Code Enforcement Board

Code Enforcement Board — February 25, 2026 - 5:13 PM

>> roll call MR. John connell. Present MR. Keon williams present MR. Ramos. Present MR. Javier rodriguez present. We have a quorum. Uh member guillen has asked for an excused absence. So moved. Second all in favor? Aye. >> good evening everybody here this evening is either here for a special appearance extension of time or mitigation. Um, if you're here for an extension of time, come up, state your name, your property address, what you've done and how much time you need. The city will likely make a recommendation as to how much time you need. The board will vote, you'll have your time and you can go about your evening. Beneath the podium there's a paper which tells you how you request an extension of time. If you're here you probably know already already know how to do it but take it for good measure in case you don't get to finish before the time has expired, you can ask for a time before it has expired. If you hear from mitigation the director has graciously handed out these little handouts. This is all the board can do to help you with your mitigation. This is as far as it can go so study it while you wait and you'll understand why the board can only mitigate to x amount and why they can't go below that. Um when you come up for mitigation state your name the address the board will vote at the conclusion of the board of voting I will walk over and pick up your mitigation order and walk back this way. Wait for me over here. You'll get your mitigation order and a paper that tells you how to pay your mitigation. Okay. Uh, all the orders of the board are appealable to the 11th judicial circuit within 30 days. I'm sorry. The order the order of business, MR. Chair, is special appearance, elt and mitigation. Isn't that. >> the first case? Special appearance, page 57 case number 00112447 address property address 1921 southwest 13th avenue page 57 in code check. Good afternoon. My name is. Other side. Thank you. Good afternoon. My name is angela portalupi I'm here in regards to code compliance case 112447 the property address is 1921 southwest 13th avenue. Okay. >> and what's your relationship to the property? >> I'm the owner. Okay. >> do you live there? I do not okay. Um. >> all right. What addresses are you seeking a partial release for? The address is in the it's 11244 northwest 58th terrace. Hold on 1124 northwest. 11244 northwest 58th terrace. 58th terrace okay. Is there a unit number or just. It's a it's a home no unit number 11244. Doral florida. Yes okay that's the only one. There's another one. The request form on the website only allows me to input one address. Which is fine. What's the other one you're seeking the partial release for. 3341 southwest 21st street. And that's in the city, right? That was in the. City that city of miami. Correct. Are any of these your homestead property? His has the 3341 has a homestead extension. >> no no yours. Mine's the one in miami has a homestead exemption. Is that your homestead exemption. 1921 is there's three properties in question okay. >> so let's 1921 is a rented property so it doesn't have homestead exemption on it. It's not rented I have a family member that lives there. Okay but you don't live there so it's not homestead exemption by law it would be illegal. [Laughter] Wait, you just told me that you lived there? I asked, you. Know he said he doesn't live. He said he doesn't live in 1921 because he doesn't. I've been [Laughter] Living out of the country for 20 years. I just came back recently. Okay. What about this issue in JANUARY? That's why. Is that if as the owner you do not reside there it would be illegal to have homestead exemption and it's not a huh at all. I'm just letting you know. Can I can I ask a question. But is there are there any other properties for which you're seeking a partial release? There are two properties in miami-dade county which I'm seeking a partial release for. So you already gave me two properties. >> there's three in total I can I can. What's the third property. Okay so the lien is clouding my name and under my name there are three titles in miami dade. Two of these properties are in. What is the third property address? I'll list them all because I don't know sir. Sir sir sir, just answer the question all she wants. She doesn't want to list. I understand, but it's subject to interpretation. I don't remember which one I said first I don't remember which. So we've got 11244 northwest 58th terrace we have 3341 southwest 21st street and we have one more what's the third? >> the third one is 1921. That's this property correct. So you're seeking a release from the property. >> the code compliance case. >> that's. The 1921 okay. And that's it. Those are the only properties. In miami-dade county okay. >> you keep saying miami-dade county do you have an. Well I've been living out of the country for 20 years. So I mean. >> you said. >> that context I mean, you know. All right well I don't go any further than miami-dade county so okay okay go ahead. Okay. >> so we are both unemployed right now so we are requesting the partial lien release on these two properties that are not involved in the code compliance issue since one of the properties is a fix and flip and we are relying on this for our income in 2025 and 2026, we didn't achieve sale in 2025 when we attempted to sell it this year at the beginning of the year.. >> but but be specific which property are you referring. To for for northwest 58th terrace. That's your that's your flip and it's going to be your source of income correct okay okay. And then the second house that we're requesting the partial release is his homestead which is being affected because of the property that I have that had the code compliance issue because I am half owner of his property. Okay okay. Um all right. Do you have a contract for sale on 11244I. >> have I brought the first page for two contracts. >> yes or no. I do. Okay so they're asking is a yes or no. I do. >> okay okay when is the closing date. I don't know by memory but we can review the contract right now. Do you have a contract for sale and purchase on 3341 southwest 21st street? No, that is his homestead. So there's no sense of urgency as to that property. I don't think that we really need to consider that at this at this time. >> I understand okay. Would you like to see the contract? >> I would like to know the closing date. For. >> MR. Chair. Question. Yes, sir. Um, do we know why the property hasn't been completed yet? We need to ask that as well if you want to look into that. Yeah. >> the the 1921 property. The buyer was offering to close within 45 days and this contract was signed on FEBRUARY 5th. Okay, so you're in contract. We're in contract. Okay. >> right. And then um vice chair had a question regarding what have you done to get compliance on 1921 southwest 13 avenue? Well, since I wasn't living in the country I just discovered I'm going to get to your question this on JANUARY 6th when we applied for a refinance on the flip and flip and the bank denied us because there was a lien on it, that's when we were aware I came down. Right now I'm in saint augustine. I drove down this morning to come and come to this and I've been coming every other week. I'm already acquainted with the people at the at the office. When I reviewed their files I found some inconsistencies because there is two cases one is an identical clone of the first one right? The affidavit the notification of compliance. I'm uncertain as to what the facts of the underlying case for which they failed to appear are relevant to his request for partial release. It's not the relevance. I think it's more of a um when considering whether or not to release the lien our inquiry is directed as to are they taking steps to cure the problem on the offending property or are we just going to release this lien and still nothing. Right now the property owner is under the impression that because there was a case opened and then closed improperly and then reopened that he doesn't need to come into compliance. He also believes that statute like that the city code doesn't require it. So he has been for the past two months. I will let you know. For the past two months he's been consistently at the the offices. He's gone to the mayor's office, he's gone. So he is working to try to figure it out that I can tell you we MAY disagree about the end result but he has certainly moving forward wanting to bring the particular issue on the 1921 property into compliance. Okay. >> we're not. Disputing the facts or like. I was going to. >> say trying to say is he just letting it ride and no. >> I think he's he's been extremely vigilant. We'd probably be an understatement okay. Um he is he's yeah I mean he's really he's going everywhere. He's trying to work to resolve it. And while we MAY disagree on certain things he definitely has been working to. >> I think that's what the board wants to. Figure it out one way or the other. Yes. Are you fixing the underlying problem that's causing the encumbrance? I've been working on it two months. I come down to miami every week. You know I've had a couple zoom calls with the director. I know the I know the assistant director. I know everybody at the office I've been up to to MRS. Dooley's floor. I've been up to the city manager to the mayor's floor trying to resolve it with. Everybody decide what to do by motion. Yeah, but I'm thinking. Now I didn't know if the gentleman who's partial owner if he wanted to say something because you said there was no urgency and he kind of a little bit so I didn't know if there was something else he needed to say. Please state your name. Good evening. My name is alvaro reals. Um I am I'm partial owner of two of the three properties the 11244 northwest 58th terrace and the 3341 southwest 21 street. Um, I wanted to add that it is, um pertinent that um, to me that the liens get removed off of both properties because I was looking to refinance my homestead property since I've been without a job unfortunately and still looking for one. Um so I'm actually relying on both investment properties, right. One's investment one is my homestead in order to survive and it's this these liens are costing me great hardship. Okay, great. Does anybody want to discuss or make a motion. Or the only the only thing that I would say is that maybe the 1921 property probably should have had a higher per diem because. You can't change that. I'm just talking out loud. You can't you can't do that and you can't provide that property with a release. You can only consider the two other properties. >> I just know it's going to come before us for mitigation. So um do we have a motion as far as the releases whether 1 or 2 both. Well I just want to make. >> sure can we just release the one that has a contract? I mean that's my initial thought and then. I would have to agree with that because the other one is just. You know. >> I. Mean you had a comment the gentleman had a comment. Yes sir. It just. Can I have. >> a quick statement? Yeah. >> regarding the one where he lives I was just a cosigner because he had an issue when his father passed away in probate. So I had to cosign him for him to be able to secure his house. And regarding the second lien, I'm just trying to get the problem that I'm in off of my friend. I mean this has nothing you know the first one the one in doral that is actually my investment property and that was my income for this year. So you're saying you caused a problem for your friend because of this lien? I own the house. So legally they're going to say the owner caused a problem. I didn't do it myself. But yeah. I mean I'm amenable to it so I don't mind motion. Make a motion. Do I need to state the two properties or. Um do you have a motion regarding 11244 northwest 58th street or 58th terrace a release and a release partial release also as to 3341 southwest 21st street in the city of miami you have a motion for. Those so moved. We have a second.. Second all in favor? Aye okay. Thank you very much. All right. I have to prepare the document which will be tomorrow. I think you have my email address. If not, come and get my card. You can email me in the morning so that I have your emails and then I can send you a copy of the document that I'll be sending to do the release. >> that's great. Thank you very much. Okay. >> any other special appearance? How do you. Turn that thing? Oh. You look at the little cheat. Yeah. >> look at the little cheat sheet here. Gotcha gotcha gotcha gotcha. Yeah, there's another 140 308 northwest 18th avenue okay. It's an add on. Next um we would start with um extension of time. Is there another add on? There's a few more add ons but they're not they're not special. Those are mitigations. Oh okay. Oh it just says gotcha so that's why there's two 140 this. They MAY not have checked in so. Okay got. It they're just mitigations. Oh it just says special so we don't know the difference of what it is so yeah. Um next case it's an extension of time this is city view agenda page 18 case number c20210197388 on property address 1642 southwest 18th avenue page 18 city view agenda. In city view. 1642 I don't think that's. The I don't think that's right. No no. Not in our book probably another page. Did they look at these and make sure yes. Please state your name for the record. Good evening MR. Chair. Members of the board mickey marrero 200 south biscayne boulevard here on behalf of the property owners. Okay. >> and this was work performed without a permit. Correct. >> I'll be very brief. I did speak to staff before this is, uh you MAY have heard this before some of you for a few years. This is a family that bought this house because they needed a space for the abuelo to live to take care of the kids. They're working family. This is a perfect home. When they bought it, they went to, uh, to resurface the driveway, you know, got a permit when the permit was applied for, they found out that the home they bought even though they had no violations or no notice before that additions were I was going to live was done without permits. They had no idea. So it turned out not only was it done without permits but it was a zoning violation and setbacks. So that's when they hired our firm. So my firm it was like a year and a half to get a warrant to thankfully we're able with the city's help to legalize that addition through zoning that was done the last time I came for an extension. They this is a working family. This is not a big development firm. They didn't know they had to deal with this. It took them a while to then after that whole process raised the money they've now retained an architect who is preparing the building permit plans. Now they have the zoning entitlement and that's going to be submitted in the next couple of months. So for now it's staff about 120 days. When I'm back here again they'll probably at least have a permanent process hopefully issued. But it's been a long process for them and they've had to go you know into into the coffers to get money for this. >> and director you're good with the 120 request. No objection. Yes. Do we have a motion for 120 days. So moved. All in favor? Aye aye. Thank you. MADAM Clerk. Please have somebody looking at the other one. Your pages on your agenda are not accurate to the pages in the book for city view. So maybe vanessa can sit there and fix the page numbers on the agenda for you. Okay. >> by looking at the calendar. MADAM Attorney, maybe we just i just went off the digital one I guess. If we yeah, I. Don't mind if we have to. We'll just go off the digital. Okay. >> next case um code check agenda page three case number 00079836 property address 513 north east 66th street page three code check agenda. Good evening ma'am. >> good evening. Please state your name for the record. My name is marilyn charles. >> and what's your relationship to MR.. MR. Is under my husband's name but he's traveling so I'm representing him. Okay and how much time do you need. 180 days. 180 yeah because once the permit we're still actively working on closing the building permit. Once the permit is granted, we have to place an order for a custom casement windows and that's a 90 day delivery deadline. Okay. >> uh, director, what's your suggestion? >> we recommend 120. Okay. >> do we have a motion for 120? So moved. We have a second. All in favor? You can always request more time. >> there's a paper though that you can ask for more time. Thank you, thank you. Okay. >> next case would be the city view agenda. Sorry. >> page ten. Uh one second. That is on page 28. Okay 28. One second. Mitigations now. Yes mitigations. >> so that was all the votes? Yes it was only two. Okay okay. A couple of mitigations complied before the hearing so which is always good. Okay okay um case number c2017017927. property address 801 northwest 32nd street page ten. Page 2020. Sorry this is a six unit apartment building. The leon ran to $676,750 as a commercial property. The minimum is $15,000. Good evening sir. Good afternoon, MR. CHAIRMAN. MADAM City clerk, city attorney MR. Frank I will take the minimum mitigation amount for $15,000. >> do we have a motion? What is. >> so moved? Do we have a second? Second? >> all in favor? Aye. Thank you so much. We'll get you the order. And now it's time to get your exercise. Thanks. >> okay. >> please call the next one. Next case page 41 code check agenda 00076136 property address 5538 northwest fifth avenue. Page 41. This property is a duplex without homestead exemption but it is a duplex. Leon ran to $62,500. The minimum is $10,000 or by a unanimous vote you can take it down to as low as zero. Good evening sir. Good afternoon. My name is roy vigil. I'm representing for my mom. What's your mom's name? Uh, pamela vigil. Okay. >> all right, so she's here on the. All right. I worked on the permits putting it together. Uh ,the permit was submitted for the plans, uh, APRIL 14th that day, uh, MR. Adrian ayala helped me submit the plans and then I told him subsequently I have to get an extension of time. So what he did he recommended me to, uh, unsafe structure. I gave him all the information. He has it and he recommended me unsafe structure. So I called unsafe structures. Spoke to MR. Allen. MR. Allen told me just, uh, email unsafe structure and then you get immediate response. I said do I have to pay a fee? He said no, I did that. I got an immediate response and subsequently I got a mail in the letter for the lien. So I called the officer uh, MRS. Georges that's what that was on the case and I said hey, I did an extension. She said no, that was the wrong thing. So I immediately went to her office but I missed her. She went in the field and I ended up talking to a MR. Jacob midland. He's he's the supervisor right .And he told me I explained to him what happened. My mom spoke to him also. He told me to send him the email that I got the response to send it to him and MRS. George's I did that he said if if I had closed the case he would be able to help me but the case was still open subsequently we got everything done by DECEMBER 22nd I closed it. I emailed him back in the same email with MRS. George and him and let him know everything is closed and she told me hey listen I'm going to come and inspect the place and then she gave me uh information on how to mitigate the lien and that's why I'm here right now. >> I got a question. >> you understand everything was I went through the process. I just got the wrong information. I have a question for you. Yes, sir. Is this your homestead? No no no no, this is my my my mom and my dad's investment. That's they can't work anymore. So that's what's helping them stay alive right now. And I'm just helping my mom and my dad. We have a motion for zero or motion. So your mom your mom does not live at the property? No no no no. Okay. It's a rental. Yeah. >> here's the I have the picture of the property. Does your mom live here? Yeah. >> in the state of florida? >> yes. The city of miami. Uh, no no no, she lives in, uh, dade county, um, incorporated. Uh, miami-dade? Yes. Are they rented? Yeah, the property is a rental. Yeah, that's what's taking care of them right now because both of them can't work. That just had a stroke. He can't do the work anymore. So me and my brothers, we're keeping the property running and we're fixing what needs to be done and we're helping them to stay alive. You know? Right. >> the whole property is rented, sir. Yeah. >> upstairs and downstairs is renting. Yes, yes. I'll make a motion for zero. Do we have a second? Yeah. >> I'll second. All in favor I. Thank you guys. Appreciate you. Thank you. Mhm. >> next case page 26 code check agenda case number 00098597 property address 1021 southwest fifth street page 26 code check. This is a four unit building. The leon ran two $106,250. The minimum is $15,000. Good evening sir. Good evening, lance olsen the owner. And is this a rental property? It is a rental property. Okay. >> yes, it's a four unit. Four unit. Okay. I didn't know if you said two unit or four. Okay it's commercial. Yes. commercial four unit okay. And um, based on the use of the property four unit um, the minimum that we can go down to is 15,000. Are you okay with that? No, it was a there was a crack in the stucco. I had a painter out there and he said oh it's getting wet there. So I said oh okay pull it back. And he tore the entire front of the building off. So I've never had a violation. I've never had a. >> did you sue him. Was also certificate of use and failure to have your q and beta it was more than just a work without a permit case. Did you sue your contractor? No. >> he went out of business and then I had to find a new contractor and then I had to get an architect and I had so the whole thing was a I mean I'm lucky he found it eventually because we fixed all the wood but it was never a violation of like danger to the community or the tenants. Um we fixed it and it was an arduous process and it took a year and a half. I mean it was unbelievable and it was just a stucco facade of a $10,000 job is. >> but they didn't have a beater also correct. And clearly um it was a lot of rotting wood so oh yeah a lot of termite and rotting wood damage. So it wasn't just a facade issue. You were going to be required to have a permit to do all of that work anyway for sure. That's not contractor error. That's not somebody who did a bad job. That's somebody who needed to pull a permit to do the work on your house anyway but didn't. For sure. >> but I mean this is [Laughter] Not oh it's an oops something came off and then oh look what he did. Tore the whole thing. I mean. >> this is but that's why it went to unsafe [Laughter] Structures because he did it without a permit and without telling me. Right. >> and you also didn't have a certificate of use or beta for the property. And I've paid the fees the fines um, unsafe structures had 800 fees that I just paid. Yeah. >> um yeah. Unfortunately in this situation here our hands are tied. Uh, our little metrics say we can only go as low as 15,000. Okay. >> yeah, but I'll make a motion for it. Yeah. >> I'll second. All in favor I 15,000. They're going to get you an order just. I don't remember. Next case page 22 case number 00025676 property address 605 northwest 65 street code check agenda page 22. This property is a single family home. It does not have homestead exemption. Um, where's MISS Hill? Um, she's the previous owner. We acquired the property back in OCTOBER. Good evening. Good evening. What's your name? Daniel cardenas. Okay. >> um, I'm going to wait for our board attorney just to confirm. I'm sure. Did you have a power of attorney to come I. There's they're the new owners. Okay. >> so you purchased it? Yes, sir. Yeah. >> so it's a single family home, not homestead exempt. Went to $226,250. The minimum is $10,000 or you can go as low as ze