Magistrate trims thousands from recorded liens after owners show compliance or hardship

In mitigation hearings on June 3, the City of West Palm Beach and several property owners reached agreements to lower longstanding recorded liens, and Special Magistrate Amity Barnard approved the reductions.

Kevin Lavine presented a 2018 case in which an outstanding fine had grown to $45,000. The respondent, Latoya Ferguson, and the city agreed to a $5,000 settlement, payable within 90 days; the magistrate signed the order. "I'll give you 90 days," Barnard said when approving the payment timeline.

Two other mitigation cases involved properties at East View and West View Avenues. New owner Haron Miller testified that he brought 3830 East View into compliance; the city recommended reducing combined prior fines from $42,200 to $5,000 ($2,500 per case). The magistrate approved the agreement and set a 60-day payment deadline.

Owner Lee Hooks contested two liens tied to his property at 3802 West View. Hooks said he had difficulty tracking earlier notices and argued some violations were older or not properly documented. The magistrate noted the property's long compliance history and the number of prior code actions. Barnard reduced a 2019 lien from $5,900 to $590 and a 2024 lien from $54,000 to $5,000, both payable within 90 days. The magistrate cautioned that unpaid reduced amounts could revert to the original amounts recorded against the property.

Magistrate Barnard explained that mitigation hearings address penalty amounts and payment schedules rather than re-litigating the merits of earlier violations. "The time to argue the merits was at those prior hearings," she told owner Lee Hooks.

Next steps: The city will mail orders reflecting the approved reductions and collection instructions. If respondents fail to pay within the ordered windows, magistrate orders indicate the original lien amounts may be reinstated.

Speakers quoted: "I will reduce the lean amount from $54,000 down to $5,000 payable within 90 days," Barnard told owner Lee Hooks; respondent Latoya Ferguson agreed to a $5,000 payment plan for her property.