West Palm Beach magistrate reduces multiple code-enforcement liens, imposes two after-hours alcohol fines
October 01, 2025 | West Palm Beach, Palm Beach County, Florida
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Special Magistrate Amity Barnard on Oct. 1 granted agreed or reduced lien amounts in multiple West Palm Beach code-enforcement cases and imposed two reduced fines for after-hours alcohol service at a city bar.
The changes included a reduction of a $20,000 lien to $2,000 for a rental-license/certificate-of-use matter at 1743 Village Boulevard; a reduction of a $624,900 lien to $10,000 for a case at 93640 Fifth Street; a consolidated reduction of 12 separate liens at a Palm Beach Lakes Boulevard property to a combined $10,000; and separate reductions for contiguous properties on Seventh Street. In a separate pair of police-referred cases, the magistrate imposed a $250 fine each for two instances of alcohol sales/consumption after permitted hours at El Banche A Bar, 525 Nottingham Boulevard.
Why it matters: reductions and one-time fines determine whether liens remain a lingering financial encumbrance on properties and signal how the city balances enforcement costs, owner circumstances and repeated code violations.
Barnard opened the hearing by administering oaths and heard testimony from city staff, property representatives and police. For the rental-license case at 1743 Village Boulevard (CE24041764), Mark Joyce of West Palm Beach Code Enforcement told the magistrate the fine began after an order to comply and ran for 100 days, producing a $20,000 lien. The city said staff and the respondent negotiated an agreement to reduce the lien to $2,000 payable within 90 days. Harlan Miller, who identified himself as the authorized agent for Ramon Investment LLC, asked the magistrate whether exceptional personal circumstances could justify a reduction below 10 percent in future cases and described the owner’s situation: "they didn't pay a $56 fee" after the owner’s parents died and the owner lives internationally. Barnard explained that "there's no 1 size fits all answer there," noting statutory factors in Chapter 162 that guide lien reductions and that the respondent bears the burden of proving why a fine should be lowered. After hearing both sides, Barnard approved the agreed reduction to $2,000, payable in 90 days.
Two other single-case reductions were recorded earlier in the session. In case CE02020122 for 93640 Fifth Street, the city and the respondent’s counsel reported a pre-hearing agreement reducing a previously larger lien to $10,000 payable within 90 days; the magistrate entered the agreed reduction.
A grouped settlement covered 12 cases listed together for property interests tied to 2300 Palm Beach Lakes Boulevard (the record lists twelve CE numbers including CE21020301, CE17030133, CE21030469 and others). Mark Joyce said only one of those cases involved an electrical panel without a permit; the rest involved tenant- or certificate-of-use-related issues. The city and counsel agreed to reduce the total outstanding liens across all 12 cases to a combined $10,000 payable within 60 days; Barnard entered a single order reflecting that consolidated amount.
The magistrate also heard contiguous Seventh Street properties owned by Lehi Moody. For CE11040531 (801? Seventh Street on the agenda) the lien had been $29,700; the city offered a 75% reduction and Barnard reduced the lien to $4,500 payable in 60 days after weighing Moody’s testimony about prior interactions with officers and the property’s multiple prior cases. For the neighboring case CE24021437 (80930 Seventh Street on the agenda) the lien of $17,000 was reduced to $4,250 payable within 60 days. Moody testified at length about repeated inspections, disputed citations and his efforts to bring the properties into compliance. The magistrate noted a long history of prior cases at the addresses when explaining the size of reductions.
Later in the afternoon the magistrate heard two police-referred after-hours alcohol cases at El Banche A Bar, 525 Nottingham Boulevard (PD25080451 and PD25090452). Lieutenant Craig Davis of the West Palm Beach Police Department testified that on July 26 and Aug. 1 officers observed patrons consuming alcohol and staff exchanging currency after the time when the location must cease alcohol service, and that staff complied once notified. Attorney Alberto Liao, representing the business, said the owner is a small operation and asked for leniency. The city initially requested the statutory maximum $500 per violation under section 6-13 of the city code, but Barnard found the recorded facts established violations of section 6-4-b and imposed one-time fines of $250 for each date (total $500). Barnard noted the reduced fines reflected the apparent first and second offenses and warned that repeated violations would draw stricter penalties or enforcement consequences, including potential liens if fines are unpaid.
Votes at a glance:
- CE24041764 (1743 Village Blvd): lien reduced from $20,000 to $2,000; payable within 90 days; outcome: approved.
- CE02020122 (93640 Fifth St): lien reduced from $624,900 to $10,000; payable within 90 days; outcome: approved.
- CE21020301; CE17030133; CE21030469; CE21030442; CE16090166; CE20060222; CE20010503; CE20060177; CE20060167; CE20010488; CE20060221; CE23010320 (12 cases tied to 2300 Palm Beach Lakes Blvd): total outstanding liens across the 12 cases reduced to $10,000; payable within 60 days; outcome: approved (single consolidated order).
- CE11040531 (contiguous Seventh St property): lien reduced from $29,700 to $4,500; payable within 60 days; outcome: approved.
- CE24021437 (contiguous Seventh St property): lien reduced from $17,000 to $4,250; payable within 60 days; outcome: approved.
- PD25080451 (El Banche A Bar — July 26): one-time fine imposed $250; outcome: approved.
- PD25090452 (El Banche A Bar — Aug. 1): one-time fine imposed $250; outcome: approved.
What was decided and what remains: The magistrate authorized the reduced lien amounts and one-time fines as reflected above. Payment deadlines were set by the orders (60 or 90 days as noted). The magistrate cautioned that if reduced amounts are not paid in the specified time they will revert to the original lien amounts and may be enforced as liens against property. Parties were given copies of the court orders or told the city would send copies.
Documentation and context: city staff entered photographs, video evidence (body-worn camera) and notice documents into the record for the after-hours cases. Barnard repeatedly noted that fine-reduction hearings are not the proper forum to relitigate the underlying citation if an appeal window has passed; instead she focuses on what the respondent did to bring the property into compliance and statutory factors such as gravity of the violation and respondent efforts to correct it.
The magistrate adjourned the session at 12:53 p.m.
The changes included a reduction of a $20,000 lien to $2,000 for a rental-license/certificate-of-use matter at 1743 Village Boulevard; a reduction of a $624,900 lien to $10,000 for a case at 93640 Fifth Street; a consolidated reduction of 12 separate liens at a Palm Beach Lakes Boulevard property to a combined $10,000; and separate reductions for contiguous properties on Seventh Street. In a separate pair of police-referred cases, the magistrate imposed a $250 fine each for two instances of alcohol sales/consumption after permitted hours at El Banche A Bar, 525 Nottingham Boulevard.
Why it matters: reductions and one-time fines determine whether liens remain a lingering financial encumbrance on properties and signal how the city balances enforcement costs, owner circumstances and repeated code violations.
Barnard opened the hearing by administering oaths and heard testimony from city staff, property representatives and police. For the rental-license case at 1743 Village Boulevard (CE24041764), Mark Joyce of West Palm Beach Code Enforcement told the magistrate the fine began after an order to comply and ran for 100 days, producing a $20,000 lien. The city said staff and the respondent negotiated an agreement to reduce the lien to $2,000 payable within 90 days. Harlan Miller, who identified himself as the authorized agent for Ramon Investment LLC, asked the magistrate whether exceptional personal circumstances could justify a reduction below 10 percent in future cases and described the owner’s situation: "they didn't pay a $56 fee" after the owner’s parents died and the owner lives internationally. Barnard explained that "there's no 1 size fits all answer there," noting statutory factors in Chapter 162 that guide lien reductions and that the respondent bears the burden of proving why a fine should be lowered. After hearing both sides, Barnard approved the agreed reduction to $2,000, payable in 90 days.
Two other single-case reductions were recorded earlier in the session. In case CE02020122 for 93640 Fifth Street, the city and the respondent’s counsel reported a pre-hearing agreement reducing a previously larger lien to $10,000 payable within 90 days; the magistrate entered the agreed reduction.
A grouped settlement covered 12 cases listed together for property interests tied to 2300 Palm Beach Lakes Boulevard (the record lists twelve CE numbers including CE21020301, CE17030133, CE21030469 and others). Mark Joyce said only one of those cases involved an electrical panel without a permit; the rest involved tenant- or certificate-of-use-related issues. The city and counsel agreed to reduce the total outstanding liens across all 12 cases to a combined $10,000 payable within 60 days; Barnard entered a single order reflecting that consolidated amount.
The magistrate also heard contiguous Seventh Street properties owned by Lehi Moody. For CE11040531 (801? Seventh Street on the agenda) the lien had been $29,700; the city offered a 75% reduction and Barnard reduced the lien to $4,500 payable in 60 days after weighing Moody’s testimony about prior interactions with officers and the property’s multiple prior cases. For the neighboring case CE24021437 (80930 Seventh Street on the agenda) the lien of $17,000 was reduced to $4,250 payable within 60 days. Moody testified at length about repeated inspections, disputed citations and his efforts to bring the properties into compliance. The magistrate noted a long history of prior cases at the addresses when explaining the size of reductions.
Later in the afternoon the magistrate heard two police-referred after-hours alcohol cases at El Banche A Bar, 525 Nottingham Boulevard (PD25080451 and PD25090452). Lieutenant Craig Davis of the West Palm Beach Police Department testified that on July 26 and Aug. 1 officers observed patrons consuming alcohol and staff exchanging currency after the time when the location must cease alcohol service, and that staff complied once notified. Attorney Alberto Liao, representing the business, said the owner is a small operation and asked for leniency. The city initially requested the statutory maximum $500 per violation under section 6-13 of the city code, but Barnard found the recorded facts established violations of section 6-4-b and imposed one-time fines of $250 for each date (total $500). Barnard noted the reduced fines reflected the apparent first and second offenses and warned that repeated violations would draw stricter penalties or enforcement consequences, including potential liens if fines are unpaid.
Votes at a glance:
- CE24041764 (1743 Village Blvd): lien reduced from $20,000 to $2,000; payable within 90 days; outcome: approved.
- CE02020122 (93640 Fifth St): lien reduced from $624,900 to $10,000; payable within 90 days; outcome: approved.
- CE21020301; CE17030133; CE21030469; CE21030442; CE16090166; CE20060222; CE20010503; CE20060177; CE20060167; CE20010488; CE20060221; CE23010320 (12 cases tied to 2300 Palm Beach Lakes Blvd): total outstanding liens across the 12 cases reduced to $10,000; payable within 60 days; outcome: approved (single consolidated order).
- CE11040531 (contiguous Seventh St property): lien reduced from $29,700 to $4,500; payable within 60 days; outcome: approved.
- CE24021437 (contiguous Seventh St property): lien reduced from $17,000 to $4,250; payable within 60 days; outcome: approved.
- PD25080451 (El Banche A Bar — July 26): one-time fine imposed $250; outcome: approved.
- PD25090452 (El Banche A Bar — Aug. 1): one-time fine imposed $250; outcome: approved.
What was decided and what remains: The magistrate authorized the reduced lien amounts and one-time fines as reflected above. Payment deadlines were set by the orders (60 or 90 days as noted). The magistrate cautioned that if reduced amounts are not paid in the specified time they will revert to the original lien amounts and may be enforced as liens against property. Parties were given copies of the court orders or told the city would send copies.
Documentation and context: city staff entered photographs, video evidence (body-worn camera) and notice documents into the record for the after-hours cases. Barnard repeatedly noted that fine-reduction hearings are not the proper forum to relitigate the underlying citation if an appeal window has passed; instead she focuses on what the respondent did to bring the property into compliance and statutory factors such as gravity of the violation and respondent efforts to correct it.
The magistrate adjourned the session at 12:53 p.m.
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