Magistrate gives West Palm Beach homeowner 60 days to reinstate permit for enclosed carport

The City of West Palm Beach Special Magistrate found that work done at 335 South Chillingworth Drive constituted construction without a valid permit and ordered the owner to obtain or reinstate a permit within 60 days.

City building inspector Solly Armisham testified that an enclosed carport was observed without a permit, that a permit application had been filed in 2021 but was never issued after plan-review questions went unanswered, and that no inspections had been performed. Armisham introduced photographs and said the notice of violation had been posted and mailed.

Owner Rosemar Nelson told the magistrate he had paid fees and showed a receipt. Nelson said he believed he had submitted a permit application and paid, but the city records still showed the permit as expired. Nelson also described difficulty with a third-party who took money and failed to complete paperwork.

The magistrate summarized the exchange and said he would find a violation of the cited code sections. "I'm gonna give you 60 days to come into compliance by getting that permit issued," the magistrate said, and directed city staff to meet with Nelson and walk him through the steps required to complete plan review before the 60 days expire. The magistrate warned that failure to comply could result in a fine of up to $50 per day.

The magistrate's order requires Nelson to either reinstate the prior application or submit a new application and complete any outstanding plan-review steps and inspections. The city inspector said staff would follow up with the respondent to explain the remaining submittal items and inspection requirements.

The case was recorded as CEBLD23100444; the magistrate adopted the officers' testimony into the record and set the compliance deadline at 60 days with daily fines available if the respondent fails to comply.