Thursday, June 18, 2009

Lake Worth Code Enforcement

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It might be difficult to imagine as you ride or walk around our city that Code Enforcement is on the job. I want to assure you that they are!

I was at my 2nd Magistrate meeting at City Hall with Alan Ruf, Attorney from Boca Raton who resided as Magistrate over the cases.

What prompted my interest today was The Gulfstream Hotel. As reported on previously, the owners are using this property as a staging facility for another project out of our city by storing huge containers, contents unknown. (Let's hope that the contents are not hazardous) This is against our City Code. They even have a security guard around the clock.

Security guard at an out building on Gulfstream property

If anyone has driven by the Gulfstream, you can't help but notice the containers on the property. Code Enforcement sent the owners, CSC Lake Worth LTD Partnership a certified mail on June 4th letting them know that the containers were against our Code and that their case would be on the docket today. The green card was not returned nor did any owner or representative of the property appear at City Hall today.

Therefore, the owners of The Gulfstream have 10 days to come into compliance. If they do not, a $100 day fine will be imposed. Also, they must pay an administrative fee of $275.75. The Gulfstream is considered vacant commercial property and is assessed at a value of $405,000 even though it sold for over $12 mil in July 2005. Taxes are $8,649.

Two people spoke from the public on this property and one said that $100 a day was not enough. I agree. The City of Lake Worth has bent over backwards for these owners and all they do is stick it in our ear.

I was very impressed with our Code Enforcement inspectors who spoke. They have an extremely tough job particularly when they must enforce the ordinances of our city on an owner who has lost her job and is trying to raise children and put food on the table. One such owner was there and I brought her into Commissioner Mulvehill’s office to see if any help could be found for her. Hopefully, there are agencies out there that can help people such as this owner as she can not afford to pay fines when she has no job.

One owner at 15 S. Palmway bought a property in 2000 which has one more unit on it than allowed by Code. I talked to the owner before the hearing and she told me that she has never been notified until she received a letter of a possible foreclosure proceeding by the City of Lake Worth. The property is in excellent condition, valued at $882,543 on the property tax roles and they pay $20,620 in ad valorem on it. Their attorney and our acting city attorney walked out together and I am confident that something will be worked out with them.

There were 75 cases, with a vast majority heading for foreclosure, that were heard this morning with code enforcement officers, Kerry Hurley, Michael Morabito, Joel Rutsky and Ronny Beltran giving evidence for the City. The files they keep on each property are impressive.

6 comments:

Anonymous said...

People are having a horrible time.There is a very nice (for now ) house in my neighborhood that is in foreclosure. The family that was there just walked away and abandoned it.The neighbors have been mowing the grass. I'm thankful that my family and I can still pay the bills.The foreclosure situation is only going to get worse.Our code officers are doing the best that they can in very rough conditions.Now, as for the BRAT that owns the poor Gulfstream,I guess he thinks he can get away with anything. Oh,wait, so far, HE HAS !!! Our P$$$$$Z unelected board was told by the BRAT to jump,and they said "HOW HIGH"? Usually, people don't jump unless the person telling them to do the jumping has some authority over them. Would ANY other town , ANYWHERE,have accepted having these pods placed where they are ? Of COURSE NOT !! Makes you wonder just how GENEROUS the BRAT has been,and to whom that GENEROSITY has been directed .$$$$$ Katie Mcgiveron

Anonymous said...

I want to know why this hotel has not opened. Why has it sat there closed? This should not be allowed. What can be done?

Anonymous said...

Have any of you looked at the form that lists the most common code violations in our City? #1 Overcrowding- not enforced. #2 No rental lisence- More rentals than Certificate of uses, issued. #3 No permits for repairs.- Rampant West of Dixie. #4 Parking on Landscape- Rampant west of Dixie.#5 Abandoned Vehicles- Yes we have these too. The old Vans with expired Tags, substitute as PODS west of Dixie. #6 Care of Premises- See for yourself, bet you can tell who owns and who rents!#7 Landscaping- Refer to #6. #8 Illegal dwelling unit conversions- Who Knows? #9 Garbage/trash collection- Furniture and mattresses and illegal dumping can be found West of dixie 365 days a year! #10 Hanging clothes on fences bushes, ect. This is usually due to an overabundence of laundry, refer to #1

Anonymous said...

What the heck does this all have to do with the article ?!? Katie Mcgiveron

Anonymous said...

Katie, Lynn has assured us code is on the job! Not so everywhere in the City, and where it is needed most! That's what it has to do with the article!

Lynn Anderson said...

When I talked to one of the Code officers the other day he said that he thought the entire City should be in the CRA District--it was all blighted. There are only a handful of inspectors and the number of violators are overwhelming. I know it doesn't look like much is happening but it is. Come to the next Magistrate meeting--it will be an eye opener.