Read a statement. Welcome to the July 2026 meeting of the Alachua County Code Enforcement Special Magistrate Hearing. Purpose of this hearing is to hear alleged code violations filed by various departments of Alachua County, Florida. The Code Enforcement Special Magistrate was established by Florida Statutes Chapter 162 and Alachua County Ordinances to obtain compliance with various county ordinances and regulations. I have no authority to change the ordinances or any of the regulations we will be addressing today. That can only be done by the Alachua County Board of County Commissioners. The Code Enforcement Magistrate can determine if a violation has occurred, set a date for full compliance, and levy a fine for noncompliance. My decisions can only be appealed to the courts and not to the Board of County Commissioners. The procedure will follow is the Secretary will call the case today. County staff will present its case. Respondent shall have an opportunity to speak and present its offense to the case, and the respondent will speak over here at this other podium. I will make a decision at a future date, and the respondent will be notified by mail of that decision. All persons testifying today will do so under oath by swearing or affirming that they will tell the truth. Any evidence in the form of documents or photographs must be submitted to the Secretary and Clerk for inclusion in the record. Please silence your phones so they don't interrupt the proceedings. Anybody who's been planning on testifying today, please stand, and we'll swear you in. So that includes staff and respondents, if you're testifying today. Go ahead. Do you swear or affirm that the testimony you are about to give in these cases today will be the truth and the whole truth? All right. Thank you. You can be seated. Okay. You want to call the first case, please? Case number 26-003941, Alachua County versus Davis Carl E. Jr. Someone representing Carl Davis here. Someone representing Carl Davis here. Seeing none, please proceed, County. 2-6-0-0-3-9-4-1 County received a complaint on April 30th regarding clearing of trees and demolition of a structure. The property is located at 1221 Southeast 27th Street, Gainesville, in Alachua County. Identified by parcel number 16149-0000. Owner of the property is Carl Davis. Code administration initiated enforcement proceedings and found there to be a violation of the following sections of Alachua County Code. 402.140B, improvement of property prior to issuance of a building permit, which is the demolition of the structure. And 406.16.3, penalty for an unauthorized removal, which is clearing of the trees. The respondent was provided a reasonable time to correct the violations. Notice of violation was sent to the respondent that included corrective actions. Ongoing inspections conducted to date have determined the respondent remains in violation of the said Alachua County Code sections. My last inspection of the property was July 3rd or 2nd. I have good service of notices and statements of violation to the respondent sent by certified mail, receipt, or postings. Copies have been provided to the magistrate and are requested to be entered into evidence. I have had no contact with the respondent regarding the violations. Photographs being presented were taken by myself and accurately reflect the violations and ask they be admitted into evidence. The county recommendation is the respondent be found in violation of the said section of the code. Order the respondent come into compliance within 30 days by complying with the corrective actions listed in the notice of violation. And if not in compliance, then pay a fine in the amount of $100 for each day the violation continues past the date set for compliance. Please note, fines listed about only reflect the demolition of the structure of violation. Unauthorized removal of trees will be addressed by the senior forester following this testimony. County has incurred $350 in cost in bringing the action to hearing. Okay. Again, is someone here representing Carl Davis? Go ahead with the tree presentation. Yes, Andrew Canigla, senior forester. Good morning. As evidenced in the picture, the parcel contains several trees that appear to be of heritage size. So the county would have a mitigation requirement of replanting three trees, 15-gallon size, and or a fee-in-lieu payment of $260 per tree if they choose not to replant. So were you three trees cut? Three trees. If they paid money instead of replanting, how much would it be? Yeah, they would pay $260 per tree. So it's $260 times three. Okay, so $750. Yes. If my math is correct. Yeah, that is based on the fact that at least three of those trees appear to be a heritage tree. Heritage tree, okay. What species were the trees? Do you know? Not 100% sure. Okay. All right. Again, it's Mr. Davis here. Are you seeking any additional prosecution costs or penalties? No, Your Honor. Okay. Thank you. All right. That will close. Case number one. Call case number two, please. Case number 26-002838. Alachua County versus Nader Arlene Ayers. I believe there's an attorney. And let's go ahead and get you on the record. Hi, I'm Teresa Fulmer. I'm not here representing the estate of Arlene Nader. I'm here representing the bank. We foreclosed on this property. Okay, so you're your attorney. I just want to make clear for the record. Okay, thank you. So you're representing the bank who is now foreclosed on the property. Yes, the title was issued on 6-23. So we're now in the process of getting bids in order to cure the violation. Mm-hmm. And I would just ask for some time in order to do that, 45, 60 days. That's fine. Let's go ahead and let the county get this case on the record. But I have no objections to, and I don't think the county will either, since you're going to fix the problem. So go ahead. Hi, again, Andrew Coniglio, Senior Forester. In the code enforcement case 26-002838, the county received a complaint on March 28, 2026, regarding the property located at the following address, 11131 Northwest 11th Avenue, Gainesville, in Alachua County, Florida, and identified by the parcel number 04321-028-023. Okay, stop me just to make sure that somebody, is anybody representing Arlene Nader Ayers here? Seeing none, please proceed. Code administration initiated a enforcement proceeding and found there to be a violation of the following sections of the Lachua County Code of Ordinances. That would be 7429 prohibited structures. The respondent was provided with a reasonable time to correct the violations. A notice of violation was sent to the respondent that included corrective actions. Ongoing inspections conducted to date have determined that the respondent remains in violation of the said Lachua County Code sections. The last inspection of the property was July 1st, 2026. I have good service of notices and statements of violation to respondents sent by certified mail receipt or posting. Copies have been provided to the magistrate and I request that they be entered into evidence. I have had no contact with the respondent regarding the violations. The photographs being presented were taken by myself and accurately reflect the violations. And I ask that they be admitted into evidence. The county recommends the respondent be found in violation of the said sections of the code. I would order the respondent to come into compliance within 30 days, but we would be agreeable to an extension. Okay. By complying with the corrective actions listed in the NOV, which is to remove the treason. If not, then pay a final amount of $50 for each day. The violations continue past the date set for compliance. The county has incurred $210 in bringing this action to hearing. Okay. So how much time do you think would be reasonable? I mean, because if you're going to fix the problem, I don't want you to have to come back. Right. So 60 days. County comfortable with 60 days? County will be comfortable. Okay. So I'll go ahead. The order will have that. It'll come out, but you'll have 60 days. And please stay in touch with, so when it gets done, let them know, because then they can give you a couple, they'll give you a notice. Okay. So I will give to her so she can contact me. That's fine. And as soon as it's done, then they can issue a compliance notice and it all goes away. Yeah. I'd rather not have to drive back. Yeah. I understand. Well, you can do Zoom. I, well, that's good to know. So if you had to, I just want to let you know. But hopefully you won't. Yes. Hopefully I won't. Okay. Thank you very much. You're welcome. Thank you for appearing. You too. Okay. Would you call case number three? Case number 26-001342, Brown, Sylvester L. Okay. Is there someone here representing Sylvester Brown? Somebody here representing Sylvester Brown? Seeing none, please proceed. My name is, good morning. My name is Andrew Canigo, Senior Forester with Alachua County. In the code enforcement case 26-001342, the county received a complaint on February 12th, 2026, regarding the property located at the following address, 113 Southeast 43rd Street, Gainesville, in Alachua County, Florida, and identified by parcel number 10866-100-007. Code administration initiated an enforcement proceeding that found there to be a violation of the following sections of Alachua County Code 7-429, prohibited. The respondent was provided with a reasonable time to correct the violations. A notice of violation was sent to respondent that included corrective actions. Ongoing inspections conducted to date have determined that the respondent remains in violation of the said Alachua County Code sections. The last inspection of the property was on June 30th, 2026. I have good service of notices and statement of violations to respondents sent by a certified mail receipt or posting. Copies have been provided to the magistrate, and I request they be entered into evidence. I have had no contact with the respondent regarding the violations. The photos being presented were taken by myself and accurately reflect the violations, and I ask that they be admitted into evidence. The county recommends the respondent be found in violation of the said sections of the code, order the respondent to come with the compliance within 30 days by complying with the corrective actions listed in the NOV, and if not, then pay a fine in the amount of $50 for each day the violations continue past the date set for compliance. The county has incurred $280 in bringing this action to hearing. Okay, all right. Again, is anybody here representing Sylvester Brown? Seeing none. Okay, conclude that case. Go to case number four, please. Case number 26-002492-LNGNL-Louisio-LLC. Someone here representing Corporation. If you want to have a seat over there by the podium. County, please proceed. Thank you. Morning, Michael Williams, Code Officer Alachua County. In Code Enforcement Case 26-002492, Code Administration Division received a complaint from Chris Hall, building inspector on 319-2026 regarding property located at 1024 Southwest 60th Terrace in Gainesville, Florida, in Alachua County, identified by parcel number 066-75-009029. The owner of the property is G&L Lizzo, LLC. Code Administration initiated an enforcement proceeding per Chris Hall, the building inspector, due to violation of the following sections of Alachua County Code of Ordinances, 402.140B, improvement of property prior to issuance of building permit. The respondent was provided a reasonable time to correct the violations. A notice of violation, notice of hearing, was sent to the respondent on May 18, 2026 via certified mail with a compliance date of June 22, 2026. It has been noted that a stop work order was issued for windows, siding, and electrical work on December 3, 2024 by building inspector Mark Banville. More recently, per my conversation with assistant building official Chris Hall on 7-1-2026, 1024 West, excuse me, Southwest 60th Terrace, scheduled an inspection on 7-1, and that inspection actually approved the windows and the siding. There is still an electrical permit that is currently expired that needs to be resolved. I have good service of notice and statement of violations to respondents sent by certified mail, receipt of posting. Copies have been provided to the magistrate, and I request that they be entered into evidence. I have had no contact with the respondent regarding the violations at this property. The photographs being presented were taken by building inspector from growth management and accurately reflect the violations, and I ask that they be admitted into evidence. The county's recommendation that the respondent be found in violation and be given an additional 45 days in order to comply or a fine of $150 per day be imposed. The county has incurred $210 in costs in bringing this case to hearing. Okay. Would you identify yourself for the record? Gregory G. Liuzzo. Okay, and I assume you're the owner of the corporation. I'm the owner of the corporation, yes. Okay, all right. So what can you tell me? Because the county has suggested giving you an additional 45 days to come to compliance. Correct. So the contractor that I've been involved with, he thought he came into compliance when I went down and asked what the requirement was, and it was miscommunication more than likely on my part, but they said they needed more information for his electrical. Right, because everything else is fine. So we're only talking about the electrical. Electrical, right. Well, originally, two months ago when I went down, when I first got this, I thought he was in compliance, and he still wasn't. He never notified me of that. So when I found out a couple days ago that we still weren't in compliance, I ran down, we figured out what the issue was. I tried yesterday to pay for the electrical permit that was expired. Chris and I met out there yesterday, which he walked through the windows and doors. So he passed that, and, again, it was neglect on my part because I thought when the code enforcement officer, the billing department officer went out to look at the electrical, he proved it to be turned on. I didn't know we had to get a final on it. I thought that was the final because there was no work done in that apartment. It was just a couple little things that he needed to get done. And from the meter box, he wanted the bolts to be torqued, which I didn't know. And the electrician didn't torque them and put the torquing on the outside box. For proper contact. It was a simple miscommunication, and I didn't realize I had to close out that permit. Okay. So do you think 45 days is enough? Oh, give me seven days. It'll be done. No, the county's giving me 45. Yeah, 45 days. Don't take less, okay? That will be fine. That will be fine. Okay. So as soon as it's done, though, please let them know it's done. Because then it goes away. Mr. Hall will be my first phone call. Okay. All right. I appreciate that. I appreciate you being here. As you saw, a lot of people don't bother to show up. Well, I did show up, but they told me to leave. Then they had to run and get me. Well, yeah. All right. Good. Thank you. All right. Thank you. Bye-bye. Okay. Let's call case number five, please. Case number 26-002707. Alachua County versus McDermott Thomas M. Is someone here representing Ms. McDermott? Okay. You want to have a seat over there by the podium? I'll let the county give its case, and I'll let you speak. County, please proceed. Okay. Michael Williams, code officer for Alachua County. In code enforcement case 26-002707, the code administration division received a complaint from the citizen serve portal regarding work without permits on 3-24-26, located at 2300 Southwest 56th Avenue, Gainesville, Florida, here in Alachua County, Florida, identified by parcel 07177-002-001. The owner of the property is Thomas M. McDermott. Code administration initiated an enforcement proceeding per Dan Gargis, building official, due to the violation of the following sections of Alachua County code of ordinances 402.140B, improvement of property prior to issuance of a building permit. The respondent was provided a reasonable time to correct the violations. A notice of violation, notice of hearing, was sent to the respondent on May 14th, 2026, via certified mail, with a compliance date of June 18th, 2026. It has been noted that respondent has not pulled any permits as of 7-1-26. I have good service of notice and statements of violation to respondent sent by certified mail, receipt, or posting. Copies have been provided to the magistrate, and I request that they be entered into evidence. I have not had any contact with the respondent regarding the violations at the property. The photographs being presented were taken by the building inspector with growth management, and accurately reflect the violations, and I ask that they be admitted into evidence. The county's recommendation, respondent be filed in violation, respondent be given an additional 45 days in order to comply, or a fine of $150 per day be imposed. The county has incurred $210 in cost in bringing this matter to hearing. Okay. Could you please state your name for the record? Yes, sir. My name is Thomas McDermott. I'm the property owner. Okay. And as the gentleman stated, if you give me 45 days to comply, we'll comply. I was under the impression we didn't need a permit for this work, but if we do, we'll get one. I hired a contractor to do this, and we've been trying to get in touch with Gerald Sapp to work this out. So if you give us 45 days. Okay. County Comfortables, 45 days? Yes, sir. Would you pass for? Yeah, so they're recommending 45, so that's what we'll give it to you. All right. Okay. Thank you, sir. Thank you for being here. Appreciate it. Appreciate it. Go ahead and call the next case, please. Case number 26-003633. Alachua County versus Facco, Sarah, Verdina, and Christopher T. Is there someone here representing the SACOs? Someone here representing the SACOs? Seeing none. County, please proceed. Michael Williams, code officer for Alachua County. Code enforcement case 26-003633. The Code Administration Division received a complaint from Dan Gargis, building official on 4-21-26 regarding the property located at 6725 Northwest 43rd place in Gainesville, Florida, in Alachua County, Florida. Identified by parcel number 06049-013-049. The owner of the property is FACO, Sarah, Verdina, and Christopher T. Code Administration initiate an enforcement proceeding per Dan Gargis, building official, due to the violation of the following sections of Alachua County Code of Ordinances, 402.140B, improvement of property prior to issuance of building permit. The respondent was provided a reasonable time to correct the violations. A notice of violation, notice of hearing, was sent to the respondent on May 26, 2026 via certified mail with a compliance date of June 22, 2026. It has been noted that respondent has not pulled any permits as of 7-1-2026 for enclosure of the back porch, windows and door installation, and electrical work to include the hot tub. I have good service of notices and statements of violation to respondent sent by certified mail, receipt of posting. Copies have been provided to the magistrate, and I request that they be entered into evidence. I have not had any contact with the respondent regarding the violations at the property. The photographs being presented were taken by the building inspector with growth management and accurately reflect the violations, and I ask that they be admitted into evidence. The county's recommendation is that the respondent be found in violation and be given an additional 45 days in order to comply, or a fine of $150 per day be imposed. The county has incurred $210 in cost in bringing this matter to hearing. Okay. Again, is there someone here representing the FACOS? Seeing none, please put your seat in the next case. Case number 26-003688, Alachua County v. Harris, Clarence Edward. Someone representing Mr. Harris. Go ahead and have a seat over there by the podium, please. County, please proceed. Thank you. Michael Williams, code officer for Alachua County. In code case 26-003688. This case was referred to the Code Administration Division on 4-21-2026 by building official Dan Gargis, who observed construction of a room within the garage completed without permits. Dan Gargis, building official on 4-22-26. Let me start over on my apologies. Code Administration Division received a complaint from Dan Gargis, the building official on 4-22-26 regarding work without permits for the property located at 9241 Northwest 23rd Place in Gainesville, Florida, here in Alachua County, Florida, identified by parcel number 0-6234-110-035. The owner of the property is Clarence E. Harris. Code Administration initiated an enforcement proceeding per Dan Gargis, building official due to the violation of the following sections of Alachua County Code of Ordinances 402.140B, improvement of property prior to issuance of a building permit. The respondent was provided a reasonable time to correct the violations. A notice of violation notice of hearing was sent to the respondent on May 26, 2026 via certified mail with a compliance date of 6-22-2026. I have good service of notices and statement of violation to respondents sent by certified mail, receipt, or posting. Copies have been provided to the magistrate, and I request that they be entered into evidence. I have not had any contact with the respondent regarding the violations at the property. The photographs being presented were taken by the building official, Dan Gargis, with growth management and accurately reflect the violations, and I ask that they be entered into evidence. As of 7-1-2026, no permits have been noted applied for regarding improvements to the property. The county's recommendation is that a respondent be found in violation and be given 45 days in order to comply, or a fine of $150 per day be imposed. The county has incurred $210 in cost in bringing this case to hearing. Okay. Please identify yourself for the record. Okay. My name is Clarence Harris. Okay. Are you the owner of the property? I'm the owner of the property. Okay. What can you tell me? On 2-24, so I'm an adult family care home here in Gainesville, which means I can house more than five people. I did erect a, I guess, the building that you see inside of my garage. But I did call Tom from the building department, and I do have phone records, you know, just of when I did do that. And who did you talk with there? His name was Tom, and I don't know his last name right now. Yeah. Okay. And so he told me, I explained to him what I was doing, and he told me that as long as it was a box within a box, I did not have to get a permit for. So at that point, it was like, hey, we're good to go. Well, because I'm a residential group home, the fire department does inspect my home. And Yashica Monroe came on 227, and she had concerns about it. And that's why I talked to Tom, you know, again, just to kind of verify what I had at this particular property. Well, I guess, again, he said it was a box within the box. But because I fall under some fire code standards, the fire department didn't agree with that. So now I got two conflicting things. I did request via email through Holly Banner, and she told me as a normal citizen, I could normally have an office within my garage because I do run a business out of my home. And so from that perspective, you know, I'm still thinking, hey, do I need to have a permit or not? And so, you know, you don't necessarily need permission for something that you don't need a permit for. Let me ask you a question. Do you have electrical that you've installed in the box? No electrical, no plumbing. And all of that stuff, I went over with Tom. Okay. However, I guess to make a long story short, I did not want to fail my fire inspection. I have since taken that property down or taken the building down. You removed the boxes inside the box? Yes. Okay. Yes. And I wish I didn't have to, but, you know, because of what we got going on. But essentially now I only have garage shelves in there. Chief Adler inspected my garage on 512. He saw what I had. He was like, okay, we'll pass you on the fire inspection part because I had tore it down and moved it into something else. So, from that perspective, it is done. It has been corrected. Okay. I do have inspection reports from Chief Adler that show that, and that's where I am. Okay. So, unfortunately, had you been able to talk with – we wouldn't be here because if you took it down, then it's no longer an issue for the county, I presume, right, if it's gone? Because he's saying the box within the garage is gone. Well, actually, I'd like to have Chris Hall from Building speak on that because he'd be a better authority on that. I do have some photos of how it looks today. Just FYI. Go ahead, Chris. I would agree. If the structure has been removed, violations – State who you are for the record. Chris Hall, assistant building official for Alachua County. Okay. So, if I understand you correctly, what you're saying is if he's removed it, it's no longer an issue for you all. And it sounds like he did that because the fire department had a problem with it rather than you all. So, one of the things we need to do is just confirm that it's gone. No, I don't mind. Okay. Well, initially, the – Right. And that's gone now? That is gone. Okay. Absolutely. All right. Mm-hmm. So, you're just storing stuff in the garage now? I'm just storing it now. Okay. All right. What I did have is, you know, I didn't necessarily need a permit, and I do have that in the e-mail thread. I don't know if you need to see that, but it is official records. Do you have a copy of the e-mail with you? I do. Can you just put that up on – let them put up on the overhead? I want the county to be able to talk about that. It should be highlighted. And so, based on that, I think the fire department wanted me to sprinkle – put sprinkler systems within the garage because the rest of my house is sprinkled. Right. However, when Chief Adler came, he said, because I fall on the NFPA 13D from a residential standpoint, he doesn't normally have anyone to sprinkle their garage, especially not for storage or anything like that. Okay. And so – So, let me just go to the county. So, you're comfortable now at this point he's in compliance, or do you need an inspection to actually go out and confirm it's gone? I have not been sworn. Okay. Go ahead. Do you swear or affirm that the testimony you are about to give in these cases today will be the truth and the whole truth? I do. Thank you. Please identify yourself. Missy Daniels, Latchville County Assistant Manager. So, from what I'm hearing, I hear what he says that John Adler, our fire marshal, said to him. He is not here today for the fire violation. I understand, but – And he may or may not be in compliance with that. The last email I saw, he needed the sprinkling. We cannot verify that. If he has removed the structure, we need to verify it. All right. And he would be in compliance. Compliance. And the home office, he doesn't need a permit for, but the discussion with Holly about is he allowed to have it was a different discussion than do you need a permit for building a structure. Right. If he's removed it, as far as building is concerned, he's good. Okay. All right. So, all we need to do is have somebody come out and just verify so they can put it in the records. But at this point, I consider you to be in compliance unless they tell me otherwise. Okay. Well, that'll work. All right. I appreciate you being here, and I'm sorry about the whole thing you had to go through. That's okay. All right. Let's go ahead to case number eight, which is a Zoom case, I believe. Case number 25-009910, Alachua County versus Thomas Jason M. Mr. Thomas, are you on the call? Can you hear me? Yes, I can hear you. Okay. Okay. We're going to let the county go first, and then we'll let you speak. And this is a continuance of the case we heard last week. I've got to take my hat off because this is the courtroom, correct? Yeah. Right. Okay. Let me go ahead and have one before you speak. We'll have you sworn in. But we'll let the county go first. Good morning. My name is Alante Benjamin, Code Officer and Property Maintenance Housing Inspector for Alachua County. This case was brought to the Special Magistrate on June 4, 2026 for violations of the Alachua County Municipal Code. The case was continued due to the septic tank concern for the property. Mr. Thomas has been notified of the septic tank requirements prior to this hearing. In this case, the county received a complaint on 9-19-2025 regarding the property located at address 15116 Southeast U.S. Highway 301 Hawthorne, Alachua County, Florida, and identified by parcel number 20050-003-000. Code Administration initiated an enforcement proceeding and found there to be a violation of the following sections of the Alachua County Code of Ordinances 402.140B, Improvement to property prior to the issuance to a building permit 403.05 single-family residential zoning districts, 403.07 single-family residential standards. The respondent was provided with a reasonable time to correct the violations, and notice of violation was sent to respondent that included corrective actions. Ongoing inspections conducted today have determined that a respondent remains in violation of the said Alachua County Code sections. My last inspection of the property was on June 3, 2026. I have good service of notices and statements of violations to respondent sent by certified mail receipt or posting. Copies have been provided to the magistrate, and I request they be entered into evidence. There has been contact with a respondent up-to-date regarding the violations through email, phone, and on-site September 19, 2025. The photographs being presented were taken by myself and accurately reflect the violations and ask they be admitted into evidence. The county's recommendations that respondent be found in violation of the said sections of the code, or the respondents to come into compliance within 30 days by complying with the corrective actions listed and notice of violation. And if not comply, then pay a fine amount of $300 for each day. The violations continue past the date set for compliance. The county has incurred $280 cost in bringing this action to hearing. Okay. What did we find out about the septic tank? So, I did get in touch with a Ms. Tina Cribs, who works with the Lottery County Health Department, and it was stated that there is a possibility it could have a septic system if all requirements and setbacks are met. However, it will require an enhanced nitrogen-reducing septic system. Okay. Yes, sir. Okay. So, Mr. Thomas, let me get you sworn in. Good. Do you swear or affirm that the testimony you are about to give in these cases today will be the truth and the whole truth? Yes, ma'am. Thank you. Appreciate that. So, what can you tell me, Mr. Thomas? Your Honor, this is nothing but a reiteration of what we went through three weeks ago. Yeah, and all that's still on the record. So, we're going to continue. Right. And nothing has changed. Now, I'm able to put a small manufactured home. I finally talked with Holly, and she explained what the actual definitions of what I can put on there. I've went and looked at several units to put on there that I really wanted to put on there the first time when I bought the property, but I wasn't able to, but the law changed June 1st. So, Holly has helped me understand what I can put on there. I have no problem doing it, and I intend to put it on there. But the problem is I just went through a million-dollar divorce and lost everything, everything. And I intend to put a trailer house on it, have no problem putting it on there. But before I did that, I had two plumbing contractors come and look at putting a septic tank. And they told me exactly the same thing I've told Elante, I've told Holly, I've told everybody. I am too close to the pumps from my adjacent neighbors to put in it, and I do not have enough room because of the narrowness of my lot. So, I said, what about a dump tank? Because the trailers that I use on my job sites are there for a considerable amount of time, and we put dump tanks on them. And they service my dump tank every two weeks, every three weeks. It's only me living there, and I'm only there two to three nights a month. And I want to put – and I've even approached a stainless manufacturer, a friend of mine, and he said, yeah, Jason, I can build you a 300-gallon or a 500-gallon dump tank to put right underneath. Nobody will even know, and then you don't need to upset the fauna or dig up the yard or create any more problems because you've already cleaned up that place. I said, well, now I need to take this to Alachua County. And, Your Honor, I have fought people not calling back, people playing tag on emails. I have Parkinson's disease, and it is very difficult for me to type, and I cannot write. And I have tried. I've been very, very forthwith on everything. And all I want to do is put a trailer house on it, put a 500-gallon dump tank on it, and be done. And I have no problem with that. But, Your Honor, I need time to be able to recover financially. And that is the problem that nobody will listen to. I don't have a problem with doing it. And the other problem is, Your Honor, I called four times, four times, Alachua County Health Department. And I think I probably spoke to the same lady that Alante did. And I told him the situation. I said, please help me. Tell me what to do. And, as usual, nobody does anything. And I'm getting, I mean, as a constituent of the county, this is what we pay for? I mean, come on. This isn't life or death stuff. And people can't call back and have enough respect to understand that you're reaching out to be proactive, to try to do the right thing? Okay, so let me ask, did you get any response from the Health Department about whether a dump tank was possible? Is that to me, Your Honor? Yes, yes, to you. No, sir. I haven't done anything. She did make a comment, though. She said, you know, there could be a special consideration, but I don't know how to do that. And I'm going to have somebody call you. And he was supposed to be someone of authority within Alachua County. This is what the Health Department were talking about. Yes, sir. Yes, sir. The environmental side of it. Alante can kind of tell you what, you know, what that means, that those are the people that take care of the septic tanks. And, no, I was not told about the septic tank that Alante is saying before I bought the piece of property. Because there was a junk septic tank on the piece of property when I bought it that was dumping onto the ground. And I cleaned all of that up and remediated all of that. And I was told when I bought the property, you can't put a trailer house on it. You've got to put a certain type of house on it. Then I went back and they said, no, you can't put that because of holdoffs and distances. So I sure as hell didn't go to the health department because there was nothing to ask the health department without a house there. Right. Okay. So, Alante, what else can you fill me in on? So, I do understand Mr. Thomas having some personal things going on. But also, the county has exhausted all information, all education from Mr. Thomas to get his property into compliance. He has been in communication with Ms. Holly Banner since 2022 pertaining to the exact property on what to place there, how to place it, and what to permit. So, at this point in time, Mr. Thomas has all the education and necessary tools to bring the property into compliance. The county has literally done everything possible to assist Mr. Thomas at this time. That's not true. And I would also like to reflect that we have email communications, phone communications, and notes reflecting that Mr. Thomas has been well aware since 2022 of every process it takes to bring this into compliance. So, now we're at four years, sir. So, at this time, the county doesn't seek any extension of time on his behalf due to the length of time the property has been out of compliance and due to the fact that he was told prior to all these actions on his property on how to go forward with doing his property properly. Yes, Ms. Holly Banner did inform him of the proper structures to put on there. But that also means he's going to have to take some things away. So, it's not that Mr. Thomas can't get in compliance. It's that in order to be in compliance, some things have to come off and the proper structures have to be placed there and be permitted. With the setbacks of the septic issues, we have also been in contact with the health department. I have given the most up-to-date information that we have. And it is unfortunate we do not have any information about a second avenue of a dump tank. Exactly. So, that's on the health department, and that's also his responsibility to figure out, because we have also done our part to inform him what the health department has allotted us informationally. Okay. So, who is your... Your Honor, I would like a minute, if I can. Well, let me finish up with questions with her, and then I'll give you time. Yes, sir. Yes, sir. So, who is your contact at the health department? Ms. Tina Cribs. Okay. Yes, sir. And it's the same person that he's been talking to? I'm unaware of who he spoke to exactly at the health department. Mr. Thomas, who did you speak to at the health department? That name sounds familiar, but there was someone over her that was supposed to call me back. Okay. But I have a comment about what Elante just said. Go ahead. Here's the deal. Elante was invited out when the environmental group came out and looked at it. I was the low-hanging fruit. That's all I was. And she knew that I was trying to do the right thing because I'm the one that invited everybody out there to help me. And that's the problem with dealing with Alachua County. Your Honor, the state of Florida knows that Alachua County is the most difficult county in the state to deal with on this stuff. They don't call back. They pick low-hanging fruit, such as me, rather than, hey, being proactive. All they want to do is send e-mails, send threats, send violations, this, and they're doing their part. Ms. Webb wasn't even aware of that property until she came out there with Chris. She didn't even know anything about it. But did she see the violations next door? Did she see the violations down the street? No, she didn't. Did she see all of the boathouses hanging in the water? Did she see all of the boats that are sunk on the edge of the water? Did any of that be brought up? No, I was low-hanging fruit, and I was being proactive, trying to make a difference. And so she comes in and does this. She has done nothing but fine me and push this stuff when I'm trying to do the right thing. I'm trying to do – I invited them to my property. And this is more bureaucracy, and this is more – this is the exact reason why I want to sell the property and get the hell out of Alachua County. Okay. County, anything else? No, sir. Okay. All right. That will conclude this portion of the case, and I will render a decision, and you'll get notified by mail, Mr. Thomas. But what do I do? Well, I'll make a decision, and depending on my decision, then you can decide what you want to do. Well, I don't understand. Do I – can I still put a house on it? See, this is the problem. Everybody says no, but they don't tell me what to do. That's my concern, Your Honor, is I'm trying. I've been to three different mobile home places, and I have somebody that will build me a dump tank. The only problem is I need time to be able to make some money to buy a $75,000 trailer house to put on it. That's my only – it rub. I don't mind coming up. But the problem is, Your Honor, that's all I hear is no, no, no, no, no, no. And, I mean, I've even contacted the governor's office over this. Okay. County, you have – Your Honor, I just wanted to make you aware of an email from Holly to Mr. Thomas about what he needs to do to move a mobile home on, to comply with the health department. She wasn't sure if there was a variance process for his septic tank issue. I don't know about the dump tank. Usually, they're not allowed. They don't meet state requirements. But I also just wanted to remind you, Holly is not here today. In her testimony at the case last time, she had conversations with Mr. Thomas before he moved this stuff on the property. So he knew prior to placing what he's already placed on there that needs a septic. But he does have an email explaining exactly what he needs to do. Okay. All right. It took six months to do that, by the way. Understood. And we're going to end the case now. Well, thank you for being here, Mr. Thomas, and I'll get a decision to you in the mail. Thanks for nothing. Go ahead and call the next – we're in penalty phase, right? Yes, sir. Let me read the statement first. Noncompliance hearings are strictly to evaluate if an order that has been created by the special magistrate has been followed or not been followed. I will not rehear the case as the special magistrate has no authority to revisit its previous action. The special magistrate's policy for conducting a noncompliance hearing is followed. Determine if the respondent is in compliance or not in compliance. Give the county and respondent an opportunity to speak on the compliance or noncompliance, and I'll make a decision. Regarding its potential granting of a lien against the property. So, county, can we call the first case and penalty hearing? Case number 25-006039, Alachua County versus Mitchell Jeremiah Trustee. Okay. Is someone here representing Mitchell Jeremiah Trustee? I see there's a new owner as well. Is someone here – is a Mitchell Emote here? Seeing none, please proceed, county. Case 25-006039. Mitchell Jeremiah Trustee. Guilty, not in compliance. Prosecution cost was $420. Daily fine, $75. Total is $4,320. I have some pictures for the case file, and I'd like to request a lien. Okay. Again, is anybody here representing the owner or the respondent? Seeing none. Okay. Okay, now we're moving on to reduction. Is that correct? Another statement sheet here. I will now hear requests for reduction of fines and rescission of liens. The decision to grant or deny your request is solely within my discretion. In making my decision, I may consider recommendation from Alachua County Code Administration. Please state precisely what you are requesting and why you believe that I should grant your request. You may present any information that is relevant to your request. The only purpose of this hearing is to consider a reduction of fine or a rescission of lien. This is not an opportunity to discuss the original finding of violations. Please refrain from commenting on the original proceedings since I have no authority to revisit that action. So, please call the first case. Case number CE-2012-100032, CEB10-36, and CEB13-037. So, that's Alachua County versus Loftus, Ryan Loftus. Someone here representing. Come over to the podium. So, it's a reversal of what you've just heard. It's you go first. So, your opportunity to seek a reduction of fine and rescission of lien. Wonderful. Thank you for that. Please identify yourself for the record. My name is Ryan Loftus. I'm the owner of the property at 17913. Hold the microphone up just a little bit in front of you there. There you go. Okay. The owner of the property at 17913 Northeast 136th Avenue in Waldo. Okay. And what can you tell me? So, this property was a property that I acquired through a tax deed auction. Okay. And it had considerable violations that were previous to my ownership. Right. And, you know, our mission is to create beautiful spaces, affordable housing. And I've had a passion for doing that over the years. I believe I've been here in the past. Yes, you have. And I recognize you. Address some of those things. We appreciate what you do. Yes, thank you. And I appreciate the opportunity and what was shared about not being afraid of taking on such projects. There's nothing wrong, inherently wrong, with the property itself. It's just these paperwork and document issues. And so, we set forth on correcting the violations. There was substantial daily fines that had been stacked against the property. It's not just the physical work. There's, it is a labor of love. There was squatters on the property when we arrived on the property. It, of course, was a hoarder situation where there's lots and lots of material on the property. And through a program that I think is through Gainesville Fire Rescue, it's an Alachua County program, the mobile integrated health unit, we were able to get the people on the property, put all their personal belongings in a non-functioning vehicle and get it towed to a safe location at their request. And also get them into housing, which is what we want to do is create safe, clean, affordable housing. So, and that, from the very start, I think, represents, you know, the synergy of public-private partnership and solving problems in our community. So, then came the fines themselves. After acquisition of the property, there, of course, was a lot of cleanup that needed to be done. That trash removal ended up being a little over $4,000, $4,253.54. There were legal challenges with the title. Those legal fees ended up being $1,850. I believe there's still outstanding work on that, but that's what is recorded so far. There was a structure that was built that was not permitted, and that structure needed to have after-the-fact permits done. So, we applied for permits and have successfully gone through the permitting process. Yes, this picture here, as you can see, has had the siding and the roof replaced. We had $350 in engineering fees to go evaluate to ensure that we would be, the structure itself was worth putting the money into to bring into compliance. In addition to having a nice home, having a nice storage building is a valuable addition to the property, so it was our choice to do what we could to save the structure. The permitting and correction of that facility, of that building, was $11,332.14. And then we have permits open for a replacement home on the property, and so that's where we stand right now. And they, of course, cannot be processed any further until we take care of the fines of local liens on the property. So, I believe that through our work and the interface with all the different parties that needed to be involved with this, all of which have been very helpful and understood what we're trying to do, I would ask for full removal of all of the fines that have been previously levied against the property. And projects like this, as I've shared before, there's a reason why people don't operate in affordable housing spaces, because it's very, very thin margins. But at the end of the day, I think the contribution to the communities taking a property that really has been distressed, it's been years and years and years in these types of conditions, and being able to bring them into compliance and put them back on the tax rolls and provide a wonderful primary home for people is definitely a huge contribution to our communities, and we intend to continue doing that, and we appreciate all the support and help. So, how much did the tax deeds cost you? Do you know? What's one piece you didn't give me? How much was the tax deed? Do you know? The tax, yeah, the tax acquisition cost was $20,000.80. I'm sorry, $20,000, $20,080. $20,080, okay. I didn't think they did send, but, okay. County have a position. The county approves his request if the judge so grants it. Yeah, we've done this before, and I think it's a real contribution to the community, and we'll put it back on the tax rolls and also provide housing for folks who can. Need housing? Absolutely. So, you know, it'll go down to zero on that at the county in your request, all right? And we'll get that out to you as soon as we can. I greatly appreciate it. Thank you very much for this support. Thank you for being here, and thank you for all you do. Yeah, thank you. Thank you, Mr. Loppis. Thank you. Any other business before the hearing? Hearing none. Hearing, I'll call it over at 10 o'clock.