Analysis Score

0–100
  • Significance40
    How much this matters to a regular citizen
  • Controversy30
    Intensity of disagreement among stakeholders
  • Entertainment10
    Compellingness for a non-policy-wonk reader
  • Buzz10
    Current news / social attention level

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